MIDDLETOWN – Democrats Sean Byrnes, Tricia Maguire and Danielle Walsh are three of six candidates who seek election to the Middletown Township Committee in the Nov. 6 election.
Republicans hold a 5-0 majority on the governing body.
Maguire is seeking a full three-year term, Byrnes is seeking a two-year unexpired term and Walsh is seeking a one-year unexpired term.
The Republican candidates are Tony Perry, Patricia Snell and Rick Hibell, all of whom are serving on the governing body. The Republican candidates are profiled in a separate article.
Asked why he is running, Byrnes said, “I served on the Township Committee from 2007 to 2010. I am committed to public service. I dedicated much of my life to volunteering for not-for-profit corporations. In so doing, I was elected to senior positions of leadership. Serving as an elected official in Middletown is simply an extension of that commitment.
“I have been an observer of the activities of the committee and I think there are great opportunities to improve the level of service provided to our residents and to reduce unnecessary expenses. We need to look at all taxpayers expenses, whether made by the Board of Education, the Township Committee or the Township of Middletown Sewerage Authority.
“No more finger pointing. When the Board of Education succeeds, the Township Committee succeeds. When the Township Committee succeeds, the Board of Education succeeds, because we are serving the same customers,” he said.
If elected, Byrnes said he would focus on shared services between the township and the Middletown Township Public Schools. He said the two bodies need to pool their resources. He said the township should also investigate a shared service agreement with Monmouth County for the maintenance of parks.
“Many of our parks are poorly maintained. The county parks department has the resources to do this,” he said.
“We need to explore consolidating the sewerage authority’s responsibilities into the township government. Continuing to operate this separate authority means a separate attorney, engineer, auditor, executive director and nine commissioners, some of whom receive health benefits valued at more than $30,000 per year.
“We need to ensure that public projects, especially roads and construction, are competitively bid. We should have a stable of professionals who continuously bid on opportunities. Competitive bidding will ensure we get the best pricing,” said Byrnes, who is an attorney.
Asked why she is running, Maguire said, “I was born and raised in Monmouth County. I moved to Middletown in 2003 with my husband, Bob, and our daughters, Maeve, Josie and Fiona, who attend Middletown schools. I’m a small business owner with 25 years of experience as a community-focused professional, advocate and executive board level volunteer.
“I have managerial experience in administration, education, budget management and annual pledge funds, as well as growth, strategic planning and master planning. I have served the community as a volunteer, coach and educator for 15 years,” she said.
If elected, Maguire said she would invite stakeholders to attend informational meetings.
“Stakeholders are the groups that new development and redevelopment plans directly impact. Their input is required to make sure each project does its best to limit the drain on our township resources and at the same time benefits the community,” Maguire said.
Maguire said she would consider the impact of traffic and its relation to the quality of life residents have with redevelopment initiatives. She said she would emphasize the “priority and quality of life and protection of community with regard to the re-examination of the master plan.”
Maguire said she would seek to expand notification of public meetings.
“In an era of digital marketing and social media, I will explore avenues of making sure residents are notified in a timely manner and invited to provide feedback before votes,” Maguire said.
Walsh said she is running for office “because I believe strongly that we need to build a bridge between the Board of Education and the Township Committee. I would like to take the experience and leadership skills I have garnered as a school board member and use the relationships I have built with the superintendent, administration and fellow board members to facilitate positive change.
“I have seen firsthand what our community can accomplish when we band together. As a township committeewoman, I would value the voices of our residents, encourage constructive discourse and explore tax-saving measures to ensure the Middletown we pass on to our children reflects the best of who we are as a community,” she said.
“Some immediate goals I would like to see accomplished are the development of a comprehensive shared services expansion between the Township Committee and the Board of Education, beginning with a commitment from each governing body to have a liaison attend each other’s meetings, serve on joint committees, and share positive accomplishments with residents …
“I would also like to implement new community input coalitions with residents, police, business owners, school representatives and first responders to help drive policy and projects, and allow concerns and suggestions to be included before major township initiatives and decisions are finalized.
“I will work with public and private schools, as well as local colleges, to develop initiatives to educate and inspire our children and young adults to explore civic leadership programs and encourage their participation in local government and volunteerism.
“Inspiring Middletown’s next generation of leaders at a young age is a vital component to the successful future of our town and allows us the opportunity in a nonpartisan way to look beyond our differences for the benefit of our children and community as a whole,” she said.
Walsh, a mother and volunteer, has served as a school board member for three years. She has been a member of the board’s strategic planning committee, and the teachers and administration contract negotiations committee.