Gov. Christie, Galloway Mayor Discuss Shared Services Bills

Galloway Township Mayor Don Purdy took advantage of a recent opportunity he was afforded before an influential audience to discuss an issue vital to growing municipalities.

On Monday, April 8, Purdy and a group of mayors, primarily from the north and from Ocean County, were invited by Gov. Chris Christie to come to Trenton for a breakfast to discuss budgetary issues and strategies for relief from Superstorm Sandy.Purdy was the only mayor from Atlantic County invited. Bridgeton Mayor Albert Kelly, out of Cumberland County, was the only other local mayor Purdy recognized at the breakfast.

Purdy took the opportunity to discuss bills circulating in the state legislature concerning shared services.

Senate bill S-2 and Assembly bill A1171 each encourage shared services agreements between municipalities. In a time of difficult economic turmoil, the bills propose the state analyze situations involving neighboring communities for possible shared services opportunities.

If two communities could be engaging in a shared services agreement but choose not to, it could have a negative impact to state aid for both of the communities.

In discussing his meeting with the governor during the township council meeting on Tuesday night, April 9, he compared the situation to a pair of small, neighboring communities that each needed a new library.

“If you need two brand new libraries, why not just make one new one?” Purdy said. “ … Not that this is happening in Galloway, but the example the governor used was some municipalities have four school districts within a five-mile radius, and two or three superintendents. Why can’t they just share a school district?”

With a population of over 37,000 people, Galloway is not considered a small town. However, neighboring Absecon was at just over 8,000 people and Port Republic was at just over 1,000 according to the 2010 Census.

“It’s something that needs to get on the table. It would help the tax base,” Purdy said.

The bill “amends and supplements the Uniform Shared Services and Consolidation Act” to help settle disputes over civil service and tenure. The parties involved would determine which employees would transfer from a local unit, subject to existing Collective Bargaining Agreements. Thus, certain provisions concerning tenure rights would be repealed.

Municipalities would no longer be required to provide employees who are let go for reasons of economy and efficiency with terminal leave pay, and the Civil Service Commission would no longer be required to review employment reconciliation plans. The Civil Service Commission could relax certain state provisions upon request by the parties.

The bill introduces the idea of a “stratified layoff process,” in which employees would be assigned to one of three classifications. In each classification, employees could invoke seniority rights in the event of layoffs, but those rights would not be applicable from one class to another.

Before suggesting a shared services merger, five on-site studies must be conducted, and a series of public hearings must be held. An analysis of savings must be provided, and the municipality may appeal that estimate. If legitimate reason is shown not to enter into shared services, the municipalities would not receive a penalty for refusing to do so.

State aid would also not be impacted on municipalities refusing to engage in shared services if that municipality is already engaged in shared services with another town.

The Senate bill passed by a vote of 25-9, with six not voting, on Nov. 29, 2012. The Assembly bill was introduced on Jan. 10, 2012, but has seen no movement since.

Copies of both bills are attached to this story as a PDF.

Purdy was contacted last week about joining the governor and the other mayors for breakfast at the Governor’s Mansion.

“It’s nice that they grabbed someone from Atlantic County,” Purdy said. “The governor and I discussed the town hall he had here last year. He said it was the biggest one he ever had. We are definitely on his map.”