LONG BRANCH — Robert “Bob” G. Krebs isn’t happy that his house is in one of Long Branch’s redevelopment zones, and he’s decided to do something about it: run for mayor.
His platform is simple: “Give everybody in town their property rights back,” he said in an interview last week. “All these people are tied up in redevelopment zones. Pier Village is still in a zone.”
Krebs said that as mayor he would repeal all six of the city’s redevelopment zones and leave redevelopment up to property owners and developers — and he would remove the specter of eminent domain.
“The city has to stop playing monopoly. That’s what they’re doing.” Krebs’ 100-year-old Victorian home on Ocean Avenue sits just steps away from the oceanfront in the city’s Beachfront South redevelopment zone, one of six redevelopment zones along the oceanfront and the lower Broadway corridor in which the City Council controls redevelopment and where zoning regulations restrict what can be done in the zone, including barring property upgrades.
“Let the homeowners do what they want, like in every other town, and developers can work directly with homeowners,” Krebs said.
Krebs also would give homeowners who improve their properties a tax break.
“I want to give homeowners the ability to upgrade their homes and a tax abatement for fixing their properties up,” he said.
Krebs said he would roll the redevelopment plan back and sell properties the city has acquired through condemnation in the Broadway- Gateway redevelopment zone.
“Let the private market come in and develop it,” he said.
A certified financial planner and stockbroker, Krebs hails from North Jersey and moved to Long Branch 10 years ago. His professional résumé includes operating his own brokerage firm and operating a school for brokers. Currently semi-retired, he continues to operate ProEquities, a financial investment advisory firm.
He said his financial expertise would allow him to manage the city’s finances and make government transparent.
“No more tax increases,” he promised. “I’ll reduce taxes. It’s not hard. They waste money. I’ll show the [residents] where the money really goes. It’s the taxpayers’ money. Why can’t they open up the books?”
Instead, he would foster the city’s resurgence through a combination of cutting spending, encouraging new development, which he said would create jobs, and providing tax breaks for property improvements.
As another step to spur private redevelopment, Krebs said he would expedite the approval process for plans for homeowners and developers and cut “exorbitant” fees for plan review.
Krebs also said he wants to support the businesses in West End and Pier Village, and plans to visit with business owners during his campaign to learn what help they need to thrive and grow their businesses.
Another priority is dealing with what he says is the city’s burgeoning $50 million debt.
“When Schneider [current Mayor Adam Schneider] came in, it was $23 million,” Krebs said. “Plus there’s another $10 million for accrued time payouts.
“My long-term financial strategy is to stop incurring more debt. Stop the spending! Run the city like a business.”
To promote transparent government, he said all council meetings will be broadcast online and on cable in real time, not currently available to residents, and viewers will be able to call in with questions.
And, he would remove the five-minute time limit for public comment, a rule currently stringently enforced.
“If somebody has a big issue, I’m semiretired, they can come in and see me personally. I don’t mind sitting down with people,” he said.
Thus far, Krebs is running on his own, but he said he is trying to put a ticket together with council candidates.
“I’ll be putting together a ticket, a common sense ticket,” he said.
Schneider has declared his intention to run for a sixth term as mayor, although he hadn’t yet picked up a candidates packet at City Hall as of Monday. Neither had Councilman Brian Unger, another reported candidate for mayor, who is currently serving his first term on council.
According to City Clerk Irene Joline, in addition to Krebs, Councilwoman Mary Jane Celli, Long Branch Veterans Coordinator Michael Winnick, former Board of Education President and 2006 council candidate Michael Sirianni, and residents Marco Diaz and Alan Menkin also picked up a candidates packet.
Candidates have until March 18 to pick up a packet. The Long Branch municipal election will be held May 11.