Municipal And School Officials - 5-6-09

Dear

:

Thank you very much for expressing your thoughts and concerns in your recent email. Please accept this response which is made on behalf of all members of the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders. We are hopeful that this communication will eliminate any misconception that exists concerning the issues raised in your email. Over the past three years, the Freeholders have reduced spending by over $6 million. We have done so in a cooperative effort with our employees by attacking government spending at all levels and by creating efficiencies in the way we deliver services. We have received many inquiries from elected officials from municipalities and school boards as to how we have achieved the reduction in spending and resulting decline in our tax rate. In response to these inquiries, we invited officials from all taxing entities in Camden County to a meeting where we shared the methods we have employed to reduce spending. The letter that I sent to municipal and school officials inviting them to the meeting and the meeting itself have been misinterpreted as an attempt to interfere with the negotiation process between school boards and collective bargaining units. No member of the Board of Freeholders has or will be involved in negotiations between local boards of education and their respective bargaining units. We have no legal authority or interest in becoming involved in any negotiations other than those involving the employees of Camden County and its agencies. The purpose of our meeting was to simply share with elected officials our methods of reducing spending. We have not and will not engage in any practices that will interfere with your salary and benefits. We respect the collective bargaining process at all levels. We also respect and thank you for the outstanding job that you and your colleagues perform in providing a high level of education to the children of Camden County. I recently met with Mike Flynn and other NJEA representatives to clarify the issues set forth above. I think we all left the meeting with the mutual understanding that the Board of Freeholders will continue its efforts to reduce taxes in Camden County and that the Freeholders have not and will not engage in any practice that interferes with your collective bargaining process. I hope that your leadership has or will share the results of that meeting with its membership. The Freeholders recognize the important role that you play in making Camden County a great place to live. We recognize that you deserve a fair salary and benefits package. We also recognize that the terms of your employment are subject to a collective bargaining process. We respect that process and realize that there is not room in that process for anyone other than the participants. The number one complaint that we receive from our constituents is that property taxes are too high. We hope that you recognize our efforts to reduce taxes in Camden County. We cannot do it alone. We need the help of the hard-working municipal officials and school

officials in achieving the goal of reducing property taxes for all Camden County residents. Sincerely,

Louis Cappelli, Jr. Freeholder Director