Anew state law has opened the door for Jackson officials to change the date of Jackson’s municipal elections from May to November.
In the final days of the administration of Gov. Jon Corzine, the state Legislature passed a bill that permits nonpartisan municipal elections to be held on the same day as general elections.
State Sen. Stephen Sweeney, who was serving as acting governor because Corzine was out of the state, signed the bill into law on Jan. 14.
Now the question arises — will Jackson move its nonpartisan municipal election from May to November?
In 2005, Jackson residents approved a change from a partisan Township Committee form of government for which elections were held in November, to a nonpartisan mayor and Township Council form of governing for which elections are held in May.
The first May municipal election was held in 2006.
Proponents of the bill that was signed into law said moving the nonpartisan municipal election from May to November will be a money-saving option for municipalities.
Jackson Township Council President Mike Kafton said that in 2005 voters chose when they wanted to vote and only the voters should have the right to decide to change the date of the municipal election again, not politicians.
“This is a perfect example of big government taking away the rights and the voice of the people,” he said.
Councilwoman Bobbie Rivere said she has no problem moving the municipal election back to November, but she is concerned that the election will then become partisan.
“It’s not supposed to be partisan,” said Rivere. “In a Democratic year, that would work for the Democrats, and in a Republican year that would work for the Republicans. On the other side of the coin, it would save the municipality money by not holding a special election [in May]. So there really are two sides to the coin.”
Councilman Kenneth Bressi said, “I almost think this is an [option] that has to be put up to a vote by the public, because the public voted for a nonpartisan [form of government] and made it to get away from the partisan [type of government]. It would be a ticket similar to last year [when a special municipal election was held in November], where the local candidates were somewhere way down on the ballot.”
Bressi said there are unanswered questions in this issue.
“If you truly want to keep it as close to nonpartisan as you can, I think you would have to keep it in May,” the councilman said. “I think that is the kind of question that would have to go on the ballot.
“The people voted for this kind of government, but I’m not particularly fond of this form. I like the old Township Committee form better, but the people voted in [a mayor and Township Council], and any form of government can work with the right people,” Bressi said.
Councilman Scott Martin said, “I would fully support an ordinance authorizing the nonpartisan elections to be moved from May to November, for three very important reasons.
“First, it keeps our nonpartisan form of government and [candidates] can’t run on a Democratic line or a Republican line. You’re off by yourself on a separate part of the ballot and it’s still nonpartisan. The people still have the opportunity to [directly] elect a mayor as intended when this form of government was put together,” he said.
Martin said the second reason he would support a move to a November municipal election is because more people vote in the November election than in the May election.
“There are more people involved [in a November election] in selecting the town leaders,” he said. “I want more people voting, not less.”
Martin said the third reason is cost.
“To run a May election for the town in 2006 cost $37,189,” he said. “In 2008 the cost was $44,405. So we would be saving the taxpayers money by moving the [municipal] election from May to November. You save money, more people are involved, and you are keeping the form of government that the people wanted when they changed the form of government. This is the very essence of a win, win, win scenario for the people of Jackson.”