RATS! We don't mean Democrats. Brick Town Hall and Brick DPW has been invaded by the rodents, and a troubling pattern of administrative dysfunction has emerged in Brick Township, where municipal employees are speaking out anonymously about these deteriorating working conditions while top officials deflect accountability.
Multiple credible news outlets have attempted to get straight answers from Township Business Administrator Joanne Bergin and Mayor Lisa Crate regarding reports of rats and mice infiltrating municipal buildings. Instead of transparency, residents and media have received what can only be described as bureaucratic stonewalling.
Most concerning is the culture of fear that has developed under this administration. Township employees—the very people taxpayers depend on to keep local government running—feel compelled to speak anonymously because they fear professional retaliation from Bergin, whose six-figure salary apparently hasn't bought taxpayers honest communication about basic workplace safety issues.
A Pattern of Neglect
This rodent problem isn't an isolated incident but part of a disturbing trend of inadequate working conditions that raises serious questions about this administration's priorities. Township employees have previously been forced to use portable toilets for months when indoor facilities were broken—hardly the standard of basic dignity hardworking public servants deserve.
Reports also indicate that municipal vehicles and equipment have been allowed to deteriorate to concerning levels, forcing employees to question whether workplace safety is even on this administration's radar. Just this past Friday, the township had to close its doors and send staff home when air conditioning units failed—another example of infrastructure neglect.
Fiscal Responsibility or Political Theater?
While Crate and her team tout their record of fiscal responsibility and debt reduction, these ongoing infrastructure failures raise legitimate questions about whether taxpayers are getting genuine stewardship or merely political theater designed to win votes.
When basic workplace conditions deteriorate and municipal infrastructure crumbles—from pest-infested buildings to failing roads throughout the township—residents have every right to ask what this administration actually prioritizes beyond crafting campaign talking points.
The real question facing Brick Township voters is whether they want another four years of an administration that apparently values political spin over transparent governance and employee welfare. When public servants fear speaking truth to power about basic workplace safety, something is fundamentally broken in local government.
Taxpayers deserve better than evasion and empty promises. They deserve leaders who address problems head-on rather than hoping they'll disappear if ignored long enough.
