Plainfield Must Rein in PMUA Excesses

What would life in Plainfield be like if the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority ran the city? That is the question I asked myself after reading about the public's reaction to the PMUA's 20 percent solid waste rate hike in the March 1 Courier-News story ("Plainfield residents, officials questioning rate hikes proposed by Municipal Utilities Authority"). And that is the question on many Plainfield taxpayers' minds as they try to digest this news, coming as it does on top of other stresses and financial difficulties in this time of upheaval in the nation's economy.

Plainfielders want to see some relief; they want fiscal responsibility and restraint on the part of those whose use of the power to tax makes their lives miserable. I have a plan that would bring relief to the taxpayers and attack the problems with the PMUA at their source, a plan that would be advantageous to ratepayers and the PMUA's front-line employees, both of whom have had to take the brunt of this on the chin. It is simply this: abolish the PMUA as a separate quasi-governmental authority and bring the jobs that it does back under the roof of a single city administration. How would this help the ratepayers?

First, we could probably cut out about $1 million in wasteful duplicative salaries and benefits for the PMUA's highly paid "executive board." Taxpayers would also be relieved to the tune of perhaps another $1 million for all the pricey lawyers and engineers whose inflated contracts are the result of New Jersey's corrupt pay-to-play culture.

Secondly, by bringing solid waste collection in-house, with the services covered by the homeowner's property tax bill, as with other essential city services, taxpayers would be able to get a tax break on services for which they must pay under the PMUA but for which they get no tax relief. How would reintegration into the city help PMUA workers? Tough times hit those at the bottom of the totem pole hardest, and the PMUA is no exception. By his own account, PMUA Executive Director Eric Watson says he has laid off 20 of its 170 employees, or nearly 1 in 8 of the work force.

Further, involuntary furloughs have been mandated as well as a salary freeze. The sad thing in all this is that the fate of the unorganized PMUA workers is simply in the hands of the agency's executive director. They have no voice, no seat at the table. As part of the city's work force, the PMUA workers' situation would immediately improve. In the first place, they would be represented by a union that would watch out that fair play was being exercised whenever talk of sacrifice comes up, as it must in these difficult times. The money saved by the elimination of the high-priced executives of the agency would make it more likely that essential services — and the workers who provide them — would not be cut while top executives continued to reap handsome salaries and perks.

There are additional benefits to the taxpayers and the city. Not only will we be able to eliminate duplicative and costly personnel expenses and consultant fees, the city will be able to rationalize the space requirements needed for its public works and solid waste services, freeing up property in the city's prime development corridor for a return to the tax rolls by managed development after the economic recovery which President Barack Obama is determined to bring about.

Further, the PMUA has utterly let the taxpayers of Plainfield down over the past 10 years with its oft-repeated and never-delivered promise of relief through the delivery of its services to other communities via shared-services agreements. While it could have done much to soften the rate increases on its own base over the years by gradually expanding its services through offering its expertise and state-of-the-art equipment to other towns, the story of the PMUA leadership has been one of ""talking the talk" but not ""walking the walk."

As everyone knows, I am a Democratic candidate for mayor, an office the voters of the Queen City will fill in this November's general election. Plainfield desperately needs leaders who will bring both fiscal responsibility and competence to the table. The first thing I will do as mayor of Plainfield will be to appoint a committee of citizens and taxpayers representative of the entire city to plan the orderly reintegration of the PMUA into the city's operations. As for "sacred cows" like the PMUA, nothing should fail to be scrutinized when it comes to giving taxpayers some relief. As the PMUA's Watson said to me recently, "It's just business."

Now, if PMUA Board Chairperson Carol Brokaw or Watson have a better plan, let them put it forward immediately, as the lack of transparency in the PMUA's workings, which echoes that of the current administration, has led to a complete loss of confidence on the part of our residents. The same goes for Assemblyman Jerry Green and Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs.

The people of Plainfield are, I am sure, all ears.

Regards, Adrian