Ewing to ax 21 township employees, including 6 cops

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

chris sturgis
STAFF WRITER

EWING -- Twenty-one township employees, including six police officers, will be laid off under a plan by
Mayor Jack Ball to help close a $2.5 million budget gap. The firings, along with several demotions, will be
effective Aug. 18, under a plan approved by the state Civil Service Commission.

"This is certainly something as the mayor I do not want to do," he said. "It is something I have to do."

The hardest-hit department is the public works department, which will lose 11 employees, according to Ball.

In addition to losing six cops, two captain positions, that will be vacant due to retirements, will not be filled.
Two police sergeants will be demoted to patrolmen under the plan. A third township employee targeted for
demotion would be a van driver in community affairs who would go from full-time to part-time, he said.

The urgency is to fill a $2.5 million budget shortfall created by a reduction in state aid, Ball said. The tax rate
increase needed to fill that gap -- without layoffs -- would be 14 cents, on top of this year's 16-cent increase,
he said.

"I just couldn't do that," Ball said.

Civil Service regulations require 45 days advance notice of a layoff, Ball said, but in the meantime, he
welcomes the unions representing the employees to discuss any givebacks or alternatives to save jobs.

He said the furloughs adopted in Hamilton to save police positions would not work in Ewing, as they would
not save enough money.

The Ewing layoffs would save about $1.63 million, not enough to fill the $2.5 million hole, Ball said, but an
estimated savings of $800,000 from employees who have retired or will soon would allow the township to
plug the gap.

Police were stunned by the news, with union representatives saying neither they nor Chief Robert Coulton
were informed by the mayor of his plan.

"We haven't heard anything about it," Superior Officers Union President Lt. Ed DeAngelo said yesterday.

DeAngelo would not comment on concessions the unions may be forced to make to keep members at work.
He said the organization would not be making a statement until they aired their grievances to Ball through a
lawyer.

"We're going to wait and have our attorney contact him," he said.

DeAngelo also declined comment on whether Ball was using the threat of layoffs to get concessions from
the union.

"Jack loves to talk and let him keep talking," DeAngelo said.

The Times reported this past Sunday that Ball was considering police layoffs.

The township also will raise money on Aug. 3 by auctioning 10 properties that have fallen into town-
ownership. The township also is working to reduce expenses with a new garbage ordinance that will make
the system more efficient and reduce tipping fees, he said, adding he hopes the council will adopt it next
month.
Ball said he hopes the state will make a payment in lieu of taxes to the township in recognition of the many
property-tax exempt state facilities in the township, including The College of New Jersey, which increases
the township's demand for services from police, public works, fire and emergency medical services.

Councilman Bert Steinmann is challenging Ball's re-election bid in November. Steinmann wrote a letter to
Civil Service saying the layoffs were not necessary and would cut essential services. Contacted yesterday,
he said he stands by that position and believes Ball's administration did not adequately document the need
for layoffs.

Additional reporting by staff writer Alex Zdan.

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