Bart Albini talks quickly and throws out a lot of numbers.

Perhaps it's his masters degree in applied mathematics and computer science. Or maybe it's his five years on the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC). Maybe it's both.

That masters is from the Stevens Institute in Hoboken. Before that, Albini earned a Bachelors in Science from St. Peter's College in Jersey City and a certificate in education to teach math and science for grades K through 12. Albini taught for a couple of years, then managed a photofinishing plant in New York City before earning his masters.

Since then, Albini has spent 36 years consulting in computer technology for Fortune 500 clients like American Express, Chubb and Shearson Lehman, as well as smaller firms. 

Albini has used this expertise while serving on the CBAC for the last five years. He has spent two years of those years chairing the recreation department, parks, after-school programs and the Maplewood Community Pool for the CBAC. (Albini pointed out that the Pool, while not owned by the Town, pays the Town for management.)

As the CBAC member working with the recreation department, Albini gets a copy of the detailed municipal past expenses for that department with appropriations made and plans for appropriations for the next year. Albini "huddles" with the recreation department director to analyze the numbers, look for savings and make recommendations to the Township Committee.

So, said Albini, "When I talk about the numbers, they are not off the top of my head."

Albini says that he took each department's numbers last year and converted them to an Xcel spreadheet. "We could do pie charts and graphs," Albini enthused, "and we could better analyze the numbers."

Still, he said, more detail is needed and he feels that the budget is still not completely transparent. 

And, he has other another complaint about the budget--municipal spending.

"Our expenses are totally out of control." Albini contended that his property taxes have increased 400 percent in 24 years and doubled in the last 8 to 9 years. "I pay more in property taxes than I pay for my mortgage."

About that mortgage: Albini moved to Maplewood 23 years ago with wife Loretta. They raised their two children--Francesca, 22, and Robert, 20--in Maplewood. Interestingly, Albini was born in Italy and brought to Weehawken by his adoptive parents in 1952. He didn't speak any English and had three months to get fluent before he could enter first grade. 

Albini became very fluent in his second language and now has lots to say. Returning to the topic of governance, Albini complained that the Township has taken on too much debt service (about $35 million, said Albini, with the purchase of Springfield Avenue from the County earlier this decade and the bonding for the new police station). He said that 10 years ago, the debt service was less than 4% of the budget and 5 years ago it was less than 5% of the budget. "Now it's just under 12%." Albini argued that without having to pay that debt service the Town would not have had to lay off 23 employees in 2009.

While his opponents say there is no fat in the budget to trim, Albini countered, "Kathy Leventhal says, 'We've maintained services.' Then there is fat."

Albini also talked about the fact that the percentage of commercial ratables in town is about 8%, putting a greater burden on the residential tax base and overburdening the schools. Albini said that, instead of developing the plot on Springfield Avenue for the police station, that site should have become an Office Max or Staples. "Vauxhall can pull this off, but we can't. Either we've got the wrong people or the Township Committee is incompetent."

Albini also said the Town is "paying through the nose" for its IT services. "What I do in IT is get the latest in technology at a reduced cost." Albini says that he recently reduced IT costs for a client from $3,000 a month to $800. Albini sees the potential for reducing the Town's ISP costs dramatically by implementing line-of-site services to the various departments.

Why vote for Albini?

"I believe in accountability. I want things to be transparent." In addition, "What helps Maplewood voters helps me. You are hiring us to help you, not hiring us to raise your taxes and reduce services."