Sayreville GOP to take control
of boro council come January
Open space tax impact on average homeowner still undetermined
Phyllis Batko
SAYREVILLE — Come next year, the Republican Party will have the majority on the Borough Council.
Republican council candidates Phyllis Batko and John Melillo were elected to the council last week. Batko received 6,993 votes while Melillo received 6,966.
Batko was not available for comment.
Melillo said beating his incumbent opponents, Mary Novak and Raymond Skarzynski, was a big achievement .
John Melillo
"The no’s are stacked against Republicans in this town as far as registered voters go," said Melillo.
Novak, who serves as council president, received 5,412 votes, while Skarzynski, who acts as the liaison to the recreation department, received 5,658 votes.
Skarzynski would not comment on the recent election.
Novak, who served on the council for six years, said that although she did not win the election, she is proud of the work she has done over years.
"It was the hardest job that I loved — except for raising my kids," said Novak.
Novak said that in her tenure she has worked with the council to improve the overall financial state of the borough. She pointed out her involvement with various improvements in borough departments, including the public works department.
Novak said that although she will no longer be a councilwoman come January, she will work with the Democratic Party as a committee woman.
Novak said that clearly the recent situation with various nightclubs in town had something to do with the incumbents losing in the election.
"We were an easy target," said Novak. "It had to affect people."
Sayreville voters also approved implementing an open space tax in the borough on Nov. 7.
The proposal received 6,748 votes for and 3,513 votes against.
Although a final figure on how the tax rate will be affected has not been released, the borough has been exploring a 2-cent tax increase.
If implemented, the tax would be used toward the purchase of property for the preservation of open space.
A 2-cent tax per $100 of assessed value would equal $25 per year for the average homeowner with a home assessed at $177,000.
If a 2-cent tax is implemented, the tax would continue over a 30-year period, resulting in a total of $750 for the average homeowner. A 2-cent tax would equal about $400,000 annually toward open space maintenance and purchase.