BY MARK ROSMAN
Staff Writer
MARLBORO — The Reform Democratic Club of Marlboro has put its core beliefs and values into writing.
The club which was founded in January as a breakaway group from what its organizers called Marlboro’s “old guard” Democrats has issued a platform that sets forth what is described as “a new plan for the future of Marlboro.”
Chairman Steven P. Sukel said the Reform Democratic Club expects to have a slate of three candidates selected by mid-March who will seek three available four-year terms on the Township Council. The Reform Democrats could find themselves squaring off in a June primary with candidates put up by the Democratic Party.
“We are interviewing prospective candidates now,” Sukel said. “Anyone who is interested in possibly being a candidate may contact us.”
The council terms presently held by Democrats Barry Denkensohn and James Mione, and Republican Jeff Cantor, will expire in December. Denkensohn is one of the founding members of the Reform Democratic Club.
Sukel said the club began with four people in January and now has about 30 members. He is hoping to attract additional members through a fund-raising event scheduled to be held at the Strathmore movie theater, Route 34, Aberdeen, at 10 a.m. Feb. 26. A free showing of “Shrek 2” will be offered and donations will be accepted for the American Red Cross efforts for tsunami relief. For more information call (732) 536-7500.
In addition to Sukel, the club’s officers are Deborah Hoffman, vice chairman, Sheldon Golden, treasurer, and Murray Karp, secretary.
Karp grew up in Marlboro, attended local elementary schools and graduated from Marlboro High School. He said he and his contemporaries — people in their mid-30’s who grew up in Marlboro — want to assume a role in running the community the way an earlier generation of people in their 30’s did in the 1970s and 1980s.
“I got involved [in the town] about a year ago when I was named an alternate member of the zoning board,” he said. “The members of our club don’t want to badmouth people, we just need to get some new people involved. We feel like we’re the future of the town. We want our kids to grow up the way we grew up. Let’s start with some fresh faces.”
The Reform Democratic Club said that taking control of growth is a key component of its platform.
“The development of land and property in Marlboro has not been subject to a unified, coordinated and integrated long-term plan. A coordinated effort to do so will have a positive impact on the quality of life of residents and maximize ratables that provide the necessary funds to pay for governmental services. To accomplish the goal of controlling growth, we need to take it out of the hands of developers and their political allies. Developers must be held accountable for their impact on the quality of life of our residents. Thus, we support:
“The enactment by the state Legislature of developer impact fees. The call for a state constitutional convention to explore alternative means of funding education besides real estate taxes…
“In order to coordinate our planning efforts, Marlboro needs to adopt a sound master plan that lowers zoning densities, increases the number of commercial zones in appropriate locations, and creates more zones for senior housing. The master plan, cross acceptance plan and
zoning ordinances should all mirror each other, a goal yet to be pursued or accomplished.”
The Reform Democratic Club also said, “Municipal government must be a partnership, and residents must be encouraged to become actively involved in their community, whether the issue is a proposed new development, or the designation of open space for passive or active recreation. Neighborhoods should be enhanced with proper infrastructure improvements and positive planning concepts such as sidewalks, roads and bicycle paths that children can access between developments…”
The club said it supports the creation of economic development zones.
“The municipality should create economic development zones where quality commercial development, retail and office, is encouraged in Marlboro. By implementing smart development regulations, working with new and current development ordinances, and appropriate commercial incentives, we can encourage the development of a ‘high-end’ commercial town center, similar to what exists in Freehold or Red Bank. The development of a town center will provide amenities for Marlboro residents, increase ratables, increase property values and continue to make Marlboro an attractive place to live.”
The club said Marlboro should hire a person whose sole function would be to encourage and seek commercial ratables in order to offset recent large increases in school taxes.
The organization said it “will work with the Board of Education to ensure that the local government supports our school system. State money is in short supply and we need the entire community to work with the board to maintain a superior level of education. The coordination necessary in planning for future school requirements does not exist today. Both the elected officials of Marlboro and our school system must work together to attain what is best for our children’s future. A well-supported school system is the backbone of a stronger, more attractive community that benefits all residents.”
The club’s platform indicates that it wants to increase recreational opportunities for teens and seniors, saying “While Marlboro has a number of outstanding programs for young children including Little League, organized soccer and Pop Warner, there are only a few programs for teenagers. These young people are at a vulnerable age and more efforts should be made to increase the number of recreational and social programs with activities that will help them develop into mature young men and women. Likewise, our senior recreation programs need to be expanded as our senior community grows.”
The club concludes by stating, “The Reform Democrats seek to open the doors of government, discourage back-room deals that benefit only those special interest groups and work openly to build consensus. We support the adoption of a new ethics ordinance, disclosure rules and procedures, and the appointment of new members to the ethics board. All this will help ensure honest and ethical conduct by elected and appointed officials.”