Howard Nadell says
Plumsted committee
needs a little bit
of give-and-take
Dancer for committee
Howard Nadell says
Plumsted committee
needs a little bit
of give-and-take
By kathy baratta
Staff Writer
Ron Dancer says he is running for the Plumsted Township Committee again in order to "continue the record of the past with a vision for the future. In essence, keeping Plumsted rural and affordable."
Dancer, a Republican, is being challenged by first-time office seeker Howard Nadell, who is the president of the new Plumsted Democratic Party. Nadell, a retired businessman who has lived in town for seven years, said it is time for some new blood. He said he has heard Plumsted being referred to as "Rontown" or "Dancerville."
One three-year term on the committee is up for grabs in the Nov. 5 election.
"I am not a politician, just a guy who lives in town who thinks it’s better to have more than one person or one party run the town," Nadell said.
Plumsted’s Township Commit-tee is all-Republican. In addition to Dancer, the members of the governing body are Joseph Przywara, Ken Francis, Bonnie Quesnel and Ada Roberts.
Nadell said a little give-and-take is needed on the governing body.
"I have chosen to run because this town is controlled by one person and has been for the past 12 years. The rest of the Township Committee does nothing but rubber-stamp everything the mayor wants," Nadell said.
For his part, Dancer said, "I have enjoyed serving on the Township Committee as mayor for the past 13 years. Being a mayor or township committeeman has nothing to do with position, power or title, but everything to do with serving and meeting the needs of others."
Dancer, who is known to quote biblical scripture, referred to the biblical injunctive that says, "It is better to serve than to be served." He said that in other words, elections should better serve the electors, rather than the elected.
He noted accomplishments achieved under his administration and tenure on the Township Com-mittee.
Among them he cites having achieved the lowest municipal tax rate in Ocean County while holding the tax rate steady with no increase for 13 consecutive years while accruing the lowest municipal debt in Ocean County.
With a new full-time police department in operation, Dancer noted that Plumsted had the lowest crime rate in Ocean County, according to the 2002 state Uniform Crime Report.
Also, said Dancer, the township boasts the highest number of acres preserved from development in Ocean County with a projected 4,000 preserved acres by 2004.
According to Dancer, under his administration the township saw its new municipal building and library built with funds the town saved, rather than through the issuance of bonds.
Dancer said he wants to be able to maintain the township’s stable municipal tax rate. He said that has been possible to date in part by obtaining millions of dollars in state and federal grants. As an example he referred to the town’s receipt of state Green Acres funding in the amount of $1.25 million to be used to preserve land from development.
According to Dancer, under his administration Plumsted was the first municipality in Ocean County to establish a voter-approved dedicated trust fund for land preservation.
"We achieved our goal of preserving 2,000 acres by the year 2000 and have established a new goal of preserving 4,000 acres by the year 2004. Presently, we have preserved 2,750 acres," he said.
Dancer has received commendation for his service from the Plumsted Board of Education, which in 2002 presented him with its annual Friends of Education award. Also, in 2002, he was the recipient of the New Jersey Conference of Mayors Association Good Government Award.
"Accessibility and communication with the residents have been essentials with me," he said, adding that he meets with residents at the library on the first Wednesday of every month from 7-9 p.m. and takes seriously the ideas left in suggestion boxes that can be found in local businesses, banks and the post office.
For his part, Nadell said Plumsted is "a town in transition whose bills are going to come due."
The candidate said he was referring to grants that have been paying the salaries of seven new police officers. Nadell said voters need to remember that "nothing comes for free and the taxpayers will end up paying those salaries."