Brennan and Skibitsky Differ on Tax Letter Reaction

The mayoral campaign continued at Tuesday evening's Town Council meeting with Democratic nominee Bill Brennan taking his traditional spot questioning the Council.

Brennan took up the issue of the letter Republican incumbent Andy Skibitsky mailed out with the tax bills last month. Brennan painted the letters as taxpayer-funded campaign literature and said Skibitsky left material out of the letter. Skibitsky has mailed letters with tax bills each of his years in office, Brennan said he has received complaints as he has gone door to door.

Brennan characterized the complaints he received as saying the letter from Skibitsky was confusing about the date taxes were due. He said the letter provided several dates and caused senior citizens to become confused and worried they'd be late in paying tax bills to the town.

"We can do a better job with this," Brennan said about the letter. "Maybe give a date certain they will be due."

Skibitsky, in an interview following the Council meeting, questioned where Brennan is hearing these complaints. He said he has been hearing nothing but positive reactions to the tax letter and that people told him they found it a good explanation of when taxes were due. He also said the tax collector's office received positive comments about the letter from people paying taxes.

"I've been doing that letter for four years and the reactions have been nothing but positive," Skibitsky said.

Brennan also used his statement before the Council to raise several comments about the content of the mayor's letter raising several points he has brought up in other campaign statements. He said the mayor did not discuss the inclusion of a portion of the town surplus in the 2009 municipal budget. Town officials have said this was done to avoid a larger property tax hike. Brennan has been hammering away at this decision, saying it will postpone larger hikes until after the surplus is spent. Brennan also made reference to raises for department heads, which he has mentioned before.

"I saw no explanation in the letter that you were giving raises when many people I met door-to-door are out of work," Brennan said.

The Democrat also made reference to Skibitsky's inclusion of the Sustainable Jersey environmental program, which the town voted to enter in June. Brennan claimed that Skibitsky included the reference because environmental issues have become a dominant campaign issue.

"I can't possibly believe that you touting Sustainable Jersey has anything to do with our tax bill," he said. "I see how it helps your campaign."

Skibitsky, as has become tradition at Council meetings, sat silently during Brennan's speech, along with most other members of the Council. Councilman Mark Ciarrocca did respond during the meeting, saying Brennan's comments were the first negative responses he heard about the tax letter and questioning Brennan's motives.

"The comments I have gotten over the years have been positive about the tax letter," Ciarrocca said. "This is the first time someone has come out to complain. It may be a coincidence that the person is running for office."