In light of recent events, officials should think twice before offering Planning Board Chairman Kenneth Clancy another term at the Jan. 1 reorganization of the Township Committee.
Letters written by Clancy, and signed using his official Planning Board title, have appeared twice in the past two months. Clancy has used these letters to make extremely serious allegations against sitting Committeeman John Pfefferkorn and other prominent figures in Millstone politics.
The most recent of the letters makes the particularly egregious allegation that Pfefferkorn assaulted the township clerk on Election Day — an allegation which Pfefferkorn vehemently denied as soon as it was made. Statements by the township clerk also indicate that the allegation is fabricated.
The same letter in which the allegation is made also states Clancy’s intention to circulate a petition to ask for a recall vote on Pfefferkorn.
Certainly, Clancy has as much of a right as anyone else in town to speak his mind on the qualifications of elected officials to hold public office; however, if he insists on being involved in politics he should throw his hat in the ring and run for office himself. Allowing him to keep his post while he acts as the dedicated hatchet man for certain political forces in town is not in the best interest of the community.
At last week’s committee meeting, members of the committee said that all appointments that will be made are currently under review.
Even if the contents of the recent political letters Clancy has written are discounted, Millstone’s elected officials should not reward any official who has abused and politicized his or her office by using an official title to lend credence to overtly political statements, no matter how good that person’s record of service on township boards and commissions may be.
In other business, a Dec. 12 article ("Infighting among officials escalates") should have contained additional information. The article should have stated that Pfefferkorn agreed to cease discussion of a political matter when Mayor Evan Maltz requested that he do so at the Dec. 4 committee meeting.