West Deptford Republicans, County Feud Over Sunoco Settlement

Gloucester County officials and Republicans on West Deptford’s township committee remained at loggerheads Monday over , as the county pushed for more disclosure to find out its potential exposure in the deal.

County Counsel Matthew Lyons said he’s seeking the basics—a copy of the resolutions passed Thursday night, as well as the meeting’s minutes—in trying to assess the settlement’s effects on the county’s budget, which has yet to be introduced.

“I didn't ask to overturn or undo their legal strategy,” Lyons said. “Whether or not this settlement goes through, it's going to impact every taxpayer in Gloucester County…the bottom line is, it's a simple request.”

West Deptford Mayor Ray Chintall said in a statement released Monday the township is bound by confidentiality agreements in the ongoing litigation with Sunoco.

“We cannot discuss, seek help or guidance from outside the confines of those parties involved in the case,” he said. “To do so would be a violation of confidentiality, putting the residents we serve at grave risk.”

Chintall asserted the township’s actions are in line with previous settlements, citing a 2009 deal with Citgo that kept Paulsboro in the dark until that settlement was finalized, despite the fact that Paulsboro was responsible for paying part of that agreement.

Committeeman Sam Cianfarini noted West Deptford has paid the full burden of legal fees in the eight years of the Sunoco appeals, with no help from the county or anyone else.

“If Senator (Stephen) Sweeney and Freeholder (Director Robert) Damminger want to be involved with our litigation with Eagle Point refinery, then I would like to know where I can send a bill for the past 20 plus years of legal fees surrounding this case and the Coastal/El Paso case,” Cianfarini said.

And Deputy Mayor Sean Kilpatrick called it a case of the Democrat-controlled county government playing politics with Republican-led West Deptford.

“If this settlement was introduced by a Democratic administration, would Freeholder Damminger and Senator Sweeney react in this manner?” Kilpatrick said.

Beyond that, Kilpatrick said Sweeney, a West Deptford resident himself, could go a long way to resolving the tax appeal situation by moving legislation to amend the state’s 1992 Business Retention Act, which changed how refineries are assessed, and lift the burden off any town that could face a similar tax appeal.

“What is he waiting for? He has control of the Senate and his party controls the Assembly,” Kilpatrick said.

Sweeney has introduced , and force them to shift that money into a state fund which would go toward cleaning up contamination at sites like Eagle Point.

The state Senate president referred to Sunoco as “corporate pirates,” and said the company is just looking to walk away with as much cash as possible.

“It’s only about money for them,” he said. “They threw 500 people out of their jobs because of competition on the river, when they knew all along they were going to shut the plant down.”

Damminger called the decision to settle hasty, and warned of its effects countywide.

“The Sunoco settlement will impact our budget, and I am deeply concerned about the effect this decision will have on the West Deptford school children, families, and both the school board and municipal budgets and taxes,” he said. “An unprecedented spike in property taxes will result from this settlement.”

And, given roughly 22 percent of last year’s township taxes went to the county, the settlement should leave the county hefting a similar portion of the proposed settlement.

“This will absolutely have an impact on the tax rate,” Lyons said.

While the settlement with Sunoco has been worked out, there’s still the ongoing appeal with Eagle Point’s former owners, Coastal/El Paso, to consider, which Chintall said is still in negotiations, with no timetable for a resolution.