The second of two parts.
By: Scott Morgan
Candidates seeking seats in their local governments are hoping to stir public support as Election Day nears.
There are contested races for the township committees of Millstone and Plumsted and two uncontested races, one for Allentown Borough Council and the other for Upper Freehold Township Committee, on Nov. 7.
Below is the second of two candidate profile articles, looking at the races in Allentown and Plumsted.
ALLENTOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL
There are two three-year seats available on the Borough Council this year. Jerry Rovner and Dan Wimer, a pair of Republican incumbents, are running unopposed.
Jerry Rovner
Mr. Rovner, 55, has lived in Allentown for 28 years. The Republican incumbent is running for his second straight Borough Council term and his sixth overall. He served on the council from 1980 to 1991 and from 2002 to the present. He and his wife, Susan, have been married 33 years; they have two children, daughter Kelly and son Chad.
Mr. Rovner runs Rapid Response Computer Service and holds bachelor’s degrees in business administration and American history from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, and a master’s degree in human resources management from Pepperdine University. He is a retired U.S. Navy captain of the New Jersey Naval State Guard, where he served as a deputy commander and surface warfare officer/special operations officer. He is a certified saturation deep-sea diver who once held the world record for a 900-foot deep ocean dive.
Mr. Rovner is on the board of trustees for the Princeton Child Development Institute, is a mediator for the New Jersey State Court System, an instructor at The College of New Jersey, a councilor for the New Jersey Small Business Development Center, a member of the board of directors for The Foundation for Underwater Research & Education, race director of the International Submarine Races and the recipient of the Legion of Honor award from the Chapel of Four Chaplains.
"I am uniquely qualified for Borough Council, because of my 15 years of experience and the contacts I have forged with our state representatives," Mr. Rovner says. "The quality of life for our town is the paramount issue, and the pressures to negatively affect us are all around.
"This is one of the most critical periods in Allentown’s great history. Allentown is in grave danger of losing its identity and thus its historical nature by unprecedented warehouse growth placed on it borders. Couple this with rising costs all around us. We need someone who can deal with these complex problems. No matter what party you belong to this one issue is about the survival of our town and I have positioned myself uniquely to be a major player in this fight.
"I am a businessman in Robbinsville and as a member of the Mercer County Chamber, the Washington Chamber, and The Deputy Command of The New Jersey State Guard, I have many contacts with various state agencies and legislators, that I have made painfully aware of our situation.
"Greed is threatening to end the 300 historic years of Allentown. Let me continue to fight to protect our way of life."
Daniel Wimer
Mr. Wimer, 52, has lived in Allentown for 20 years. He is seeking his fifth term on the Borough Council as a Republican.
A graduate of Middlesex County College, Mr. Wimer is self-employed in the packaging and printing industry and is married with three daughters. He also is a member of the Allentown/Upper Freehold Municipal Drug and Alcohol Alliance.
PLUMSTED TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE
There are two three-year seats open on the Township Committee this year. Republican newcomers Eric Sorchik and Michael McCue are seeking election, but face Democratic challengers Mitch Geier and Elizabeth Lane. None of the candidates have served on the Township Committee. The victors will replace Committeeman Joe Pyrzywara and Committeewoman Bonnie Quesnel, who opted not to seek reelection.
Eric Sorchik
Mr. Sorchik, 54, is a retired state police who now operates an emergency management and disaster preparedness consulting firm. He holds a BA. bachelor’s degree from Widener University, a master’s degree MA from Seton Hall University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He is an adjunct professor at Fairleigh-Dickinson University and a faculty consultant at Thomas Edison State College.
Though this is his first try for a Township Committee seat, the Republican candidate serves on the township Land Use Board and in the township’s Emergency Management Office.
He enjoys backpacking, fishing and woodwork.
"My intention is to continue the type of responsible, efficient and ethical municipal government that Plumsted Township has come to represent," Mr. Sorchik says. "Plumsted has the enviable record of maintaining a stable tax rate for the last 17 years. This is due to the commitments and stewardship by the governing body and the involvement of many citizens of this community."
Michael McCue
Mr. McCue, 54, has lived in Plumsted since 1989. He operates an environmental consulting business specializing in chemical process safety management, chemical plant security and environmental compliance. The first-time Republican candidate is a former section chief for the New Jersey state Department of Environmental Protection and current chairman of the Plumsted Redevelopment Board.
Mr. McCue is a member of the Ocean County Agricultural Development Board, responsible for farmland preservation, a member of the Plumsted Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), a member of the Plumsted Municipal Utilities Authority and a member of the Catholic Charities Ocean County board. He holds a juris doctor degree, a master’s in business administration, a master’s in science and a bechelor’s degree in chemical engineering. He is married to his wife, Maryanne; they have one daughter, Megan, a sophomore at New Egypt High School.
"My goal, utilizing an extensive education and diverse work experience, is to maintain responsible stewardship of Plumsted Township," Mr. McCue says. "I have operated my own business for the last eight years applying my engineering, business and legal skills. I pride myself on my strong communication and management abilities. During my career, there have been many projects where my involvement was a key to a successful conclusion.
"Residents of Plumsted Township have enjoyed a stable municipal tax rate for the last 18 years. I am committed to continuing the strong fiscal leadership to ensure every tax dollar is needed and properly spent. A major challenge for the township is revitalizing the downtown area. A viable option, to minimize increases to resident tax burden, is explore a public-private partnership."
Mitch Geier
Mr. Geier, 52, has lived on Hawkin Road with his wife and fellow Democratic candidate, Elizabeth Lane, for seven years. He is the president and founder of CECG, Inc. (Computer Education & Emergency Group).
He serves as the Plumsted Township Democratic municipal chairman, a former state board member of Hands Across New Jersey (taxpayer advocate organization) and the former chairman of Citizens for Better Education.
"As a long-time taxpayer advocate and involved citizen I bring much needed fresh, innovative thinking to a Township Committee that for decades has been run by one party and one tight-knit group of people," Mr. Geier says. "Our community faces many important issues skyrocketing property taxes; a lack of and/or deteriorating services that are standard in many communities; and a revolving door of downtown, businesses, just to name a few. As a business owner and grassroots political advocate I bring the experience and will to bring real change to our local government."
Elizabeth Lane
Ms. Lane, 49, has lived in Plumsted for seven years. She shares a house lives on Hawkin Road with her husband and fellow Democratic candidate, Mitch Geier.
Ms. Lane holds a bachelor’s degree BA in Ppsychology from the University of South Florida and is the vice president of a marketing firm. She serves as the president of the Plumsted Township Regular Democratic Club.
"Our local government has been run for over 20 years by one political party and a small group of long-time politicians," Ms. Lane says. "This closed system does not serve the community it results in a government that is out of balance, with a lack of transparency and disinterest in fresh perspective to solve our community’s issues.
"As a citizen, taxpayer advocate, businesswoman and outsider, I am interested in addressing important issues facing our community that have remained stagnant in the current administration escalating property taxes, the worst ratables base in Ocean County, lack of and/or deteriorating community services, and declining downtown with revolving-door businesses."

