Millstone officials cling to taxpayer-paid benefits
BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

MILLSTONE - Four out of five members of the Township Committee have health benefits that the municipality pays for and don't want to give themup.

At the Feb. 20 Township Committee meeting,CommitteemanEliasAbilheira,who hasmunicipal health benefits,made amotion to remove health benefits as an option for committeemembers.Themotionwas not seconded, and neither was anothermotionAbilheira made that would have grandfathered existing benefits but discontinued themas an option for new or re-elected committeemembers.

The only member of the committee that currently does not take health benefits from the township is newmemberMichaelKuczinski, who was appointed to the seat Ray Dilfanian vacated when he resigned late last year. According to township documents, Abilheira's and Committeeman Steven Sico's health benefits and self-insurance cost the township $22,476 each last year. Mayor Nancy Grbelja's plan cost the township $9,020 andDeputyMayorRobertKinsey's totaled $15,291.

A new plan for 2008 will lower costs significantly, withAbilheira, Kinsey's and Sico's plans each costing $10,765 andGrbelja's costing $4,306. An in-house pharmacy plan will cost $2,100 each for Abilheira, Sico, Kinsey and Kuczinski while Grbelja's will cost $1,000.

Kuczinski asked Abilheira why he decided to bring the issue up now when he has been a committeemember since 2004.

Grbelja said that anymember of the committee could waive their benefits and gave Abilheira a waiver form.

"If you feel so strongly that the Township Committee should not take benefits, here are the waiver forms," she said.

Grbelja said thatAbilheira's benefits cost over $22,000 per year, to which Abilheira replied, "You're revealing HIPAA[Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] information?"

Grbelja said the amount that officials pay for insurance is public information.

The mayor said that she had breast cancer in 2004 and that the additional insurance helped protect her a little bit more because she does not have a spouse or family.

"I could have wound up in a homeless shelter in the county," she said.

Abilheira said that during a 2005 candidate debate, Sico said that he would not take benefits fromthe township.

"Therewas a point in time that I thought I would never need township benefits," Sico said. "As a rule, I refuse to discuss certain things publicly, but I've been very grateful the benefits were there. I'm grateful they were available to me at a time when it was necessary."

Sico said it is no secret that he and Abilheira "aren't cordial," but said he took offense toAbilheira's insinuation.

"Achange in circumstances is a change in circumstances," he said.

Kinsey said he made a personal decision to take benefits from the municipality, but took a lower-costHMO plan last year.

Abilheira alleged that cutting health benefits for Township Committee members would save the township $100,000 a year.

Kinsey said, "Where do you get $100,000? You don't know what your own health benefits are."

The Township Committeemembers'benefits cost a total of $61,491 in 2008, according to township documents.

At a recent meeting, Abilheira also suggested that township officials cut their salaries to bemore in linewithColtsNeck officials' salaries. In Colts Neck, officials earn $1,600. In Millstone, the mayor receives $7,321 and each committee person receives $7,112. Millstone has an estimated population of 10,439, according to the Monmouth County Planning Board (MCPB).

For comparison, neighboringUpperFreehold Township,which has a population of approximately 6,500, pays its mayor a $5,460 annual salary and each committeemember a $4,956 annual salary, according to Upper Freehold Township Administrator Barbara Bascom.None of their elected officials receive health benefits, she said. In neighboringRoosevelt, which has a population of approximately 1,000, the mayor and council members receive no compensation.

InManalapan, themayor receives $7,800 and each committeemember receives $7,100, with four out of five taking health benefits, according to assistant administrator Renee Garrigana. The MCPB estimates Manalapan's population at 39,370.

In Freehold Township, the mayor is paid $9,715 and each committee person receives $8,715, with three out of five taking health benefits, according to township officials.Freehold's estimated population is 35,575, according to theMCPB.

Kinsey said he puts in between 30-35 hours a week on township business. He said he talks toMunicipal ClerkMaria Dellasala, Department of Public Works Supervisor Kenn Gann and Township Administrator James Pickering several times a day, and speakswithGrbelja and Sico on a daily basis.

Sico added that the township is run very well, and that he,Kinsey,Grbelja andKuczinski put in an enormous amount of time on township business.