Election 2023: Michael K. Ballard, Candidate For Red Bank Council

RED BANK, NJ — Voters in Red Bank go to the polls May 9 for the first-ever nonpartisan election for Mayor and Borough Council.

The mayor and council positions are all up for election in May as part of the borough's charter change to a nonpartisan Council/Manager form of government, approved by a wide margin of residents in last November's election. The new government will be seated in July.

There are 13 council candidates and two candidates running for mayor. There is a field of two teams, running as Red Bank's Ready and Red Bank Together, and one independent candidate, running under the designation Dedicated to Representing Red Bank.

Voters may vote for up to six candidates for council and up to one candidate for mayor.

Leading up to the election, profiles of all candidates who responded to a Patch questionnaire will be published. The responses here were received April 20 and reflect issues as of that date.

Candidates were asked about their background and experience and their positions on two big issues in the borough - cannabis business regulation and short-term rentals, as well as their vision for the borough.

Today, candidate Michael K. Ballard of the Red Bank Together team is featured.

Ballard is an incumbent, seeking his third term on the Borough Council. He is chairperson of the Code Committee.

Candidates provided their own answers to the following questions, presented here with editing for style only:

• Name: Michael K. Ballard
• Address: 222 E. Bergen Place, Red Bank
• Position sought: Borough Councilman
• Are you an incumbent or have you been involved in other positions in borough or schools government? Incumbent, seeking third term.
• Campaign website: www.RedBankTogether.org
• Background: I’ve been married to my wife Rose for eight years. We have one daughter and three grandchildren. I have an MBA from Monmouth University in Business and work as a senior financial analyst at the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers in Piscataway.

1. Why are you seeking office or seeking re-election? Is there a particular issue or concern that you want to see improved in Red Bank that sparks your desire to govern?

There are many concerns here in Red Bank that have driven me to seek re-election. Housing affordability is a major concern as it is becoming more and more difficult for young singles, families, and seniors to live in Red Bank. Our aging infrastructure is becoming more and more problematic, and a long-term solution is now required.

We must improve on the services we deliver to our residents by holding our employees accountable to setting and meeting goals and standards.

2. The short-term rental ordinance recently adopted by the Borough Council brought out lots of opinion from the public, pro and con. What is your position on the adopted ordinance? If you are an incumbent, why did you vote for or against it?

As Code Committee chair, I proudly brought this issue to the council for a vote and wholeheartedly support it.

Short-term rentals are becoming more and more of an issue that municipalities across the nation are tackling through legislation, some more restrictive than Red Bank’s, some less restrictive. But there is no question that short-term rentals transform communities to where neighbors do not know who their neighbors are from week to week.

Further, transient residents who occupy these short-term rentals are not as invested in the long-term sustainability of Red Bank as a homeowner or renter who lives here long term.

3. Another issue facing the borough is how cannabis sales or production is regulated. Recent ordinances offer more regulation, but do you feel it addresses concerns both of the public and the businesses seeking approval?

Modifications to the cannabis ordinance were necessary due to challenges to the original ordinance that, if left unaddressed, would have allowed unlimited cannabis businesses to operate in Red Bank with no restrictions on their locations, even right next to schools and playgrounds.

While Red Bank supports the burgeoning cannabis industry, one of the few municipalities in Monmouth County that does, the council also heard the outcry from residents who demanded restrictions so that our town was not overrun with cannabis shops at every corner.

The amendments proposed will continue to support the industry while providing peace-of-mind to concerned parents, school administrators and non-users that the council is also acting responsibly on this matter.

Other candidates in the May 9 election

Here is the ballot lineup for mayor and council, chosen in a random drawing last month.

Mayor:

• First position, Billy Portman, Red Bank's Ready
• Second position, Tim Hogan, Red Bank Together

Council:

• First position, Red Bank Together
• Second position, Suzanne "Sue" Viscomi (Dedicated to Representing Red Bank)
• Third position, Red Bank's Ready

Click on the links below to read more about the candidates from past stories. Click on individual names that are highlighted to read their candidate profiles, as they are published prior to the election:

Red Bank Together: Leading the team is mayoral candidate Tim Hogan, Riverview Medical Center president, along with incumbent Borough Council candidates Michael Ballard, Jacqueline Sturdivant and John Jackson. Rounding out the team is Sean Murphy, a Red Bank Zoning Board member; Linda Hill, and Erin Fleming.

Suzanne Viscomi: Viscomi, a Red Bank school board member, is running independently, with the designation Dedicated to Representing Red Bank.

Red Bank's Ready: Mayor Billy Portman for mayor leads the team. Running for council seats are current Councilmember Kate Triggiano; Ben Forest of the Red Bank school board; former Charter Study Commission Chairperson Nancy Facey-Blackwood; and David Cassidy, Laura Jannone, and Kristina Bonatakis.