Tempers Flare as Election Day Approaches

By Joseph L. Kuchie

South Amboy mayoral candidate Jack O’Connell

SOUTH AMBOY – The looming tax increase in the proposed budget and the upcoming primary election caused tension at last week’s South Amboy council meeting.

The council’s proposed 2014 budget would bring a tax increase of $88 on the average home if adopted later this year. This news comes weeks before the primary election in South Amboy that will see incumbent Mayor Fred Henry take on party-backed candidate Jack O’Connell.

Council president Joseph Connors began the public portion of the meeting by requesting that all residents hold their budget questions for the June 5th budget hearing at City Hall. However, the meeting will come two days after the election in South Amboy and O’Connell believed it should be discussed if there was a resolution in the consent agenda dealing with the tax rate.

“On the consent agenda there is a resolution that is interval to the budget…it sets the tax rate,” O’Connell said. “It allows tax bills to go out and that’s based on the revenue you need to raise for the 2014 budget.”

Business Administrator Camille Tooker disagreed, saying that this year’s budget had no play in the estimated number in resolution #81-2014. The number in the budget, she said, is based on last year’s numbers.

“The estimated tax bill is to collect taxes so we can continue to operate and stay within the statutory limits of sending out tax bills on the timeline,” Tooker said. “That bill is not predicated on this budget, there’s a percentage set by state that goes by last year’s budget.”

“You can send an estimated tax bill out that is within a percentage higher or lower than what you billed last year,” she added. “This year’s budget has no play in that estimated number.”

Arguments also ensued during the public portion when a local resident raised questions about Mayor Henry’s involvement in helping local students to register to vote. Henry is currently the dean of students at South Amboy High School, but the resident said that some students felt uncomfortable that someone running for office was helping them in the registration process and believed it was a conflict of interest.

Mayor Henry explained that he was asked by the schools to assist in the process after a guidance counselor went on leave, but he also said he made calls to the parents and explained to them the situation.

“The principal came to me and asked if I could help him because [the school] usually takes care of it,” Henry said. “I said no problem but in the circumstances we are in I wanted to let him know I was in no way going to ask them to ask for me. When I called the kids down I explained the process to them and I also called their parents to let them know I am registering them to vote and I am not soliciting votes.”

Councilman Mickey Gross, who will run with O’Connell and fellow council incumbent Christine Noble in this year’s election, recommended that Henry step aside from the process due to the fact that he was running for office this November. Henry fired right back to the councilman’s request, asking if he was questioning his integrity before Council President Connors intervened.

“I think I did everything that was reasonably asked of me…the principal came to me,” Henry added. “Especially now that the time has passed as far as anyone voting in this election…anybody I register now wouldn’t make a difference for this primary.”

Councilwoman Zusette Dato was not in attendance. The public budget hearing will be held June 5th at 5:30 p.m.