By Tim O’Meilia
Manalapan town commissioners upheld Town Manager Linda Stumpf’s recommendation of a 3 percent salary increase for general employees, two part-time weekend police officers to patrol the beach and a six-car police fleet.
By a 4-1 vote, the commission set a tentative tax rate of $3 for every $1,000 of taxable property value beginning Oct. 1, but indicated that would likely be reduced before the final 2013-14 budget is approved in September.
Commissioner Howard Roder wanted to set the tentative rate at $2.90, the current rate. The commission will hold another budget workshop at 10 a.m. Aug. 26.
The owner of a home with a $2 million taxable value paying $5,800 this year would pay $6,000 next year, if the property value remained the same. However, the average value increased 6.4 percent, meaning individual homeowners likely would pay more.
Commissioners said they may be willing to dip into town reserve funds for $100,000 or more to repair the Audubon Causeway on Point Manalapan, which has been gradually deteriorating, according to Florida Department of Transportation biennial evaluations. The town is awaiting a $15,000 structural evaluation of the town-owned, two-lane bridge by its own engineering consultant.
The commission rejected several suggestions from Roder, including cutting the police lieutenant’s position and two part-time police officers who patrol the beach on all-terrain vehicles on the weekends.
“The part-time beach patrol is unnecessary,” Roder said. He said annual traffic stops have been reduced from 230 to 60, freeing officers to man beach patrols. “I am concerned about safety but our police officers are carrying it out well.”
“From January to September (2012) we operated without a lieutenant and our crime rate was down 13 percent,” Roder said.
Police Chief Carmen Mattox said cutting part-time officers would reduce the 12-hour per day weekend beach patrols.
During weekdays, officers drive the beach four times during each 12-hour shift. Weekend patrols are continuous.
“It’s very important for the ocean residents to have this beach patrol,” said Mayor David Cheifetz. “It would be a very bad idea to take it away.”
Four other commissioners agreed with Cheifetz. Commissioner Peter Isaac was absent.
Roder also opposed Stumpf’s proposed 3 percent employee salary hike. “We should not emulate what we did for the police. We should make it a lump sum (increase) so it doesn’t become part of their base salary,” he said.
Police will get a 2 percent raise beginning in October under a new collective bargaining agreement signed by the town. The deal included a 7 percent raise retroactive to 2011 and a 3 percent hike this year.
Other commissioners favored the raise for general employees.
Commissioners agreed with Roder’s suggestion to cut a $20,000 computer software upgrade.
The commission also agreed to buy a $15,000 license plate reader to replace one of the six stationed on A1A and on the point. The plan is to replace one reader every year. The readers notify police of warrants, expired licenses and stolen cars passing through town.
The six-car police fleet includes rotating five patrol cars on and off the road. The lieutenant would drive one of the rotation cars. Currently he is assigned a specific car which is not outfitted for handling detainees.
The chief drives the sixth car. The town would continue its policy of replacing one car each year except in the year the chief’s car is also replaced.
Cheifetz indicated that a seventh town-owned car, currently driven by the town manager, would be sold. Several commissioners disagreed with providing the manager a car. Her contract calls for a car or a $400 monthly allowance.
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