Letter: Ordinance To Dissolve Middletown Human Rights Commission Was Flawed

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Middletown Township Committee Meeting, November 17, 2014.
Comments by John C. Schwebel:

On March 17, 2014 the Middletown Township Committee approved Ordinance no. 2014-3014, dissolving the Middletown Human Rights Commission, by a 5 - 0 vote.

I pointed out at the time that this was a flawed ordinance. In particular, I urged removal of the following non-sensical clause:

WHEREAS, not only did the Commission fail to perform its statutorily defined duties, it involved itself in matters entirely outside of the jurisdiction of the Township’s governing body, in one instance it was even used to promote a pet food drive for a charity associated with a member of the Commission;

This clause refers to a pet food drive for the Monmouth County SPCA, a joint project of Middletown Township and the Middletown Human Rights Commission and approved by Mayor Brightbill.

Again, I pointed out that it was non-sensical and horrible precedent setting to disallow township involvement with charity drives. This should have been obvious. Yet, all of you voted for it, not questioning the legal flaws in this document.

Let me repeat the offending clause:

, it [the MHRC] involved itself in matters entirely outside of the jurisdiction of the Township’s governing body, in one instance it was even used to promote a pet food drive for a charity associated with a member of the Commission;

Yet you all failed to object to this and mutely voted for it.

And I endeavored to follow your hypocrisy in this matter since you obviously had no intention of disassociating yourself from any charity drive.

Yet, now, Township Committee members, representing the Township have, to quote your approved ordinance: "involved itself in matters entirely outside of the jurisdiction of the Township’s governing body," by supporting the new MCSPCA adoption center in Middletown.

In fact, supporting the same charity, MCSPCA, that caused the Middletown Human Rights Commission to be axed by all of you..

Will you now all step down and dissolve your Township Committee membership?


John Schwebel
Leonardo, NJ