Council poised to vote on fire director measure

Councilwoman

disagrees with Mayor's

cost-savings predictions

BY JOHN DUNPHY

Staff Writer

Will the position of Edison fire chief be changed to fire director?

That's up to the Township Council to decide.

The council last week introduced an ordinance that will change the fire chief position into fire director, a civilian position. Council members will decide whether to approve the ordinance at their next public meeting June 14.

Mayor Jun Choi tapped Norman Jensen, who retired from the fire department as a captain in January 2005, as the new acting fire chief. He replaces recently retired Chief G. Robert Campbell, who served as chief for 10 years.

Choi said the title change would provide more accountability as well as offer cost-saving measures.

But some residents and public officials have questioned whether the change was necessary.

"A director of fire can be fired at the will of the mayor," said Councilwoman Antonia Ricigliano. "I don't see how that benefits the fire department, I don't see how it benefits the township and I certainly don't see how it benefits the residents."

Several residents spoke to the council last week about the ordinance and questioned whether the cost-savings actually existed.

"Even from the initial savings we're supposed to see - honestly, I don't see it," Ricigliano said.

By changing the position from fire chief to director of fire, the township could save about $65,000 annually, the mayor said. Jensen's salary as director of fire would be about $100,000. As fire chief, it would jump to about $150,000.

"The challenging aspect of Edison public discourse is that when someone presents a good idea in terms of protecting taxpayers and fostering good government, it is often distorted by arguments, which are not factually true or objectively true," Choi said. "The residents of Edison are looking for better government and positive changes. And, we often find ourselves debating issues that are not a part of the matter."

Jensen, as acting fire chief, is presently in the state Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS) pension plan, which currently pays Jensen $82,000 a year, said Gregory Fehrenbach, a special consultant with the township.

If Jensen were to be named fire chief, he would be required to re-enter the pension system, which means he would no longer be able to collect on it.

"If he upholds qualified employment, he has to re-enter the pension system," Fehrenbach said. "That means his current pension is frozen and he begins, essentially, on the books for PFRS again."

However, if Jensen were appointed to a civilian position such as the director of fire, he would continue to receive his pension and would be able to receive a salary while receiving the pension, he said.

Choi's estimated savings stem from things beyond the salary differences between the fire chief and director of fire positions, Fehrenbach added.

"If he were hired as a director of fire, he would be able to accept a lower pay rate," he said. "He would also receive lesser leave time, the municipality would incur less costs for workers' compensation premiums, for Medicare payments and those sorts of fringe benefits people often don't think about."

Jensen receives health benefits through his pension plan, as a former township employee, Fehrenbach said.

Jensen, 53, who grew up in Edison but now lives in Holland Township, said he retired on the advice of his accountant, who said it was no longer cost effective to pay into a pension system he'd been a part of for almost 33 years.

"I was paying money into a pension system I'd never get back," he said. "I never anticipated retiring at that age."

Jensen said, as a public servant, his job was to serve the township, and would be willing to serve them under any capacity, whether it's fire chief or director of fire.

"If they ask me to go home, I'll go home," he said. "I'm not looking to do anything they don't want me to do."

Ricigliano said she has heard only positive things about Jensen, from residents and members of the fire department.

"There are no personal aspects," she said. "I've heard nice things about him. What I was referring to was the position. It has nothing to do with him."

Choi said rather than promote someone from within the department, he chose to pull Jensen from retirement because he felt "Norman added an independent view and professional view of what is required to effect positive changes."

If the council votes to approve the ordinance change June 14, the fire chief position would become the director of fire and would therefore no longer be protected though a union tenure.

"Public unions are receiving a disproportionately high amount of resources," Choi said. "We have 11 unions here. After we sign these contracts, that binds us significantly while trying to correct a fiscal problem. We need to make sure this government is operating more efficiently."

Despite the mayor's claims of cost savings and efficient government, Ricigliano said he should expect some opposition when the public gets to speak about the issue June 14.

"It will be vigorously challenged when it comes up for public hearing, I can assure you," she said.