A Letter To The Editor From Marianne Clemente

A Letter to the Editor from Marianne Clemente:

On Wednesday, Oct. 26 a League of Women Voters’ moderated Candidates Forum was held in Barnegat at the Community/Recreation Center for all five Township Committee Candidates - the Independent candidate, Chris Velders; the Republican candidates, Al Bille and Al Cirulli and the Democratic candidates, Armando Quiroz and Craig Kleinfield.

It proved to be a vibrant exchange of concerns and ideas for the Township of Barnegat. The only problem with the Candidates Forum was that the two Republican candidates failed to appear. Bille and Cirulli were given two dates from which to choose to participate in the event, but they failed to respond despite several attempts to contact them.

The Independent candidate responded immediately – and so the Forum moved forward. This was the first town-wide Forum in almost 10 years. In previous election cycles, candidate forums were strictly held in closed adult communities, where the audience was strictly limited to seniors.

The most asked question at the Forum had to do with the steady and uncontrolled increase in our municipal taxes over the last several years. The three candidates had very similar answers – all centering around the 10 percent increase this past year ($2.1 million increase in 2016 over that in 2015).

Some of the remedies presented for this fiscal irresponsibility were to eliminate health benefits for these part-time Township Committee members. Quiroz and Kleinfield proposed conducting a forensic audit to identify wasteful and inappropriate spending. In addition, they responded that we need to make Barnegat “business friendly, encouraging small businesses to invest in our community – thus increasing these rateables to our tax rolls.

Another hot topic at this meeting was the lack of transparency – like the reason for the Police Chief’s suspension. The candidates all pointed to the two “empty” chairs indicating that the incumbents were only ones who could answer that question. They indicated that it was outrageous that after exactly four months, the township was still without an answer.

Quiroz and Kleinfield further stated that the reduction of Township Committee Meetings over the years, from four meetings per month to one meeting a month is a clear indication that the committee members wanted to infringe on the right of residents to participate in and be heard by their elected committee members (note the cancellation of the November 1 meeting). Also, the hiring of an uncertified business administrator at the salary of the previous BA ($120,000 base salary) roughly 15 minutes after accepting his resignation as a Township Committeeman. This, plus the fact that the Township failed to post the job opening or even interview any other, perhaps certified, candidates further proves how out of touch they are with the word “transparency.”

The third most popular question had to do with the deplorable condition of our parks and playgrounds. Quiroz and Kleinfield commented on the fact that they conducted a tour of several of our playgrounds with a former playground inspector and environmental scientist. They were able to report first hand that there are multiple violations in the condition of our playgrounds – for example, at the First Street and Georgetown Playgrounds there is extensive evidence of deteriorating equipment, with rust and jagged metal edges on the steps leading up to the playground structures. In addition, at the First Street park, the basketball courts have a serious dip in the level of the court, making it a hazardous condition and risk to our children.

All-in-all it was a well-received event, with over 60 people attending. The moderator was non-partisan and effective and conducted a well-run Candidates Forum. After the Forum, the 3 candidates were able to chat with many of the residents to further discuss the issues at hand. Going forward this town-wide Candidate Forum should be an annual occurrence.

Image: Patch file photo