Sayreville council clarifies use of benefits Officials discuss statement of GOP mayor's assistant BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer SAYREVILLE - Borough officials engaged in another heated discussion Tuesday over the elimination of their health benefits. Democratic Councilman Stanley Drwal broached the issue, disputing a statement attributed to Republican Mayor Kennedy O'Brien's volunteer assistant, Karen Surratt, in last week's Suburban. Drwal said that despite Surratt's contentions, he has used the health benefits that were available to him as a councilman. Democratic Council President Thomas Pollando also told Greater Media Newspapers that both he and Democratic Councilman Dennis Grobelny used their medical benefits. "She made a statement without any facts," Drwal told Greater Media Newspapers. "The mayor's own memorandum shows that numerous councilmen had benefits." "This was a true cost-saving measure and it was not an empty gesture," Drwal added. Drwal said at the meeting that he wanted to clarify his action to take away the health benefits for members of the governing body. He asked if Surratt or O'Brien had gained access to his and the other council members' medical records. Surratt addressed the council at O'Brien's request. She said that an inference was made, adding that there was no clandestine action taken by herself or anyone else in the mayor's office. Drwal said that Surratt's statement distracted from the $118,000 per year in cost savings to the borough that will be gained by cutting the benefits. He added that when he first found out that health benefits were available to him as a councilman, he was surprised. O'Brien said that his office does not have access to the council's medical records. "I have no interest," O'Brien said. "Under the HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] laws, it is absolutely illegal." O'Brien later said that volunteers in the borough such as Surratt should not be chastised. Surratt later referred to Drwal's questioning as a "public attack" that she thinks was uncalled for. Drwal noted that his original question was addressed to the mayor, since Surratt was speaking on his behalf. "He transferred that to her," Drwal said. "I appreciate the job volunteers do as much as anyone." O'Brien proposed to the council that they put the savings from the health benefits toward property tax relief purposes only, not toward capital projects or a new position. Resident Barbara Kilcomons described the governing body's decision to forfeit their health benefits as "commendable." She seconded the mayor's call for the savings associated with the cuts in benefits to be applied directly toward tax relief. Democrats on the dais did not comment on O'Brien or Kilcomons' suggestions during the meeting. Drwal and Pollando later told Greater Media Newspapers that they will wait for the finance committee to make a recommendation. "We'll get advice from our CFO [Chief Financial Officer Wayne Kronowski] and the finance committee," Drwal said. Resident John Rucki, who is a GOP candidate running for freeholder, addressed the council to say that he supports their decision to cut the health benefits of the members of the governing body. "I think that is a very positive step," Rucki said. "I don't think that a parttime employee should benefit from the health program." Rucki also suggested that the council not participate in the pension program as well, saying that pensions were originally intended for firefighters, police officers, emergency personnel and civil service workers. Rucki added that this issue has a significant impact on taxes in the community and municipal budgets. "I don't think part-time elected officials should participate in the pension program," Rucki said. Drwal said that long-term financial planning would have averted the impact of the state's drop in funding pensions. Municipalities knew that this was coming," Drwal said. "… When the budget comes up, nobody ever wants to try looking long-term. They are only concerned with the coming year." Drwal said that he and several other officials attempted to put the borough on what he described as a "long-term financial plan," which he added would have taken into account information that Kronowski had regarding the state's drop in funding pensions. Drwal said that he wanted the budget to reflect the coming change and take into account inflation, which raises the cost of medical benefits. "The only other alternative was to make cuts, so surplus we had was gutted that year to make zero tax increase," Drwal said.