Charles E. DaVis Bernard Street

Charles E. DaVis

Democrat

As a state employee, Councilman Charles E. DaVis says he is reimbursed for mileage, but is prohibited from taking his work vehicle home.

As a cost-cutting measure, that arrangement ought to be applied to borough employees who are now permitted to bring their municipally owned vehicles home, said DaVis, a Democrat, who is running for a third consecutive three-year term on the Borough Council

Retired from the Eatontown Police Department in 2000 after 27 years of service and currently police commissioner, DaVis would like to see borough employees undergo more academic training in their lines of work via classes and in-services.

The end result would be a highly qualified staff composed of more educated employees with a variety of skills "who are professionals in their fields," said the 21-year borough resident.

During his tenure, DaVis says, he helped carry out staff development in the police department to ensure that the most qualified candidates, not the best connected, are hired and promoted.

Most of the power when it comes to stabilizing property taxes lies with the state government, said DaVis, an investigator with the New Jersey Department of Corrections.

Huge tax cuts cannot come about locally without decreasing services such as twice-weekly trash pickup or police protection, he added.

"There is no way to provide services without taxes," DaVis said.

Nonetheless, DaVis believes that the borough's expenses could be controlled by examining the town's work force to see that there is no duplication of services.

"I'm looking for a smaller, smarter work force," he said.

If re-elected, DaVis would like to see a satellite office of the borough's Office of Emergency Management (OEM) set up to help secure all schools and senior care facilities within Eatontown, he suggested.

In addition, the type of housing or business that could eventually rise up on more than 500 acres of Fort Monmouth lying within Eatontown's borders also needs to be closely watched as the base closing date of September 2011 approaches, he added.

While admitting that the borough's newly approved ordinance establishing rent control for tenants of apartment complexes and mobile home parks is still controversial, DaVis, the council's liaison to the town's rent control board, is proud of the new law.

He is also pleased that the council acted on his proposal mandating a roll call vote at public meetings on resolutions granting stipends or additional payments given to borough employees.

"Government should always be visible," DaVis said. "There should not be any back room deals."