This week
Middletown Patch has been running candidate profiles of those running for Middletown Township Committee. The profile below is of Democrat, Linda Baum. If you haven't had a chance to hear her speak or meeting her while she has been knocking on doors while campaigning, this profile of her is very good and very informative.
Can you please provide a brief bio, including how long you’ve lived in Middletown and your ties to the community?
I have 25 years experience as an insurance analyst in various property-casualty lines and worked full time in the field through mid 2012. Last year I made a change to focus on other interests – including research, writing, and volunteer work – and continue to draw on my insurance background in much of work. I also work as an independent associate for Viridian Energy, a socially responsible energy company with a mission of sustainability, and am very proud to represent the company.
I’ve lived in Middletown for 19 years, since 1994.
What are your motivations for running for elected office?
As a member of the public, I’ve worked tirelessly to educate myself about township processes and to advocate for improvement. Unfortunately, Middletown’s Republican administration doesn’t welcome input and is extremely slow to change and adapt. While claiming that every dollar matters, they blatantly ignore opportunities for savings. I am running for elected office because it has become abundantly clear to me that to affect any real change that will benefit taxpayers, it is necessary to serve as their elected representative.
W
hat new ideas do you have for Middletown?
I have many ideas to lower costs and to increase efficiency and transparency. Some new ones are:
- Organize a flood committee to help Sandy victims with all aspects of the recovery process
A much more organized, responsive effort is needed to help flood victims restore their lives. There is currently no reliable, accessible single point-of-contact to coordinate ALL of their needs. A flood committee should be formed – and should have been formed a year ago – to fill that role. Its special purpose would be to disseminate information timely to affected residents, advise them about sources of aid, help coordinate coverage, assist with paperwork and respond to questions. In addition, the committee members would advocate on behalf of flood victims and provide for all of their household needs as well by working closely with other organizations.
The flood committee can also be charged with monitoring flooding conditions on an ongoing basis with an emphasis on responsible development & timely repair of flood prevention infrastructure, and it can also take a lead role in working to correct the unfair insurance and elevation requirements in North Middletown.
The flood committee’s efforts would greatly help to maintain residency, property values and the tax base in Bayshore communities.
- Provide incentives to attract new businesses and work closely with communities in need of revitalization to encourage business development
A thriving business community benefits Middletown residents in many ways. In addition to the variety of useful services available to us locally, a strong commercial tax base reduces the property tax burden on homeowners. Out-of-the-box thinking is needed to attract new business and retain existing ones.
There are specific sites in need of revitalization, and I believe the township should be working closely with the residents of those communities to learn their ideas and possible interest in business ownership. The township can offer incentives – to new businesses and to existing ones that wish to renovate or expand -- like waiver of permit fees, expediting paperwork, providing information about the properties, and so on.
- Form a task force to review and make recommendations with regard to the township’s escalating healthcare costs ($9.3 million in 2013).
The township’s own documents show that the administration has done a very superficial, flawed comparison of coverage options. A much more thorough analysis is needed in order to draw any conclusions about where savings can be achieved. My own review of the numbers shows that the township can easily save a million or more a year on its healthcare costs over what it is paying now while still providing excellent benefits to employees.
- Conduct public forums to give residents a real say in what happens in our town
Too many decisions have been made without seeking public input in a forum that allows for open discussion amongst members of the community. This is important to ensure the smooth implementation of new policies and makes for a far more responsible government.
A prime example of why this is important is the township’s adoption last year of new fees for field use without consulting the sports leagues, many of whom had already set their budgets and begun enrollment.
What challenges does Middletown currently face, and what do you plan to do to address them?
Property taxes and a lack of planning are the biggest challenges Middletown faces.
The township has been poorly managed for years under Republican control, and property taxes have risen every year as a result. The municipal property tax levy – the part of our taxes the Township Committee is responsible for rather than the school board or county – has increased over 52 percent since 2005, when Scharfenberger first took office.
The Republican administration lets problems fester for a long time before properly addressing them and does so only when a problem has become too big to ignore. A far more organized, pro-active effort is needed to lower our property taxes and bring prosperity to our town.
There are several important steps that should be taken. I’ve already mentioned a few, like forming a flood committee, incentivizing new businesses, thoroughly reviewing township healthcare costs, and scheduling more public forums to give people a real say in what happens here.
A forensic audit is long overdue, too, so we can find out exactly what’s being done with our money -- corrective action has been required by the township as a result of the last four regular audits.
I also support the formation of an advisory finance board made up largely of community volunteers, to whom work can be delegated. Our part-time governing body needs to delegate real work to committees to increase the efficiency of operations. A finance committee, in particular, would provide ongoing in-depth review of township operations to identify ways to reduce costs, generate revenue, consolidate operations and share services.
I would also like to see a larger cross-section of the public serving on township boards to ensure that qualified individuals are serving and the best work products are produced. Currently, most board appointees are selected from a very small pool of Republican Party insiders, many of whom sit on multiple township boards. Their political affiliation, and not their qualifications, is the basis for appointment. As a result, we are all underserved.
Benefits should be eliminated for part time political appointees – these individuals are not entitled to taxpayer-funded health and pension benefits and should not be receiving them.
We can also save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year by requiring competitive bidding on large contracts for professional services, such as engineering work. Alternatively, we can pre-qualify several engineering firms to encourage price competition.
Property taxes are always a concern, especially in New Jersey. How can Middletown control taxes?
See number 4.
What accomplishments in your private life translates positively to a position in public office?
I have been an active volunteer for consumer advocacy organization Food and Water Watch for the past two years and am the lead organizer for many local events throughout the year. The leadership role I take with this national organization has prepared me well for a leadership role in elected office.
Further, as a result of my post-graduate studies in actuarial science and former role as administrator of a state insurance fund, I possess the background and experience necessary to fully understand the township’s largest expenses – health insurance ($9.3 million in 2013) and the annual debt payment (about $8 million annually) are two examples. Understanding the details is the starting point for reducing these costs and putting money back into taxpayers’ pockets.
