In Upper Freehold, ‘right time’ for Miscoski

Former mayor to lead governing body again in 2003.

By: Scott Morgan
   UPPER FREEHOLD — Committeeman Bill Miscoski returns to the mayor’s seat for 2003.
   At the Jan. 2 reorganization meeting, Mr. Miscoski was selected by the Township Committee as mayor, replacing David W. Horsnall, who held the position for the last two years. Mr. Miscoski, who was deputy mayor for the same two-year period, also served as mayor in 1994, 1998 and 1999.
   Committeeman John Mele was selected as deputy mayor for 2003. He begins the second year of his first term this year.
   Mr. Horsnall, who won an uncontested race in November, also was sworn into his fourth committee term.
   Mayor Miscoski said he did not originally plan on serving as mayor but felt he was the best choice this year. He explained that Mr. Horsnall and Committeeman Paul Burke have grown busier with their working lives and that Committeeman Charles Faber does not wish to be mayor. Mr. Mele, though ambitious, was deemed too inexperienced to be mayor this year, Mayor Miscoski said.
   "Right now is the right time for me and for them," Mayor Miscoski said.
   Quick to assert that township business is the responsibility of the entire committee (Mr. Miscoski has no special power as mayor), Mayor Miscoski said he wants to continue the forward momentum of the township throughout 2003. Specifically, he would like to ensure that efforts to repair some of its aging roads continue, along with the construction of Byron Johnson Park and the Mark Harbourt Soccer Complex and the completion of the Master Plan revision.
   Mayor Miscoski added that he will continue to monitor the on-going complaint by township residents against the Matrix Development Corp. over a planned warehouse development.
   Though he has been out of the mayor’s chair for three years, Mr. Miscoski said it’s nice to be back.
   "I’ve been involved in this town for … 23 years," Mr. Miscoski said, adding that being mayor allows him to better stay on top of township issues. "I want to (maintain) strong leadership. Not that the township leadership hasn’t been strong, but strong leadership is needed."
   In addition to naming Mr. Miscoski and Mr. Mele as mayor and deputy mayor, the Township Committee reappointed several familiar faces to various boards. To the Planning Board, the committee reappointed Chairman Richard Stern and Ivan Olinski to three-year terms, Treasurer/CFO Dianne Kelley and Mr. Horsnall to one-year terms and Barry Wright, an alternate member of the board, to a two-year term as an alternate.
   To the Board of Adjustment, the committee appointed Wayne Van Hise and reappointed Roger Gravatt to four-year terms, while appointing Marc Buro as an alternate to complete the last year of Mr. Van Hise’s two-year alternate term. The committee also appointed Steve Alexander to a two-year term as an alternate.
   To the Environmental Commission, the committee reappointed Douglas Totten and Daniel Lamb to three-year terms, appointed John Menchin to a three-year term and renamed David Perlman as chairman.