Husband of council member speaks out on ‘witch-hunt’

Keith Walter, Robbinsville
    Just in time for Halloween, our town of Robbinsville has once again been transformed into the modern day equivalent of colonial Salem, Mass., complete with witch trials. And yet again, members of Robbinsville Township’s local government are on the hunt for one person, Sonja Walter. The details of the witch-hunt are new, but the basic storyline never changes.
   The hunt is typically led by the same councilperson. In mean-spirited fashion, he attempts to manufacture controversy where there is none. The issue is usually raised ambush-style at a council meeting, followed by melodramatic quotes for the local press. The quotes infer that Sonja is a liability and that she is costing the town money, when in fact this is true of the individuals making the allegations.
   This time, they want you to believe Sonja’s hourly employment with an affordable housing administrator creates the appearance of impropriety when voting on issues related to a local developer. At issue is her employer’s contract with this developer. They claim Sonja cannot be impartial due to this contract. The truth is Sonja’s continued employment is in no way contingent upon her employer’s contract with this developer. Sonja, in fact, does not perform any functions related to this contract. She has no stake or interest in her employer’s business aside from making extra money to pay for her children’s recreational activities. The implication put forth by the councilperson borders on the ridiculous.
   The fact the township business administrator has been aware of these relationships for some time without issue further clarifies the real agenda here. Let’s be honest. This has nothing to do with legality or ethics; it’s the latest round of punishment for someone who refuses to fall in line, someone that won’t stop asking questions.
   I write this as Sonja’s husband because I can’t believe the level of insanity exhibited in the town where I live. These routine attacks are perpetrated against a person who has dedicated her entire adult life to public service. Sonja¹s involvement in Girl Scouts, Destination Imagination and radKIDS, to name a few, should speak volumes about her motives in local government. This dedication to public service is found within a person who is willing speak out, a “maverick.” Is this the person we want driven out of our government?