Vehicle-use debate coming soon in S.B.

Council split 3-2

in favor of reasonable use for top officers

The debate should be lively at the Aug. 19 South Brunswick Township Council meeting.

At that meeting, the council may introduce a formal policy on the personal use of township vehicles for some employees.

"We shouldn’t give vehicles to anyone," Mayor Frank Gambatese said Tuesday night.

Gambatese and fellow Councilman Edmund Luciano oppose the ordinance which will allow certain employees to have use of township-owned vehicles for personal use as long as they can "reasonably" respond to a township emergency.

The three other members, Ted Van Hessen, Chris Killmurray and Deputy Mayor Carol Barrett, support the reasonable use of the vehicles.

The issue arose during hearings on the municipal budget earlier this year.

Township Manager Barbara Sacks said that some residents were complaining the vehicles were not being used correctly.

The vehicles are used by Police Chief Michael Paquette, Deputy Chief Frederick Thompson and Capts. Mark Montagna and Michael Marosy.

Fire Marshal Bob Davidson also had use of a vehicle until his division was moved from the Police Department to the Code Enforcement Office earlier this year.

Paquette has said that the vehicles were given to the officers in those positions so they could respond to incidents in the township more quickly.

Paquette and the other officers filed a notice of claim with the township, saying that they plan on suing for libel and defamation regarding allegations Sacks and Gambatese have made regarding the issue.

Paquette said he referred the matter to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office to see if using the vehicles violate any law.

According to a return letter from that office, no violations of law were found. The letter also said that it is a practice of other towns in the state to allow their chief officers to take their work vehicles home.

Van Hessen said, during a work session earlier this year, that the town has always wanted the officers in those positions to have the ability to respond to various incidents.

"They [the vehicles] are the tools we give them," Van Hessen said then.

Sacks said Tuesday that while she has a township vehicle to commute in, she pays the township for personal use.

"It is like leasing the car," Sacks said.

Sacks said that she also has to be on call for the township in the case of an emergency.

"I’m on call 24/7. There were 11 snow events this year. I was on for every one of them," Sacks said.

Gambatese said that he felt that Sacks and Paquette should be treated differently because they have personal contracts with the township and have negotiated for the vehicles.

"Barbara and the chief have contracts and should be treated differently," Gambatese said.

Gambatese said that Sacks in particular should have a vehicle.

"The manager is running this town and should have access to a vehicle," Gambatese said.

— Charles W. Kim