The petition would place the ordinance adopted by council on the November ballot
A petition to place a salary range ordinance on the November ballot for public vote is circulating around Washington Township by residents upset with the council’s vote to adopt.
When resident Brian McBride attended the council meeting that adopted an ordinance increasing certain salary ranges between 7–13 percent, he said he looked back at the disappointed crowd and knew he needed to do something to help. With many neighbors and community members present on Feb. 22, several of whom shared their opposition to the ordinance, McBride felt as though their opinions were not represented in council’s decision. The day after the meeting, he began drafting a petition to allow the ordinance to appear on the November ballot for public vote.
“I looked back and kept seeing the seniors, who were parents at the time I went through the school district, and I saw pain on their face,” McBride said. “We’re grateful to our senior citizens, and I want to give back to them; I’m fighting for them.”
Much of the concern in regard to the ordinance is the potential for tax increases upon this year’s budget approval. If salaries were to be raised, residents are worried they will see that increase reflected in their property taxes.
“Councilman Sean Longfellow said we’d have an opportunity to discuss the salaries individually during the budget review, but these issues need to be taken on piece by piece, brick by brick,” McBride said.
According to state law, the governing body of a municipality is required to fix and determine the salaries to be paid to township employees and officers. It also states these salaries may be increased, decreased or altered by ordinance from time to time.
In creating the petition, McBride referenced this state law, which also states the adopted ordinance would go into effect 20 days following its final passage, unless a petition, signed by 5 percent of registered voters within the municipality protesting the passage of such ordinance, is presented to the governing body within those 20 days. For McBride’s petition to operate under these requirements, it would need 1,800 signatures by 3 p.m. on March 14. As of last week, he had received more than 400 signatures.
“People are mad,” McBride said. “They come to sign the petition and they are swearing. This is what every family does over the kitchen table — balance the family checkbook. In this case, the family has more than 34,000 members.”
McBride said the petition signatures could be signed with “wet ink,” or online with an electronic signature. He and other residents set up stations around the township for community members to have the opportunity to sign, as well as offered for them to meet him at his home.
“We have people mobilized all over town. We were at Heggan library on Saturday, Park Place, and Washington Lake Park,” McBride said.
He also planned a signing event at the Washington Township High School PTO Craft Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 4 at the high school.
“Folks shouldn’t wait to assume others will sign,” McBride said. “They should take the initiative and sign it themselves.”
Helping McBride are concerned residents such as himself, he said. To spread the word about the petition, he has made numerous posts on social media as well as recorded videos while at signing events to encourage residents to join the petition.
“We have a great circle of people helping us take back Washington Township,” McBride said.
Township Solicitor Stuart Platt and Mayor Joann Gattinelli both said they had no comment on the matter at the time. Council members Longfellow, Angela Donato, Nick Fazzio, Joe Perry and Dana Pasqualone could not be reached.
For more information on the petition, McBride recommended visiting the Washington Township Republican Club at 4501 Route 42, Turnersville, or calling him at (856) 352–2995. He said registered voters are also welcome to sign the petition or drop off their forms at 86 Goodwin Parkway, Sewell. To see the online petition, visit www.change.org/p/washington-township-gop-objection-to-washington-township-wage-hiking-ordinance.
