WMUA commissioners respond to letter

It is the election season, and once again the commissioners of the Western Monmouth Utilities Authority (WMUA) have become fodder for baseless political attacks. What is unfortunate about this year's attack, by former Commissioner Joel Schechter no less, is that criticisms are so ill-informed and inaccurate. We expect more of our former commissioner.

First, since the year ended Jan. 31, 2001 - which was Mr. Schechter's last year as a commissioner - the WMUA's annual operating costs such as electric, fuel, chemicals, sludge removal, plant and pump station repairs, collection costs, and health insurance and pension benefits, have increased by over $3 million. This represents approximately $30 per quarter per customer, year in and year out.

Do our former commissioner and the candidate that he supports expect the WMUA to shut down the power in the plant or its 30 pump stations? Maybe they are suggesting that the WMUA stop using chemicals to treat waste. Or maybe they expect the WMUA to tell the state of New Jersey it will not make mandatory payments to the Public Employee Retirement System, something that was not required of the WMUA during the last several years Mr. Schechter was a commissioner.

Second, while Mr. Schechter proudly touts his two marginal rate decreases, his claim to have expanded the plant pursuant to certain court orders is untrue. Those expansions were started and finished after his tenure.

What Mr. Schechter accomplished during his tenure is a mystery to us. He left the plant in an abject state of disrepair, with whole sections completely non-functional. One of two aeration basins had been so neglected that it had trees growing in the dirt that had accumulated on its bottom - hardly a sign of responsible stewardship of the WMUA's assets.

Finally, we have Mr. Schechter to thank for having appointed Frank Abate as the executive director. Mr. Schechter made this appointment literally on his way out the door. It was his last official act and we are still struggling to overcome its ramifications.

Regardless of political affiliation, the mission of the present group of commissioners, together with the employees of the WMUA, is to provide the most efficient and environmentally safe waste water treatment available at the lowest possible cost to its ratepayers. We respectfully request that the Manalapan Township Committee appoint the most qualified candidate to join us in February so that we can continue that policy, free of partisan politics.

Eric Abraham

Steven Toubin

Jeffrey Hymowitz

Ralph Zulferino

WMUA Commissioners

representing Manalapan

and Marlboro