Ronda Hyams, Bill Lesniak, Larry Schneider, of Robbinsville
In 2004, Washington First put to the voters a change in our township’s form of government, and voters overwhelmingly supported that change. The group promised voters a government that would ensure checks and balances between the mayor and council. We ran with Sonja Walter as People for Reform. When we were elected in 2005, we believed we could implement changes to address our concerns. We have completed our terms. Let’s review the township’s progress.
We wanted to encourage open communication with residents. As council members, we reinstituted a second public participation session at council meetings. While it is not required, we provided an opportunity for the mayor to participate during council meetings. We expected the mayor or his designee to provide council with thorough explanations of expenditures that required council approval. Most often this information was not provided. We criticized the previous government for alleged back-room deals. For the past two years, most of the discussions on issues was done before a council meeting; not in public.
We wanted to slow residential development by taking a fresh look at the open space program and encourage partnerships for shared services. While open space was preserved, as taxpayers, we are now being taxed twice as much as in 2005. The mayor’s economic development plan can be summarized as strip malls that sit empty with massive jughandles and freight forwarding warehousing which creates noise pollution and traffic. Our interlocal agreement with Asbury Park for construction services has brought no additional revenue to the township and our interlocal agreement for emergency services with Hightstown is on the verge of dissolution. These debacles will force our government to plug a $250,000 budget gap.
Most disturbing is the apparent control the mayor has over council. This administration has manipulated some council members to the point where the mayor seems to run the meetings.
We wanted to do what was right for the township, not what would help us politically. Since we are not running for election, what can we do? We can help elect a mayor who will stick to issues and council members who will ask questions in public. We can elect people who will work for the residents of this town and not for their own political aspirations.
We hope that you go to the polls and elect Sonja Walter for mayor and newcomers Lance Brown and Miguel Edwards for council.

