Nonpartisan Government Proposal Is On The Ballot In Red Bank

RED BANK, NJ — In the Red Bank election, a public question to change the town's government structure to a nonpartisan, Council-Manager form is before voters.

The introduction of the explanatory statement voters will see reads:

"The voters of the Borough of Red Bank are asked whether to approve a change to Red Bank's form of government from the Borough form to the Council-Manager form under the Optional Municipal Charter Law, commonly known as the Faulkner Act."

Nancy Facey-Blackwood chaired the Charter Study Commission, which residents voted to establish in 2021. She said the commission members have been holding smaller, informational sessions with residents leading up to the vote.

She said the feedback has been positive, but she has written a note to Red Bank voters to further explain the proposed change of government and respond to some questions that have come up from the public.

First she recounted some of the history of the charter commission:

"In November 2021, Red Bank overwhelmingly voted yes to form a Charter Study Commission and elected five residents to study the form of government in Red Bank.

"From swearing-in to the filing of the report, the commission has educated itself – and the public – by conducting numerous interviews of current and former Red Bank governing body members, current and former business administrators, current employees, a political scientist, local government experts, and elected officials from other municipalities.

"The commission sought and received public comment at meetings, through written submissions, and made to individual commissioners.

"The commission found the borough form of government is not meeting the needs of Red Bank.

"The reasons are outlined in the report, with specific recommendations for public consideration, and are located on the Red Bank Borough homepage www.redbanknj.org."

She said the commission’s report recommends:

• A directly elected mayor with a full vote
• A professional manager who runs the day-to-day business of the town
• A six-member Borough Council serving four-year staggered terms
• Nonpartisan elections every two years
• Runoffs to ensure candidates are elected by true majority

Then Blackwood responded to what were most frequently asked questions regarding the change of government form:

1. A change in the Red Bank Charter of government has nothing to do with the Charter School.

2. Nonpartisan elections:

"Currently, 18 people from each party control which candidates appear on the party line of each major party's primary ballot. That means 36 people (Republican and Democrat) select candidates that the voter chooses for mayor and council.

"Red Bank has approximately 7,748 registered voters, 42.6 percent Democrats, 35.3 percent Unaffiliated, 20.8 percent Republican and 1.3 percent Other Parties. This means 36.6 percent of voters do not get a voice in the primaries.

"Nonpartisan elections are a responsible means of making certain all eligible voters have a more significant voice and a vote, Blackwood said in the note.

"Nonpartisan elections will allow any candidate to run for mayor or council by filing a petition. Those elected would serve four-year terms, with elections staggered every two years. "This will counteract the outsized influence of party endorsements and favorable ballot positioning (see presentation made by Professor Rubin on the charter study website.)

"This change in government and electoral process only applies to mayor and council races."

3. The month elections are held:

"The first - or as we like to call it 'reset' election - must be held in May 2023 by state statute. The winners of the mayoral and council seats will start their term July 1, 2023.

"Council may then pass an ordinance to move elections to November. This would reduce election costs and improve voter turnout. If the council does not move the elections to November, Red Bank voters would now have the power of Initiative and Referendum to move the elections to November. If either action is taken, the next election will be held in November 2025."

4. Are we still called the Borough of Red Bank?

"Yes! We are still called the Borough of Red Bank. We do not have to change street signs, logos, stationary, websites, building codes, etc. Local examples include the Borough of Tinton Falls, Ocean Township, Borough of Bradley Beach, Marlboro Township, and Asbury Park."

5. Can we change it again?

"Some people are concerned that if the town moves to a nonpartisan government it has to remain that way forever. Not true.

"In four years, with the power of Initiative and Referendum, voters can place a question on the ballot to determine if they want to go back to partisan elections. (Asbury Park had a referendum and the voters chose overwhelmingly to remain nonpartisan. Even the local major political parties were against the change.)

"As Red Bank residents we all want the town to run smoothly. We want the people we elect to work together with resident interests in mind. We want our concerns to be heard in making important town decisions. Let’s move Red Bank forward," Blackwood concluded.

The note is from herself, as former chairperson of Red Bank Charter Study Commission, and from the other members of the commission: Kate Okeson, Ben Forest, Michael Dupont and Mark Taylor.

Meanwhile, most of the candidates currently running for Borough Council have expressed their views on the charter change. The Democratic mayoral candidate and the two Republican council candidates fully endorse the change:

• Democratic mayoral candidate Billy Portman ran on his support of a change to a nonpartisan form of government, he said. Portman is unopposed in the race.

The switch to nonpartisan elections and the Council-Manager form of government is a "top issue" in the race, he said. "I am campaigning hard for this to pass in November," he said in a Patch election questionnaire on the issues in the race.

• Republican candidates Mark D. Taylor and Jonathan Maciel Penney also support a change in government:

"For me, the number one issue is passing the charter review ballot question. The primary reason why I’m running to assist getting the word out to “Vote Yes” on Question 1. I look forward to working with anyone and everyone who wants to “Vote Yes” on Question 1," Penney said in a Patch candidate questionnaire.

Taylor, who also served on the Charter Study Commission, said in his Patch questionnaire. "There is a referendum on the ballot this year that will fundamentally alter Red Bank and only our campaign supports the Vote Yes! effort to bring nonpartisan elections to Red Bank starting in 2023."

The Democratic council candidates offered statements on the referendum but chose not to endorse a position:

• Democratic council candidate John Jackson said in a statement that he supports "the notion" of nonpartisan elections, "as long as they include fair campaign finance practices, in whatever way possible. This has long been my position on this issue. The financial aspect is critical because the reality is, given the high cost of running a campaign, no individual could afford to run on their own."
• Incumbent Democratic candidate Councilwoman Angela Mirandi also expressed her views on the issue in a separate statement: "Since this will be determined by the voters of Red Bank, as councilwoman, I will follow the lead of our congressman and neither publicly support nor oppose the referendum. I will let the voters decide," she said in the statement.

But she also commented on the need for campaign finance reform in local campaigns that can cost more than $20,000: "I always thought anyone should be able to run for office and serve their town. I think changing the ballot is a good first step. I think for nonpartisan to be truly equitable, though, there needs to be campaign reform. Without campaign reform, nonpartisan elections will not take the money out of politics if political parties are still supporting and funding nonpartisan campaigns."

Jackson and Mirandi did not address the issue of the change of government in their Patch election questionnaires, but you can see their profiles highlighted here.

The Patch Voting Guide for Red Bank includes the complete wording of the referendum question.