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Monday, April 29, 2013

Taxpayer Funded Purchase: Mindful Municipal Management or Wasteful Spending

UPDATE: A source has confirmed that Westfield Police Department officials will spend the next two weeks training with a representative, arriving today, from Power Innovations International of Utah, on the operation of Westfield's MSOC (Mobile Special Operations Center)  TFoTM has also learned that a 6-wheeled Polaris ATV was purchased with taxpayer funds.  Only question remaining is: Will Officer Nicole Tango-Stivale and Officer Paul Ferry (aka "The Skoal Bandit") be assisting in the Polaris training   It was this duo that starred in a YouTube video titled "A Getaway Short" that detailed the Westfield Police Departments need for an ATV to patrol parks such as Tamaques and Brightwood.



    With local roads needing repair, and in some cases reconstruction, the Westfield Town Council recently voted to spend nearly $300,000 of Westfield tax dollars on a mobile command center.  3rd Ward Councilman and candidate for Mayor David Haas ultimately voted "No" on the expenditure of tax dollars to fund this purchase.  Also, consider that Houlihan/Sid Fay fields at the end of Rahway Ave. will need replacement in the near future and the Town Council has cut school crossing guards from intersections where children have had assistance in the past.
     Local politicians, including most recently 4th Ward candidate for Town Council Keith Loughlin, have publicly stated, "I'll be focusing on controlling municipal spending."  TFoTM asks, "When?"

     The mobile command center was approved for purchase and is currently sitting on South Ave. in the driveway of a local business adjacent to the old Thomas Lincoln/Mercury dealership.  The trailer still displays a Utah license plate while the towing Ford F350 pickup truck has no license plate displayed.  This vehicle, presumably now owned by the Town of Westfield, was delivered rather expeditiously considering that the special bond ordinance to approve its purchase was just recently passed leading some to speculate if the vehicle had been purchased prior to the bond vote, making the vote just a formality.  New Jersey has strict municipal purchasing laws that must be adhered to.
     Mayor Skibitsky is touting "Making Public Safety a Priority" while "Managing Your Tax Dollars Efficiently" in one of his recent campaign donation solicitations.  Mayor Skibitsky and members of the current Westfield Town Council have reduced the staffing levels at both the police department and fire department in recent years causing delays in response time in the police department and hampering the fire fighting abilities of the fire department on initial response to residential and commercial structure fires.
     Hmmm, perhaps $300,000 could have been allocated to hire public safety personnel in departments depleted of manpower or at least repair some the many failing streets in town among other municipal "priorities."
   
The cost of a public safety hire........approximately $65,000
The cost to mill and pave a 400 ft long x 30 ft wide dilapidated street.... approximately $30,000 to $35,000

The cost to the taxpayer when Town Council members approved
to purchase Chief Dave Wayman a new toy....approximately $300,000
Voting out incumbent Skibitsky and his fellow council members seeking re-election....PRICELESS!

UPDATE:  A source has confirmed that the mobile command center has been in Westfield for "Several weeks if not months" since its arrival from Utah for an exhibition at the Westfield Armory.  Mayor Skibitsky and the Westfield Town Council gave the approval for purchasing the mobile command center only recently, or was it a "done deal" sealed earlier than the public council vote?.  The mobile command center has since been removed from the parking lot of Print Tech on South Ave. to an unknown location after the posting of this story.   
 
   

16 comments:

  1. Hey TfoTM: My neighbor tells me that a pedestrian was struck at the Central Avenue Pedestrian crossing on Sunday Afternoon. Is it true?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TFoTM is in the process of obtaining information and facts surrounding the motor vehicle accident that took place yesterday (Sunday) in the vicinity of Central Ave. & Clover St. The information obtained through an OPRA request with the Town of Westfield will provide details.

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  2. This is a "pork barrel purchase" that is not needed. Big cities are in the market for these vehicles, not a suburb like Westfield.

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  3. Huge waste of money. I am sure they will trot it out for Festifall and Pizza Run but it seems to pretty much exist to stroke the egos of the police chief. Makes him feel like he is running a big department. Amazing to me that the Council voted for it. Roads are falling apart. Sewer fees now charged separately to help shore up revenues and now they toss out money for this toy.

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  4. Hey isnt that Bartkus' old trailer....what a bargin....

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    Replies
    1. No, I think Bartkus donated his trailer to the Barney Tracy/Jackie Hall Reunion Tour. I think it was last spotted somewhere in Mississippi. Tracy became an ordained minister and Jackie Hall is his alter boy.

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  5. Hey how come the pickup doesnt match the rest of the fleet???????...and the trailer has no windows.......

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  6. Re-title this story to "Council Corruption" or "Wayman's Wasteful Wants"

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  7. Why does this town need an Polaris ATV?

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    Replies
    1. So Wayman can take it hunting....or its something else Perrotta can smash up....hey whos driving that rig???? Ferry????:?

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    2. As long as they don't let the person who drove over Echo Lake CC's putting green with a golf cart during the PBA annual golf outing drive it, there should be no worries.

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  8. I just finished reading the latest edition of the Westfield Leader, 45 minutes of my life I will never get back, and on the front page what do I see, but an article about the Mayor and Gildea going to a conference in Georgia on what they did during hurricane Sandy. The mayor was the keynote speaker, and Mr. Gildea threw his two cents in.....here are my questions:

    1. Why Westfield????
    2. Who paid???
    3. If the taxpayers of Westfield paid for this, why, isnt the town doing more with less......

    When our firefighters have to sit and watch a house burn because they are under staffed, why is the Mayor and Town Administrator wasting money on something as lame as this.

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  9. Will somebody please explain why the police department has as many vehicles as they do. Pickup trucks, SUV's, police cars, trailers, a tiny box truck, motorcycles, and now an ATV? Ridiculous considering we have fewer cops now. What's next? A flight division and marine police to patrol Mindowaskin?

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    Replies
    1. Dont you realize its not that the town needs this equipment, its that Dave wants it.

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  10. Maybe they can sell off some of their vehicles and put more firemen on!

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  11. Apparently the sewer fee was levied on the residents of Westfield so the mayor could flush our hard earned tax dollars down the crapper by purchasing this total waste of a trailer. Maybe Skibitsky, Gildea and all their minions can move into the stupid thing!!!!!!!!

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