Board Member's Political Endorsement Causes First Aid Squad Flap

A board member of the (ACFAS) put out a flyer last week, endorsing the reelection of Mayor John McCormac and his Democratic slate in tomorrow's election.

That endorsement could create a major problem for the squad and potentially jeopardize its non-profit status, since non-profit organizations are not allowed by IRS regulations to engage in partisan politicking.

ACFAS President John McHale immediately sent out a press release to distance the squad from the political letter sent out by ACFAS board member Robert Snowfield.

"...the statements and opinions expressed by Mr. Snowfield were made on his personal behalf as a resident of the Township of Woodbridge and not in his capacity as a current member of the Avenel-Colonia Squad’s Board of Trustees. Mr. Snowfield’s letter reflects his personal views. They were not intended to and do not represent the views of the Avenel-Colonia Squad or its Board of Trustees," McHale said in the statement.

In the letter addressed to Avenel residents, Snowfield, a former Woodbridge police officer, identified himself as a ACFAS board member in the letter's opening paragraph. He urged Avenel residents to cast their votes for McCormac, Michele Charmello, who was appointed to fill the Third Ward council seat left vacant last year by the resignation of Greg Bedard, and the Democratic at-large candidates, James Carroll, Gregg Ficarra, and Brenda Yori Velasco.

In his appeal, Snowfield said that although he had initially been "saddened" by last year's decision of McCormac and the town council to cut ACFAS from the 911 emergency call roster, he had since come to realize that the "the actions taken by the mayor and council were in fact warranted. I now know what the mayor knew back in 2010 when he did what he did."

The effective closing of the ACFAS squad last year is still a sore point with Avenel residents.

Snowfield was one of the new board members appointed last November in the wake of board member resignations over a series of erupting scandals. The problems that caused the resignations, and what the McCormac administration said was a loss of confidence in the ability of the squad to effectively function, included several squad members who entered a closed skating rink in Edison, a sexual harrassment lawsuit from a former squad member, and allegations that the squad building had been used to entertain prostitutes at parties.

In October of 2010, the town council had voted to exclude ACFAS from having 911 calls routed to them, effectively making it impossible for the squad to survive financially.

Avenel residents and squad supporters fought back with a petition requiring the council to put ACFAS back on the town's 911 map. The squad's 911 call access was restored, but not the board signed a settlement agreement with the township that included having a full time administration overseer at squad headquarters and new board members who met with administration approval.

Snowfield was appointed as one of the new board members, McHale said. 

"An agreement was signed between the township and the squad, and as part of those negotiations, it was agreed that the former board members would resign and the new board would be installed," he added.

McHale said he became aware of the letter last Thursday, but he had no comment when asked if Snowfield's letter would imperil his seat on the ACFAS board.

"That's internal squad business," McHale said.   

In the letter, Snowfield wrote, "As the mayor always said - public safety comes first. Residents of Avenel have never been safer. The actions taken in 2010, although they appeared to be severe at the time, were absolutely necessary.

"Working closely with the mayor and council has allowed the squad to return to a time-honored tradition of serving the community with professionalism, integrity, and pride. I feel that the mayor and council deserve our community's support for relection," the letter continued.

Christopher Struben, the Republican candidate running against McCormac in Tuesday's election said he found it to be "unbelievable" that Snowfield would put out such a partisan letter. 

It wasn't the partisan nature of the letter that bothered Struben, he said, as much as how Snowfield's remarks could be used in the sexual harrassment lawsuit still pending against the squad.

"It's a shame Snowfield doesn't take his obligations on the board and to the squad as seriously as he should. He violated his responsibility to that organization," Struben said. "When you're on the board of a non-profit, you have to rise above politics."

"They are in the midst of a harrassment lawsuit. By agreeing with everything the mayor said and did, Snowfield has handed the attorney [for the plaintiff in the case] a tremendous gift. He's effectively admitting that all the negative things the squad member [who is suing] said is true."

Struben said he had "no intention" of filing any complaints about the Snowfield letter. "I think it's a good squad regardless of Snowfield's conduct. He's a bad apple. I wouldn't jeopardize their existance because of Snowfield's conduct," he said.

The Republican mayoral candidate said he found the choice of Snowfield for the ACFAS board to be a bit ironic. "I was on the list of candidates for the ACFAS board," Struben said. "The mayor wouldn't let me on the board because he said I was 'too political.' "

Snowfield could not be reached for comment. McCormac did not return phone calls for this story.