I have been a volunteer municipal official in Howell for a half-century. I have seen Howell grow from a population of 5,000 to 50,000. I have been appointed to boards and commissions by both parties.
It is my opinion the Republican Party has over the years succeeded in pursuing the zoning that has kept the “Lakewood style housing” from expanding into Howell. Republicans have preserved over 900 acres of open space though farmland preservation.
In the area adjacent to Lakewood there has been virtually no development. The Republican Party under the past leadership of John Costigan was instrumental in keeping the “rural character of Howell.”
Our roads are the best maintained in Monmouth County. We have, through the leadership of Robert Walsh, the finest and most beautiful municipal building in the county and perhaps the state. Republican leadership gave us the recreation at Soldier Memorial Park.
Our Shade Tree Commission, Environmental Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustment and Planning Board are made up of the finest and most ethical volunteers in the country. Any developments that have been built for affordable housing were mandatory by the state and not the Howell Republicans.
We have a police department that makes us one of the safest towns in the nation. Our senior program is the best in the county. No municipal government is perfect. Why change good government when it is not broken?
Please don’t play into the prejudice that the Republican Party is planning “Lakewood style development.” It is simply not true. If you are happy with the Howell community you live in and your quality of life, then you should vote Republican.
Paul Schneider
Howell