Christie renewed his call to curb sicktime pay-outs for public workers and to alter the Civil Service system, saying collective bargaining removes the need for both protections Watch video
Gov. Chris Christie, seen in this file photo, traveled to Princeton Borough today to congratulate the town's recent decision to merge with neighboring Princeton Township.PRINCETON BOROUGH — Returning to the town that heeded his call and voted to merge, Gov. Chris Christie today hammered away at some more money-saving measures for municipalities.
Christie renewed his call to curb sicktime pay-outs for public workers and to alter the Civil Service system, saying collective bargaining removes the need for both protections.
In a town hall-style talk in Princeton Borough, the governor said Civil Service rules were implemented before public workers could collectively bargain, but that these days having both is redundant.
Civil Service rules govern the hiring and firing of public employees in about a third of the state’s 566 towns.
"The things that Civil Service were there to protect against can be grieved through the collective bargaining system, so why do we have both?" Christie said. "It seems to me you should have one or the other ... It’s worse than a belt and suspenders."
He traveled to Princeton today to congratulate the borough as well as Princeton Township on voting to consolidate their towns two weeks ago, and cited the savings they will realize when they officially merge, probably in January 2013.
Christie and other legislators statewide have called for sharing services and consolidating as a means to bring down property taxes.
Allowing towns to do away with Civil Service rules would allow them to share services and merge departments more easily, though proponents of the system contend that the rules protect public workers from cronyism and political hires.
Today was the second time in a week Christie called for legislators to take up the issues of sick pay and Civil Service before the current legislative session ends in January. He also raised them last week at the League of Municipalities convention in Atlantic City.
His call to address Civil Service rules last week prompted a quick dismissal by the Communications Workers of America, the state’s largest public union.
"Our Civil Service system, enshrined in New Jersey’s Constitution, makes sure that public jobs are given to those who are most qualified, not to political cronies or the well-connected," said Hetty Rosenstein, state director of the CWA. "Gov. Christie’s misguided attempt to weaken Civil Service rules would mean more of the fraud, waste and corruption that already cost our state millions every year."
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• Editorial: In this economy, consolidation could be right move for NJ towns
• Q&A: Consolidating N.J. towns
• Times of Trenton: Princeton voters approve consolidation of borough, township into one municipality