Politics & Government

Freeholder Candidates Talk Taxes, Health Care, Pensions at Debate

Elections take place on Nov. 3

Arguments and the occasional temper flew over taxes, hospital closings, deferred pension plans and more Thursday night at the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders debate.

Sponsored by the Union County League of Women Voters, the debate was held at the Cranford municipal building.

All seven candidates for the three open freeholder positions attended the debate, which took the format of a question and answer session. Hilda Jaffe of the Montclair Area League moderated the event and three local journalists asked the questions.

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Following four-minute opening statements, each candidate could respond to any question for up to one minute.

The largest points of contention included the debate over the county's role in the closing of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center in Plainfield, and issues related to spending within the county’s means.

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Michael Shapiro of The Alternative Press asked the candidates how they would lower the rising tax burden and spending costs in the county.

“(Increasing taxes) is not a unique situation for Union County," said Democratic incumbent, and current Chairman of the Board of Chosen Freeholders Alexander Mirabella. "All 21 counties (in New Jersey) have increased their municipal taxes this year… these are extraordinary times and we’re trying to find some ways to help offset (the increased taxation).”

Mirabella said the county had layoffs this year and implemented a new program that had employees pay part of their benefits to help curb spending. The chairman also proposed finding new sources of revenue for the town. One potential source – leasing or selling the Union County Resource Recovery Facility in Rahway – was supported by Democrats but made Republicans wary due to a possible conflict of interest from a Democratic Party donor who operates the site and would make money on the deal.

Republican candidate Nicole Cole of Fanwood supports conducting an independent county audit. "I would come in and try to challenge my counterparts to come up with different ideas that cut the inefficiencies that litter the county budget.”

“We already have a budget of over $400 million. If we can’t make do with that, we’re clearly doing something wrong," said Fellow Republican candidate and current Garwood Councilman Anthony Sytko, who supported Cole’s plan.

Healthcare

Leslie Murray of The Cranford Chronicle sparked another round of contentions when she asked what the freeholders can do to provide quality health care to residents despite major hospital closings like the regional medical center in Plainfield.

Independent candidates, Hope Thompson of Plainfield and former Muhlenberg nurse Karen Gielen of Scotch Plains, had the most to say on the topic, which is at the heart of their campaign platform.

“We definitely need an acute care facility… and transportation to get there. As it is now with the closing of Muhlenberg, it’s a $60 one-way cab ride to JFK (Medical Center in Edison),” Thompson said. “We’re hearing horror stories of $1,200 to $1,700 ambulance rides to Somerset and wherever else they are taking (sick patients).”

Gielen expressed concern that the area not only have an acute care facility, but also offer obstetrical services to accommodate women who go into labor and cannot get to any other hospital on time.

“In regards to the Muhlenberg issue, the county freeholders have no say over the hospitals and their openings and closings. … That being said, we lobbied very hard to keep Muhlenberg hospital open," said Incumbent Democratic candidate Deborah Scanlon.

The only non-incumbent Democrat running for freeholder, Mohamed Jalloh of Roselle, commended the current freeholders for keeping Runnells Specialized Hospital open and under public control.

“It seems to me that private hospitals are more about dollars and cents, and when dollars cease to make sense, the private hospitals go away and leave our communities,” Jalloh said.

Pensions

The candidates also discussed deferred pension payments for county officials, which Democrats support but Republicans oppose. They also considered the continuation of Union County’s MusicFest event, which both parties supported, but with the Republicans advocating a smaller budget for the event. Both major parties supported investing in solar energy panels for schools – with differences on how to pay for the panels.

Paul Peyton of the Westfield Leader asked about outsourcing the operations of the county golf courses, which Democrats supported, and the Republicans criticized due to the unpopular closing of Oak Ridge golf course.

When asked how the debate went, all of the candidates felt confident.

“I think it went well,” Mirabella said. “There are a lot of issues and in an hour you can only touch on so many things, but I felt like you could see the teamwork among (the Democratic candidates) and the plan we had.”

“You did see an absolutely clear distinction between my plan and my opponents’. We offer real responses to the problem," said Sytko. "It’s not more government. It’s not more programs. It’s not more taxes. It’s making due with what we have.”

Sytko was also critical of what he felt was the current freeholders' decision to set this year’s budget without fully taking into account the financial crisis.

“If you knew we were facing a serious problem, you don’t attack it the same way," he said. "The definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. And by that logic the freeholders are absolutely certifiable.”

“I thought they were a little mean,” Scanlon said of her Republican opponents. “That’s my perspective; I’m not a mean person. I kind of smooth things over and make them as nice as they can. I thought that (Sytko) seemed a little upset and little angry.”

“I think that they did ok,” Mirabella said when asked to critique his opponents’ performance. “They care about Union County, you can see that. They want to try to help … But I really didn’t see where they offered any new ideas or a new plan. They are just against things, and that’s no way to run an office … you have to be for something.”

The freeholder elections take place on November 3.


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