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Snug Harbor's Bob Silva Says It's A "Waste Of Taxpayers
Money" For Dover Council To Pay For Ritacco's Artificial Turf!
Grotesque Waste Of
Money As Three Lawyers (Sometimes Four) Whack The Taxpayers For
Attending The Same Council Meeting
Snug Harbor resident Robert M.
Silva says the artificial turf approved by the Dover Mayor and
Council for three Toms River Regional high school football
fields is a waste of taxpayers money for the local government.
"At the very least, the new turf
should have been paid for by the school district, and then only
after a referendum so the public could make its judgement on
the expenditure," Silva said.
"The stated goal of enhancing
recreation programs could have been advanced as an argument
for voting yes on a referendum, but nobody I talk to believes
this was reason for the haste on these bonds," Silva said.
Most Taxpayers
Believe Ritacco Rushed Turf
Bonds Through For Huge Commercial Carnival
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School Super Mike
Ritacco Will Enhance Education Programs By Holding Huge
Commercial Carnival At Toms River North In July
Neighborhood Residents
Are Delighted To Welcome Thousands Of Added Visitors And
Their Cars |
Most people who spoke on the
subject believe the Council reacted to demands by School
Superintendent Michael Ritacco who needed the turf to cover
damage to the Toms River North football field from crowds
expected for Ritacco's Riverfest Carnival in July.
"It's a shame, but it's typical
of this mayor and council that they simply don't trust the
people who elected them," Silva said.
The Snug Harbor resident also
criticized the council for having three lawyers paid by the
township sit at council meetings instead of providing legal
services to the government.
Three Lawyers
At The Same Meeting
Is A "Total Waste Of Taxpayers Money"
Silva said "having three lawyers
attend council meetings is another total waste of taxpayers
money and a waste of valuable time"
"In my opinion, they don't need
three full time attorneys in the law department; two would do
nicely if they attended to providing legal services to the
township instead of wasting time from which the taxpayers get
no benefit." Silva said.
Council paid
$175,000 To Make
Affordable Housing Response A Flop
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Full Time
Township Attorney Mark Troncone Is Paid $160,000 A Year,
Including Benefits, The Highest Salary Ever Paid To A
Township Employee In Dover Township. There Are Two Other
Full Time Lawyers In The Law Department. |
He referred to the township's
affordable housing program where the Council retained a
politically-connected Trenton law firm (Wolff and Sampson) and
paid the firm or contracted more than $175,000 with them since
the firm was hired a year ago.
The firm was originally hired
with a contract for $50,000, which was augmented in October to
add another $50,000; the contract was amended again in April
to add another $75,000.
Silva noted that one of the
firm's attorneys, former GOP Gov. Christie Whitman's Attorney
General David Sampson, is getting $220 an hour, "possibly the
highest hourly legal fee ever paid by any local or county
government agency in the history of Ocean County."
Government Is
Supposed To Be
Working:
"This Is Not Rocket Science"
"This is not rocket science;
there is no reason the affordable housing or the Ciba legal
work couldn't be done by the township's in-house legal staff,"
Silva said.
The result of political payoffs
for lawyers is an affordable housing program that is
undeniably a disaster for the taxpayers.
"Legal staff should be spending
full time on legal work; they should be responsible for
spending their time productively, which at this point, they
obviously are not," Silva said.
For Mr. Silva's Remarks On The Artificial Turf
Controversy, Please Click Here For Video
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