by Vic Monaco, Managing Editor
ROBBINSVILLE – With about two weeks to go before the May 12 municipal election, the race for two seats on the Township Council took a contentious turn this week.
Candidates Sheree McGowan and Vince Calcagno are criticizing their opponents, Lance Brown and Miguel Edwards, for failing to attend the council’s recent budget presentation meeting.
”It is appalling that our opponents lack respect for the residents of Robbinsville since they have failed to attend one of the most important council meetings of the year,” they said in a press release. “Their conspicuous absence at the budget presentation not only shows their disinterest in our town’s business, but it also shows their lack of understanding and commitment of the job to which they aspire.”
The initial reaction of Messrs. Edwards and Brown, in separate phone interviews, was the same.
”So much for their clean campaign pledge,” they said.
Both acknowledged they did not attend the April 23 meeting. Mr. Edwards said the pair decided that it would show more respect to the voters to meet with them.
”Lance and I have been walking and talking to the people, and one of the complaints we hear speaks to the lack of productivity and inclusion at those (council) meetings and how those meetings often go into executive session and the constituency is shut out,” he said.
”We didn’t appear at a council meeting to hear the presentation of a budget that we would not be privy to as private citizens and which won’t be voted on until after the election.”
Mr. Brown said, “When they (the council) provide a meaningful budget available for full public inspection, that’s the time for the public to attend; not when it is presented and you can’t even look at it.”
The April 23 meeting included a Powerpoint presentation by Mayor Dave Fried, which included some pages of the budget.
The press release from Mr. Calcagno and Ms. McGowan, members of the township Planning Board, also claimed that Mr. Edwards missed all of his 2008 meetings as a member of the township’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.
”That’s entirely inaccurate,” responded Mr. Edwards. “I haven’t been tallying that but I attended at least 70 percent of those meetings.
Mr. Edwards said the committee’s “schedule has been in turmoil,” moving from monthly to every other month.
Furthermore, he said, “We are a committee that has very little impact and I would question its purpose. We’ve been disenfranchised by the administration at every turn. We make suggestions and we’re constantly reminded that we serve only in an advisory capacity. Nothing we’ve ever suggested has been listened to.”
Mr. Brown said he thinks the charge against Mr. Edwards is “ironic coming form Mr. Calcagno, considering when he was on the council there were numerous comments about his non-attendance.”
Mr. Calcagno said he was unable to provide his attendance record before The Messenger-Press deadline Tuesday but said it was “very good.”

