LONG BRANCH — A week before voters would decide the outcome of the municipal election, 18 of the 20 candidates for City Council took the stage last week.
The May 3 debate, which was co-sponsored by the Long Branch NAACP and the Link News, presented the 
Candidates Joseph Wayne (l-r), David Pizzo and Raul Pacheco discuss their stand on issues in Long Branch s during the May 3 council debate.candidates in groups of four or five, fielding questions on city issues such as development, gang activity and taxes.
The first issue the candidates addressed involved the city’s current plan to construct a pier with ferry service on the oceanfront.
“The pier is an important part of our history,” Joy Bastelli said. “I’d want to make sure there is a fishing part of that pier.”
Bastelli, who is running on a ticket with incumbent Mayor Adam Schneider, said she would like to see the pier be affordable and would like to continue with plans for the ferry, even though many candidates were critical of it.
“I want to be sure that there is affordable entertainment year-round,” she said. “And also I am very interested in the ferry service that we have proposed. That I believe will revitalize our town.”
Independent candidate Donald Riley was one of the candidates in favor of the pier but against the idea of bringing in a ferry.
“I am definitely concerned with having the pier rebuilt,” he said. “I do think having the pier built for the ferry is something that is a little bit too much for Long Branch.
“We have an oceanfront here with waves; we don’t have a place to accommodate a ferry.”
Riley went on to suggest that the ferry should be voted on in a public referendum.
Long Branch Council candidates Donald Riley (l-r), Michael Bland and John Freda answer questions from the audience during the May 3 debate held at the Long Branch Middle School.
Development throughout the city was a big issue for the candidates, with independent candidate Michael Bland suggesting that the city create a new plan.
“We have to find a plan that works,” he said. “We need to find a way to bring businesses back into Long Branch,” he added. “We have to find a way to put our community first and not tourists.”
John Pallone, a former council member, suggested that development must start with the business districts.
“I think the first priority should be to revitalize all the commercial districts in the city,” he said.
Pallone also suggested the city needs to secure an outside funding source in order to consider the ferry.
“The pier is a part of our history; the problem is this ferry service,” he said. “The funds that would probably become available federally would come from transportation. It can’t be on the backs of the taxpayers of the city.”
John Freda, who is running on mayoral candidate Bob Krebs’ ticket, criticized the current administration’s way of doing business.
“I would rid the city of its illegal use of eminent domain and redevelopment zones forever,” he said. “The city doesn’t need a $100 million pier when we are already $50 million in debt.”
Another major topic was the budget.
The only incumbent running for re-election said there are a lot of misconceptions about this spending plan.
“I have gone through the budget line by line,” Councilwoman Mary Jane Celli said. “I hear everyone say cut, but the bottom line is, it takes a lot of small cuts to make one big cut.
“I look at every line and make sure each department has what it needs,” she added. “No departments have gotten any increases, and when you say cut, you are talking about people, jobs and services.”
However, candidate Diane Zuchnik, who is running with mayoral candidate Brian Unger, criticized spending by the Schneider administration.
“We have a bloated, overspending mentality in City Hall,” she said. “We have to find a better way of doing this. We didn’t do enough to get grants from the state or federal government.”
Candidate Jackeline Biddle Shuler, running independently, said the city needs to approach the budget differently.
“I propose looking at how we do things,” she said. “We need to find ways to make things more efficient.”
Kate Billings, also running with Schneider, suggested that the city should look into more shared services.
“We need to start doing more shared services,” she said. “We need to find better ways to bring our costs down.”
Recreation was a big topic at the mayoral debate a week earlier and it remained a hot issue for the council candidates.
“This city is going to have to come together and find constructive ways to give our youth a chance,” said Harold “Pudgy” Cooper, another independent candidate.
“We don’t have a bowling alley anymore, we don’t have a movie theater anymore. “Go to Asbury, go to Red Bank and come back to Long Branch and tell me what we have.”
Joe Mauriello, running with Unger, suggested that the city’s youth and seniors participate together.
“Why can’t we take the youth of today and let them intermingle with our senior citizens?” he said. “Let them tell about the old school, the old stories. “I am a firm believer in learn by example. Why can’t they learn from our senior citizens?”
Mauriello also suggested that the city should look at programs other than sports for children.
“Why can’t we get the kids who don’t want to play sports into cooking or arts and crafts?” he asked.
Al Menkin, running on the Schneider ticket, is heavily involved in city youth sports and said the current programs are working.
“We are catching the youth right when they want to learn the most, at 5 and 6,” he said. “These sports do build a foundation for them.
“I see a park for these kids to go play football, to go play baseball,” he added. “I go to Manahassett Creek Park and I see kids out there from sun up to sundown.”
Cooper remained critical of the city’s recreation programs, as well as the time it took to build Manahassett Creek Park.
“I think we need all types of recreation, we need things oriented toward our females,” he said. “Why should it take 10 years to get a football field?”
David Brown II, who is running on a ticket with Pallone, said that recreation should return to the kind there was when he was a kid.
“In the ’80s we had open gymnasiums in the public schools,” he said. “I would create a recreation committee that would help us find other ways.
“There has to be [something] for all ages,” he added.
A big issue for candidates, including Unger’s running mate, Sharon Wise, was how to ensure public safety.
“I think our police officers do a terrific job,” she said. “I would support increased use of foot patrols.”
Wise is running on a ticket with John Gregory, who would like to see more community gardens.
“You have community gardens in urban environments and people come out of their houses to [get together] at the garden,” Gregory said. “We have spots designated for community gardens throughout the city and they are being under utilized.
“When people are involved in community gardens, they take pride in their neighborhood.”
Joseph Wayne, running with Krebs, said violence and the gang problem in the city have largely been ignored.
“If you ignore a problem, it won’t go away,” he said. “We need to get citizens involved, we need to get the schools involved and we need to get cops involved.
“We need to form a pro-active program. Having a police presence in the community definitely would help.”
Dave Pizzo, who is also running with Krebs, piggybacked on Wayne’s ideas.
“I believe we should have more cameras in public areas and more foot patrol around business areas,” he said.
Raul Pacheco, an independent candidate, said as a councilman he would take a more hands-on approach.
“I believe we have one of the best police departments in the area,” he said. “We need to continue to support the police officers.
“Have them go out and get rid of the violence and get rid of the gangs. As city councilman, I will not sit through meeting after meeting after meeting; I will be out on the street with my police department.”
Kent Thornton, who is running on the Unger ticket, and Michael Sirianni, running on the Schneider ticket, were not present at the debate.
The nonpartisan municipal election will be held on Tuesday, May 11.
Contact Kenny Walter at [email protected]