FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – Two Republicans are running unopposed for three-year terms on the Township Committee in Freehold Township in the 2021 general election.
The terms currently held by Anthony Ammiano and Thomas Cook will expire on Dec. 31. Both men are seeking re-election to three-year terms on the governing body.
The 2021 general election is being held with vote by mail ballots; with early in-person voting at 10 locations in Monmouth County later this month; and at regular local polling sites on Nov. 2.
Ammiano, who is serving as Freehold Township’s deputy mayor this year, joined the Township Committee in 2001.
In addition to serving on the township’s Finance Committee, Ammiano has been a member of the Board of Health, the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, the Environmental Commission, the Planning Board and the Transportation Board during his tenure on the governing body.
“I am seeking re-election this year to continue the great work we have done as a governing body over my tenure in Freehold Township,” Ammiano said. “On the Finance Committee, discussing the challenges of providing our current array of services, while stabilizing the rising cost of these services, is greatly important to the township and to the taxpayers’ bottom line.
“I enjoy working hand in hand with the administration to identify the issues facing the township, prioritizing them and formulating an appropriate plan for action,” he said.
For 35 years, Ammiano has worked as the chief financial officer/treasurer for Del-Sano Contracting Corporation, Union. He is a board member of the Broadway House for Continuing Care, which provides post-acute care for men and women infected by the AIDS virus.
Ammiano said that as a member of the Township Committee, he will continue to address the issues of affordable housing, Freehold Township’s infrastructure and continuing to have safe services.
“The affordable housing requirement is an important ongoing plan and record-keeping requirement of the township. Maintaining our infrastructure and continuing responsible payments for the short term and long term is a primary focus. I want to continue providing complete and safe services to residents and visitors to Freehold Township,” he said.
Cook, who is serving as Freehold Township’s mayor this year, joined the Township Committee in 2013.
Prior to serving on the governing body, he had been a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission and a board member of the Freehold Soccer League. Professionally, Cook has held a career in operations management after spending 12 years in the aerospace field.
“I feel I continue to make a contribution to the residents of Freehold Township and I have the passion to serve,” he said. “I have been working in operations for almost 40 years, which gives me a good deal of knowledge and experience to draw upon for my position on the committee.”
Cook said that as a member of the Township Committee, he will continue to address the issues of zoning for affordable housing, the zoning impact of an economy shifting from retail to delivery, and the impact of municipal services on property taxes.
“The township, as a result of the state’s affordable housing regulations, was forced to rezone significant parcels (of land) at densities greater than what was desirable to satisfy the court.
“In doing so, the township will be challenged to further adjust its zoning to balance those changes and to prepare for the burden of the potential new development on the township’s infrastructure and operations,” Cook said.
“Another current and continuing challenge is accepting the shift in the economy from in-person retail to the delivery of goods. This has a profound effect on the development and redevelopment of our commercial zones.
“The need for warehouse space now outpaces brick and mortar shopping. Planning and zoning for the long term in a changing environment is a challenge we will continue to face.
“The continued financial pressure of New Jersey’s dependence upon property taxes erodes the local government’s ability to provide services in the face of ever-increasing costs to provide those services,” Cook said.