Local officials meet to discuss shared services

Representatives of 22 Monmouth County municipalities came together recently for the first official meeting of the Central Jersey Council of Governments (CJCG).

Gov. Jon Corzine was present as the local officials signed the council's ceremonial charter at Marlboro Town Hall on April 7. The organization is dedicated to seeking shared services across Monmouth County.

Towns involved in the group include Eatontown, Hazlet, Little Silver, Long Branch, Matawan, Middletown, Ocean Township, Oceanport and Sea Bright.

Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon (R- 12th District) was on hand for the inaugural meeting and said he sees a lot of promise from the group.

"I am all for as much communication between municipalities and governments at every level," O'Scanlon said. "You never know where you can find synergies in terms of merging and shared services. It is an opportunity to more wisely spend constituents' tax dollars."

He said he has seen efforts between towns already.

"Little Silver and Fair Haven are in the process of sharing dispatch services that came out of starting discussions between towns," O'Scanlon said. "That's what needs to happen."

Middletown Mayor Pamela Brightbill attended the first official meeting and is excited to see what lies in the future.

"Twenty municipalities joined together in what is the largest group of municipalities in the state," Brightbill said last week. "We will meet and work together to find common needs and shared services as groups. It's also a good way to find grants."

She said the first "thing in the works" is a feasibility study of the proposed Monmouth County Regional Solid Waste Collection Service, a program that is expected to begin in the spring of 2010.

The feasibility study had seen more than half of the county's 53 municipalities sign on to the idea of regional trash collection, which is expected to cut municipal expenses for trash removal by more than 20 percent, according to a press release distributed by the Patriot Consulting Group, which conducted the study.

The group applied for a state grant through the New Jersey Sharing Available Resources Efficiently (SHARE) program to fund the feasibility study this spring.

The SHARE program is offered by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and focuses on finding ways for municipalities to share services to lower costs and improve the efficiency of providing government services.

"It's a good way for some of the larger towns to work together and share ideas such as this study," Brightbill said.

Marlboro Mayor Jonathan Hornik started discussing the possibility of shared services when he took office in January 2008. From that point local agreements were made with Manalapan.

The initiative grew as Marlboro's Shared Services Committee held meetings that gave local officials a chance to come together and discuss their options. As attendance increased so did the possibility of a formal organization.

"It is very important for all the municipalities to be doing everything they can to control costs. This is necessary for longterm control of fiscal, prudent management in our towns," Hornik said.

He said the CJCG is bipartisan and is attempting to make government more efficient for the residents of Monmouth County and New Jersey.

Corzine commended all of the municipal officials who have come together in the CJCG. He said it is the largest organization of this type in the state.

"I look forward to the great success here and I look forward to working with you," the governor told the representatives of the participating municipalities.

As the CJCG held its organizational meeting, members were elected to serve on the board. Hornik will serve as president, Manalapan Committeewoman Michelle Roth will serve as vice president, Bradley Beach Mayor Julie Schreck will serve as secretary and Freehold Township Deputy Mayor Anthony Ammiano will serve as treasurer.

"The meeting was very ceremonial in that all of the mayors came out to sign the

charter," Brightbill said.

O'Scanlon thanked the governor for being supportive of shared services efforts across the state, particularly the movement in Monmouth County.

Corzine said the consolidation of municipalities is not the only answer for small towns and he cited the recent recommendations made by a department that is looking into consolidation and shared services.

"Anything that needs to be done in this area needs to be done on a voluntary basis. Mandates, cram downs, will not work and people need to have a sense that they're searching for those opportunities together," Corzine said.

The governor added that based on economic factors, shared services are a necessity.

"One of these days the tide will turn, our economy will lift and we will be much more efficient," he said, adding that will be because of communities already using shared services.

Future initiatives that are being looked at by the CJCG include sharing public works equipment and employees, as well as regional trash collection, Hornik said.

Brightbill said that Middletown Township Administrator Anthony Mercantante has been attending the group's meetings and will continue to do so in the future.

She said that as shared services and grants are accepted by the CLCG, either she or Mercantante would bring them back to the Township Committee for a vote.