We the people need representative government in Ocean Grove and not dangerous and impotent single party rule.
In a press release, the Neptune Republican Club and Neptune Republican Victory Committee are now announcing that persons interested in receiving the Republican Organization’s endorsement as candidates for Neptune Township Committee can apply at this time.
Those who are interested are invited to submit a letter of interest with a resume by Feb. 22, 2019 to:
James Granelli, Chairman, PO Box 591,Neptune 07754
Kevin Sheehan, Vice-Chairman, 215 Lakewood Road, Neptune 07753 or to
Jeffrey Beekman, Treasurer, 47 Main Avenue, Ocean Grove 07756
Candidates should include their name, address, and contact info. with the letter of interest.
Editor’s Note: January 24, 2019
The Neptune Township Committee remains locked in a vise-like single party grip by 5 Democrats who speak with one voice and who are disdainful of the residents of Ocean Grove.
It is time for a change. Single party rule has failed the OG Community and currently is endangering our town’s future through their indifference and their policies. You are all aware of the issues and the lack of transparency by these un-democratic bullies.
The five Committee slots are filled using a staggered election system. The terms are three years. A new mayor is chosen yearly by the Committee.
Some have been in office for many years. One of them, Michael Brantley, was on the Committee when the 2008 NERP was passed. He was re-elected in 2018.
Kevin McMillan was first elected in 1998; then he lost an election but was re-elected in 2003, so he also was part of the crew that passed the NERP. He was last re-elected in 2017.
Robert Lane, Jr. is the “labor candidate” according to the New Jersey AFL -CIO. He will be up for re-election in 2019. Eric Houghtaling was also a “labor candidate.” The unions train people to become candidates for local offices. Houghtaling is now a New Jersey Assemblyman for our district.
Another, Carol Rizzo, is from Ocean Grove and is the current Mayor, but she has made it clear that she represents all of Neptune and not just the Grove. That is expected, but it is disappointing that she is in lockstep with the rest as when, during the last meeting, she gave an impassioned endorsement of the North End Plan. So can we expect her to even lean in our direction? Rizzo was elected in 2016, so she will be up for re-election in 2019.
You may recall Mary Beth Jahn, Democrat, a former resident of the Grove, who had the courage, in the past, as Committeewoman, to say that single family homes are the best zoning decision for the North End.
A change could be good for the rest of Neptune as well. There will be two incumbents running in the 2019 election: Lane and Rizzo.
We will have to wait and see if the Repubs can come up with viable candidates for the next election. We have had no luck with recent Republican candidates offering tangible support for Ocean Grove concerns. Blogfinger had offered them the chance to tell us their opinions about OG issues, but that offer was unheeded. I have to assume that they know nothing about our issues.
Maybe we could support them if they were to support our views regarding the residential/historic community of Ocean Grove.
Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
BILLY WARD AND THE DOMINOES: This Committee’s time is up, and this song describes what the Grove is receiving. They have had their sixty minutes, and they have failed. It’s time for some changes.