Democrat
Seeking Ward 1 council seat
Miller, 78, has lived in Monroe for 34 years with his wife, Jean, and has two children and four grandchildren. He has been Ward 1 councilman since 1989 and is a former council president. A retired educator and administrator, Miller has a master’s degree in administration from Seton Hall University. He previously served as executive director of the Association for School Supervisors and Administrators, and as chairman of both the township Planning Board and Middlesex County Planning Board. He currently chairs the township’s Affordable Housing Board and is council representative to the township’s Historical Preservation Commission.
Jerry Tamburro*
Democrat
Seeking Ward 2 council seat
Tamburro, 69, has a wife, Carole, six adult children and eight grandchildren. He has been Ward 2 councilman since January 2002 and serves as council vice president. He is retired as president and CEO of State Bank of New Jersey. A resident of Greenbriar at Whittingham, Tamburro is a past director and vice president of the Greenbriar Community Association. He previously served on the township Planning Board and is a member of the township’s Open Space Advisory Board. He is also council representative to the Adult Community Advisory Board and the ADA Committee, and chairs the New Jersey Training School for Boys Citizens Review Board.
Democrat
Seeking Ward 3 council seat
Connolly, 62, has been a resident of Monroe for 37 years and has two children who graduated from Monroe Township High School. She is retired as a teacher with the township’s school system and currently works for the Rutgers Cooperative Extension. A councilwoman since 1992, Connolly is council representative to the Recreation Advisory Board and is a member of the Shade Tree Commission, Municipal Alliance, New Jersey Training School for Boys Citizens Review Board and Middlesex County Children’s Health Commission.
Republican
Seeking Ward 3 council seat
Lopez, 52, has a wife, Barbara, and three daughters, ages 16, 13 and 7. A financial analyst, Lopez has lived in Monroe for 13 years. He has a bachelor of science degree in accounting and a master’s in finance. He has served with the New York Municipal Analyst Group, Federal Municipal Analyst Group and North Jersey Hispanic Association.
Note: Stephen S. Williams, a Republican seeking the Ward 2 seat, did not respond to requests that he participate in this forum.
What do you feel are Monroe’s greatest qualities, and what could be made better about the town?
Henry Miller
Monroe Township is a beautiful, rural community with an abundant amount of wide open spaces, permanently preserved farmland and outstanding municipal services like the library, emergency services and recreation. Our community is also attractive to home buyers because of our consistently low crime rates and low taxes. Our mayor and council believe we can always improve the services for our residents. We are currently studying plans for an addition to our municipal library, a recreation complex in the southern portion of Monroe, and a free-standing senior center.
Jerry Tamburro
I believe one of the most attractive features of Monroe Township is the rural character that is scarce in comparable communities. Over 2,000 acres have been secured for open space and farmland preservation. Monroe Township has participated in the Middlesex County Open Space Acquisition Program, the New Jersey Green Acres Acquisition Program, and used the Natural Resources Bond Act funding for open space acquisitions. Our master plan provides a development goal of 50 percent of all land in the 43-square-mile township remaining undeveloped. Our Open Space and Recreation Master Plan was recently amended, identifying over 1,500 acres of additional land.
Joanne Connolly
Monroe Township exceeds most comparable suburban communities with its beautiful landscape, extensive open space, an exemplary library, recreation program, senior center and emergency services. Monroe consistently has one of the lowest equalized tax and crime rates in Middlesex County. Due to these favorable attractions, the community is experiencing much growth, which is placing a strain on existing school facilities. We are assisting the Board of Education by seeking creative ways to minimize the tax impact of meeting the needs of a growing student population. For example, we recently donated 30 acres (value, $6 million-plus) for a future elementary school.
Carlos S. Lopez
Monroe is an oasis in the midst of an overdeveloped state. However, our administration has seen fit to turn our beloved town into a parking lot. I’m curious how this administration has the gall to stand in front of its constituency, look them in the eye and say we are fortunate as they are keeping the town as an open space paradise. Every week, more acreage is being gobbled up and new homes in the form of retirement communities or single-family homes are sprouting up all over. If this is allowed to continue, by the time we the voters wake up, we’ll look like East Brunswick and Old Bridge combined.
In recent months, there has been a great deal of discussion about future development along Route 33, and an effort is under way to usher in a ballpark and related uses. What would you like to see occur along this corridor, and how do you think the township should go about achieving that vision?
Henry Miller
Earlier this year, Mayor Pucci appointed a task force to review existing zoning of properties along Route 33 to make recommendations regarding land use. Several developers presented concepts, including warehousing, luxury condominiums, hotel/conference facility, retail development, the ballpark, park-and-ride facility, performing arts center and the Make-A-Wish Foundation headquarters. Items requiring further study are financing, traffic impacts, the impact of residential development on local schools, and projected tax revenue resulting from proposed zoning changes. I concur with Mayor [Richard] Pucci and Freeholder Director [David] Crabiel that no county or township tax dollars be used to finance the ballpark construction and operating expenses.
Jerry Tamburro
I don’t want to see a congested corridor of strip malls and traffic jams like we see on Route 18 and Route 9. I do want to see smart planning. The appointed task force is reviewing existing zoning of properties along Route 33 to consider several concepts, including warehousing, luxury condominiums, hotel/conference facility, retail development, the ballpark, park-and-ride facility, performing arts center and the Make-A-Wish Foundation headquarters. Many items require further study, including the financing, traffic impacts, impact of residential development on local schools, and projected tax revenue resulting from proposed zoning changes.
Joanne Connolly
The appropriate method is the one currently under way: A task force studying the traffic, tax revenue, school enrollment and other community impacts of a variety of uses such as warehousing, residential housing, hotel/conference facility, retail development, a minor league ballpark, park-and-ride facility, performing arts facility and the New Jersey Make-A-Wish Foundation headquarters. We believe that no county or local tax dollars should be used to finance the ballpark construction and operating expenses.
Carlos S. Lopez
I believe many of the voters have yet to be fully informed on what this administration wants to create along this corridor. We are sitting on a powder keg, with the overdevelopment that has occurred and our infrastructure about to collapse. The schools are overcrowded. Water and sewer have reached their maximum — remember what occurred during the rain storm this summer. However, the administration wants to build a minor league stadium, with restaurants and commercial spaces, for the benefit of whom? Are they blind to the real needs of the community? Why not look at a satellite hospital, since the builder is supposedly giving land to Make-A-Wish.
If elected, what would you hope to accomplish over the next three years?
Henry Miller
Over the next three years, the Monroe Township Council will continue to maintain our low tax rate and low crime rate. We will continue to vigorously pursue open spaces and assist the Board of Education to provide adequate facilities for our children. Our goal is to maintain top-notch services for our diverse community to enjoy.
Jerry Tamburro
I hope to work hard with the mayor and my fellow council members to maintain our low tax rate, maintain our low crime rate, preserve more open spaces and improve our services for the residents of Monroe Township.
Joanne Connolly
We will continue to work hard to preserve and maintain more open space, our low tax rate (second-lowest in the county in 2005), our low crime rate (lowest in the county), and our exemplary municipal services. We will continue to seek creative ways to assist the Board of Education to provide adequate facilities for our growing student population.
Carlos S. Lopez
If we’re really interested in stopping corruption, we have to start at the local levels. The best way to do that is by asking voters to approve term limits for mayor and council. Secondly, I want to establish a moratorium on construction. Three years is enough to get our schools and infrastructure in shape to handle current development and allow us to look forward. Third, Route 33 should not become another Route 18 or 9. Let’s bring in some real ratables that take a hands-on interest in their community. I also want to ask farmers to partake in the state program and keep their farms in place for generations.