Council tension revived
by deputy chief issue
Spaulding
apologizes
for outburst
By dave goldberg
Staff Writer

David Spaulding

After what appeared to be a return to civility by the North Bruns-wick Township Council, tempers flared during Monday’s workshop meeting.

"Are you comfortable with him making that much?" Mayor David Spaulding asked, pressing Council-woman Maureen Little for an answer about newly appointed Deputy Police Chief Stanley Karbowski’s slated salary of $153,606 a year.

Spaulding and several residents have questioned the salary for the position which was established by the council earlier this month.

Council President Francis "Mack" Womack called to adjourn the meeting while Spaulding continued to press Little for an answer. Womack, a lawyer, advised Little that she did not have to answer Spaulding’s line of questioning. The council president said that no one should be forced to answer a question.

"This was an unfortunate situation," Womack said. "I doubt we will have any situations like this again. No members of council should be forced to answer questions."

After the meeting was adjourned, Spaulding was still angry and used rough language with Womack. "This is bull shit," Spaulding said before he stormed out of the municipal building.

The mayor said he now regrets his behavior.

"I realize that it made me look bad last night. I became angry," Spaulding said. "I was put on the spot by someone who is running for office and is not willing to take a stand. That is not how you treat someone. She is trying to portray herself as the person being treated unfairly. If I’m capable of answering a question, why can’t she? It is simple."

On July 2, Spaulding appointed Capt. Leithland Golbourne to the position of temporary deputy chief. This appointment lasted for four months, and at the beginning of November, Karbowski assumed the role. Golbourne and Karbowski both worked as temporary deputy chiefs to help evaluate who would be best as the full-time deputy chief, according to Spaulding. However, because of the public outcry over the salary, Spaulding said that he may eliminate the position of deputy chief.

"You have to question whether the council are beholden to try and make the police officers happy or please the public who they are supposed to be serving," Spaulding said. "I’m prepared to say we won’t do a deputy chief. I am not responsible for the high salaries — that goes back 20 years. It goes back to the old administration. Council-woman Little was unable to answer my question because she is campaigning for office. She does not want have to take the side of the public or the police department."

Spaulding claims that any elected official put on the spot should be able to answer a question.

"I was upset that she would not answer a question that I asked her," Spaulding said. "I was very disturbed that she put me on the spot, but when I asked her the same question, she wouldn’t answer it for herself. Was she trying to embarrass me? If you are willing to ask a question, you should be willing to answer it. It should be a rule that we should be expected to do this."

According to the mayor, Womack was also out of line for telling Little that she didn’t have to answer Spaulding’s questions.

"He was behaving as her attorney, but she doesn’t need him," Spaulding said. "Who gives him the right to tell her what she can and can’t do? That’s not fair. … He kept jumping in, and he was acting as if he was in a courtroom. He had no right to act that way. This is not a courtroom. I think Womack contributed to the problem. He should have kept quiet. It would have ended a lot quicker. We should all agree to answer a question or we should play games."

Early on in the discussion on the issue of deputy chief, Little accused Womack, Spaulding and Business Administrator Rob Lombard of having a secretive meeting from which she was excluded.

"I feel like you have sidebar meetings with the mayor and Rob," Little said to Womack.

Womack became upset with Little’s allegations.

"There are no secret meetings," Womack stated. "You can read your packet on Friday like the rest of us to keep up with what is happening. You continually do this. There are no secret meetings."

Spaulding questioned Little about the allegation of holding secret meetings.

Little said that the council is making fast decisions, and she thinks there must be other meetings occurring.

"I feel there has been a lot of times where the council has been making quick decisions," Little said.

Spaulding denied the allegations.

"This is not true; you get e-mail," Spaulding said. "I don’t send special messages to Mack. You saw what everyone else saw. You have plenty of opportunities to ask questions."