FARMINGDALE — Residents said “no” to a ballot question regarding Farmingdale’s garbage collection program during the Nov. 4 election.
The borough was seeking approval of a unified collection service for garbage collection from all one- to four-family residential properties.
If approved, the borough would select one vendor through competitive bidding to be the garbage collector at an approximate cost of $50 to $60 per quarter for once-aweek pickup. The pickup process would result in one 96-gallon tote for each one- to four-family residential property.
The question was defeated 209 to 199.
The unified collection service for garbage was proposed to reduce the burden that various bills have created by having one vendor collect solid waste from the residential properties in question, according to Mayor John Morgan.
“This specific question regarding garbage collection was proposed on the 2014 ballot because of the great concern our borough has on too many different vendors collecting waste,” the mayor said.
If the ballot question had been approved, it would have also resulted in a decrease in the number of garbage trucks that pass through the borough on a daily basis, according to the ballot question’s interpretative statement.
Recycling was not included in the unified collection service contract. Garbage collection for all properties that are not one- to four-family residential properties were not considered in the ballot question.
If the question had been approved, bids for the service would have been solicited, Morgan said.
“Currently, homeowners need to contact their own individual vendor for garbage collection and, since this question was voted down, the garbage collection program in Farmingdale will remain as is,” the mayor said.
In other news, two Republicans won three-year terms on the Borough Council in the Nov. 4 election.
Vote totals posted by the Monmouth County Board of Elections show incumbents Michael Burke and Don Steinfeld winning re-election with 240 and 249 votes, respectively.
Democrats William Byrtus and Carly Immen received 180 and 165 votes, respectively, in unsuccessful bids for council seats.
Also, Elizabeth Rhein and Denise Schulz Nick have been elected to three-year terms on the Farmingdale School Board of Education. They were unopposed.
According to results provided by the Board of Elections, Rhein and Nick were elected with 191 and 67 votes, respectively. Rhein is a current member of the board and Nick is a newcomer.