FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — Republicans Eugene Golub and David Salkin retained their seats on the Township Committee in the Nov. 8 election, turning back a spirited challenge from a pair of Democrats.
Golub and Salkin won new three-year terms that will run from Jan. 1, 2012, to Dec. 31, 2014. All five members of the governing body are Republicans. No Democrat has served on the committee for four decades.
Salkin, 46, has served on the committee since 1994. He won re-election with 3,585 votes.
Golub, 70, has served on the committee since 1996. He won re-election with 3,343 votes.
Democrats Jennie Jeannette Mistretta and Edward Horigan received 2,255 and 2,253 votes, respectively.
The results are unofficial until they are certified by Monmouth County. The certification process can take a week or more after the election.
Salkin thanked the residents who supported him and Golub.
“I will continue to serve the town I love,” said Salkin, who is a lifelong resident of the community.
Golub said he was pleased that so many residents supported him and Salkin.
“We are very grateful. We will continue to speak to the people and find out their needs and suggestions and follow through on them,” said Golub, who has lived in Freehold Township since 1970.
In a joint statement, Mistretta and Horigan thanked their supporters.
“They heard our message and supported us, even helping to expand and refine our proposals,” the candidates said.
While the election did not turn out in their favor, the Democrats said they are “more disappointed that we have let down all the people we talked to who saw our proposals as a very needed change in Freehold Township; but the items uncovered by our due diligence of the Freehold Township administration continue.”
The Democrats said they will continue to fight for a realistic program to reduce the township’s debt.
“We will propose new rules and regulations that will make it harder to incur additional debt,” they said.
“We will challenge the Township Committee to reduce or eliminate personnel costs that are not in compliance with Gov. Chris Christie’s program and specifically, to eliminate longevity pay, reduce excessive carryovers of vacation and sick time, eliminate state retirement benefits for part-time and other non-qualified Freehold Township workers, including the committee.
“We will question all proposals that call for extending or continuing contracts for services as to whether duplication of services exist,” the statement adds.
Although the two running mates did not win seats on the committee, they said in the statement that “the frustration we found in the citizens of Freehold Township has made us even more determined to change the way the committee does business. We will make them fiscally responsible and accountable to the people.”