Candidates prepare for June 4 primary contest
Berk joins race as Democratic write-in
candidate
Russell Dronne
HOLMDEL — With the June 4 primary election just around the corner, the race for two three-year Township Committee seats is starting to heat up.
The Republican primary has three candidates vying for two slots on the November ballot.
Incumbent Deputy Mayor Russell Dronne, 48, 76 E. Main St., is running alone after former Board of Education member Rocco Pascucci, 52, 24 Yellowbrook Road, withdrew from the election.
Valerie Niess, 58, 820 Holmdel Road, and Robert Reddington Jr., 38, 20 Deercrest Drive, are running as Regular Republicans, having been chosen by the Holmdel Republican County Committee.
Valerie Niess
On the Democratic side there are two candidates, Tony Orsini, 53, 656 S. Laurel Ave., and Janet Berk, 51, 11 Hixon Terrace. Berk needs 11 write-in votes to get on the general election ballot.
For the candidates, not much has changed since the filing deadline, but the issues are still clear.
Dronne said that he is excited to be running again and that he believes his time and experience on the Township Committee speak for him. He cites the acquisition of the Chase tract, rezoning the RO-3 zone to prevent further "big box" stores, appointing members to the planning and zoning boards who "were more inclined to place the interests of Holmdel citizens ahead of those of developers and special interests," working with the fire and police departments to improve training and purchase new trucks, and to improve the police department by implementing suggestions from a consulting firm.
Dronne has been a resident for 16 years, and he and his wife Maureen have four children. He works for the Chubb Group in Warren Township where he is a safety engineer.
Robert Reddington Jr.
Dronne freely admits that the township has not been running smoothly and would like a chance to do things differently.
"We can do a better job of listening to the people," he said. "I think we got so wrapped up in the learning curve of doing things right as new Township Committee members that we focused so heavily on the details of running the town that we didn’t have enough time to pay attention to this."
Niess and Reddington believe their platform is simple and the public is willing to listen. They are running on open government, bringing back fiscal control, cutting taxes in the future, open space conservation, having more active recreation opportunities, and letting the residents decide their own future with regard to their properties.
Niess said, "There are a number of issues that are not being addressed, and it’s time to change all of that."
Tony Orsini
She said the public should be given the opportunity provide input about things that concern their homes, property and their future.
"When the Township Committee tried to pass the historic preservation ordinance and impose a commission without getting public input first, it was a disaster. The people who own those homes did not want to go down that road, but they (the council) tried to do it anyway," she said.
Niess said the recent farmland preservation push is a mistake because a majority of the farmers told the Township Committee they did not want to be involved.
Niess said that the Township Committee should control what money is spent and where.
Janet Berk
"The real problem is that the majority of the Township Committee has been overspending," she said.
One item that Niess cited was the recent approval of Michael Pappa to prosecute Committeeman Terence Wall.
"I think this is an insult to the taxpayers, especially because what happened was between Art Davey and Terence. By Russell Dronne and Larry Fink getting involved, it has caused even more friction. This is a frivolous action, and the two parties should have just worked it out. The taxpayers should not have to pay for this, especially since our taxes are going up," she said.
After retiring from Eastern Airlines, where she was a flight attendant and a training instructor, Niess has dedicated her time to different service organizations around the county, and teaches CCD at St. Catharine’s Church in Holmdel.
Reddington said they would like to see better planning with regard to the budget.
"I would like to see things planned out before promises are made to spend money," he said.
Reddington also said that the public has a right to be heard at meetings without having to wait until midnight to speak.
"Residents should not have to wait all night long to be heard by their elected officials. Meetings should not go to midnight or 1 a.m. If people attend a meeting to speak, they should be allowed to do so," he said.
Reddington said that since he and Niess have been walking the town, they’ve heard the same things from people. "People want to be represented without having so much infighting. I love Holmdel, and I always have. I would like to see the community come together instead of being divided," he said.
Reddington works as a senior vice president and branch manager of Infinity Mortgage Co. in Red Bank. He has four children and coaches basketball, baseball, and boys’ and girls’ soccer for the Holmdel Youth Athletic Association.
Reddington ran unsuccessfully three years ago with Pat Allwell in the primary against Art Davey and Dronne.
Orsini said that the No. 1 issue for the Democrats is land-use policy.
"We would like to see a workable ordinance for cluster zoning in order to gain more open space in the township when things are built. I think that with Janet and myself on the Township Committee, that can become a reality," he said.
Orsini has four children, has lived in the township for 16 years, and works as a pharmacist at Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune.
Berk grew up in Monmouth County and has lived in Holmdel for nine years. Before moving to the township, she worked as an assistant district attorney in New York City for nine years. She also taught elementary school for four years.
Currently Berk is the vice chairwoman of the Holmdel Democratic County Committee and serves as an alternate on the Zoning Board. She has three children, two attending Holmdel High School, and one attending the Satz School, where she is the treasurer of the parents group.
"Planning for growth in a way that minimizes its negative impact on such quality-of-life issues as traffic, public safety and education is of paramount importance," Berk said. "We need to provide services and recreation to residents in a fiscally prudent fashion, and we need to work with the Board of Education in a more coordinated effort on matters that affect the community as a whole," she said.
Orsini said that Berk was the initial choice of county committee members and that he is "ecstatic that she has decided to run. She clearly is the finest candidate in the entire field," he said.