Middletown Committee Ready To Replace Steve Massell Tonight With Scharfenberger Son-in-Law

At tonight's meeting of the Middeltown Township Committee, the long anticipated replacement for Steve Massell will be appointed to finish his unexpired term.

For those not familiar, Committeeman Steve Massell, a realtor by profession, accepted an appointment  as a Commissioner of the Monmouth County Tax Board a few months back, but didn't officially resign from the Township Committee until last month. His new job is a paid position and reeks of patronage and cronyism.


The Middletown Republican Executive Committee presented the names of Patricia Snell, Anthony (Tony) Perry and Chris Aveta to the Township Committee, for consideration to replace Steve Massell, at the meeting tonight.

Who are these people you ask?

Not much is known about Patricia Snell other than she is a local realtor who seems to be relatively new to Middletown. Voting records indicated that she's only lived in town since 2012.

People familiar with the Middletown Board of Education, will recognize the name of Chris Aveta. Aveta is a longtime friend of Tony Fiore and both moved from Carteret to Middletown around the same time. He served 1 term on the board of education before being voted off by residents. He then spent the next two election cycles trying to get reelected to no avail. He was seen by many to be divisive and counterproductive. He wasn't an advocate for the students, rather he was a proponent for cutting the school budget under the mantra of "taxpayers" first. Sound familiar?

Anthony Perry's  claim to fame according to his LinkedIn profile is that he is currently the Chief of Staff  of State Senator Joe Kyrillos as well as being a member of the Middletown Planning Board. Not listed on LinkedIn, but I believe it's so, he is also a member of the Middletown Library Board.

What I see however, as Tony Perry's biggest accomplishment and advantage that makes him the front runner in replacing Steve Massell as a member of the Township Committee, is that he married Gerry Scharfenberger's daughter! That's right, he is the son-in-law of current mayor, Gerry Scharfenberger.  
Talk about cronyism with a sprinkle of nepotism thrown in. It's truly outrageous. Should Scharfenberger to even vote on this? Isn't it a conflict he should abstain from? Seems a bit unethical if he doesn't.

It just goes to show you that the Republicans in Middletown have been unchecked and in charge for far too long here in town. To even consider this, is to spit in the face of residents and shows that they feel entitled to do whatever they want whenever they wish to do it.

Out of the three choices, I vote for Patricia Snell. Sometimes the less we know about a person the better.


Here is the Agenda for tonight's meeting.

Monmouth County Democrats Endorse Middletown's Phil Murphy For Governor

For Immediate Release:
October 7, 2016

HAZLET - Today, Over 120 Monmouth County Democratic Party Leaders, Mayors & Councilmembers have formally endorsed Former Ambassador and Middletown Resident Phil Murphy for Governor in 2017

Phil Murphy

"Upon consultation with State Democratic Committee Chairman John Currie and our mayors and municipal leaders, we are proud to endorse and give our full support to Monmouth County's own, Phil Murphy, for the 2017 Democratic Nomination for Governor. Since starting his campaign a few months ago, he won over person after person through his progressive ideals and affable personality. He will make an outstanding Democratic Nominee and I look forward to working very hard to see that he is elected Governor of the State of New Jersey in November of 2017," stated Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal

"This is a great day for Monmouth County. Phil Murphy is progressive visionary and he will make a great governor for New Jersey. So many volunteers and supporters helped to get us to this position today," stated Monmouth County Murphy for Governor Coordinator Mike Beson

“Phil is more than just a constituent of mine, but a true leader in our community and a good friend, and I am happy to give him my endorsement,” said Pallone. “I know he shares my commitment to growing clean energy alternatives and protecting our environment, ensuring access to quality health care for all residents, and focusing on rebuilding our infrastructure and economy. He doesn’t shy away from challenges or accept the easy way out, and our next governor must be someone who will serve honestly and with an eye to what is best for the next generation. That’s why Phil has my support," stated U.S. Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr.

“After much discussion with Phil, I’m confident that his vision for New Jersey will provide even more opportunity for us to further the cost saving and job creating measures we have undertaken locally over the past years. Taxpayers in Marlboro, and across the state, will benefit from the fresh new perspective and strong, inclusive, leadership Phil Murphy will bring to the Governor’s Office and I look forward to working with him as our next governor," stated Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik

"We are proud to support Monmouth County's own Phil Murphy for Governor in 2017. It is clear that new leadership is needed after eight years of Chris Christie mismanagement of the state's finances and budget and we are excited to work hard to elect Ambassador Murphy as the next Governor. He has the skillsets we need to move New Jersey forward," stated Assemblymembers Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey

Below is a full list of the 120 leaders who are endorsing today...

Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal
Monmouth County Democratic Vice-Chairwoman Mary Foster
Monmouth County Democrats Treasurer David Brown

United States Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Long Branch)
State Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling (D-Neptune)
State Assemblywoman Joann Downey (D-Freehold Township)
Former Monmouth County Freeholder John D'Amico
Former Monmouth County Freeholder Amy Mallet
Former Monmouth County Surrogate Patricia Bennett

Unanimous Endorsement from the Middletown Democrats - Ambassador Murphy's Hometown
Don Watson - Middletown Democratic Chairman
Roxanne Judice - Secretary
Mary Foster - Corresponding Secretary
Mary Jo Fabiano - Candidate & Executive Committee member
Ralph Borgess - Candidate & Executive Committee member
Mike Morris - Executive Committee member
Marilyn Maguire - Executive Committee member
Paul Jansen - Executive Committee member
Mike DiCicco - Campaign Treasurer

2016 County-Wide Candidates
Jeff Cantor, Vincent Solomeno, Matt Doherty & Sue Fulton

MAYORS
Aberdeen Mayor Fred Tagliarini
Asbury Park Mayor John Moor
Atlantic Highlands Mayor Randi LeGrice
Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty
Lake Como Mayor Brian Wilton
Loch Arbour Mayor Paul Fernicola
Manasquan Mayor Ed Donovan
Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik
Matawan Mayor Joe Altomonte
Neptune Mayor Kevin McMillan
Ocean Twp. Mayor Chris Siciliano
Oceanport Mayor Jay Coffey
Red Bank Mayor Pat Menna
Roosevelt Mayor Jeff Ellentuck
Spring Lake Heights Mayor Tom O'Brien

MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS
Aberdeen Councilman Robert Swindle
Aberdeen Councilman Arthur Hirsch
Aberdeen Councilman Joseph Martucci
Aberdeen Councilwoman Margaret Montone
Aberdeen Councilman Greg Cannon
Aberdeen Councilwoman Connie Kelly
Allentown Council President William Borkowski
Allentown Councilman Rob Schmidt
Asbury Park Councilwoman Yvonne Clayton
Atlantic Highlands Council President Roy Dellosso
Atlantic Highlands Councilman Chuck Lero
Belmar Councilwoman Janis Blackburn
Belmar Council President Brian McGovern
Belmar Councilwoman Jennifer Nicolay
Belmar Councilman Tom Brennan
Fair Haven Councilman Aimee Humphries
Freehold Borough Councilman Kevin Kane
Freehold Borough Councilman George Schnurr
Hazlet Township Committeeman James DiNardo
Hazlet Township Committeewoman Barbara Ronchetti
Keyport Councilman Matt Goode
Keyport Council President Joe Sheridan
Keyport Councilwoman Sophia Lamberson
Keyport Councilman Isaiah Cooper
Lake Como Councilman Michael Noonan
Lake Como Councilwoman Hawley Scull
Lake Como Councilman Doug Witte
Manalapan Township Committeeman David Kane
Manasquan Councilman Michael Mangan
Matawan Councilman Mike Vergaretti
Matawan Councilman Nick Reeve
Marlboro Councilman Jeff Cantor
Marlboro Councilwoman Carol Mazola
Marlboro Councilman Scott Metzger
Marlboro Councilwoman Randi Marder
Marlboro Councilman Mike Scalea
Neptune Deputy Mayor Dr. Michael Brantley
Neptune Township Committeeman Nick Williams
Neptune Township Committeewoman Carol Rizzo
Neptune Township Committeeman Robert Lane
Ocean Township Deputy Mayor William Garofalo
Red Bank Councilwoman Kathy Horgan
Red Bank Councilman Ed Zipprich
Roosevelt Councilwoman Peggy Malkin
Sea Bright Councilman Marc Leckstein
Sea Bright Councilman Charles Rooney
Shrewsbury Township Committeeman Ed Nolan
Spring Lake Heights Councilman Art Herner
Spring Lake Heights Councilman Tom Vorbach
Union Beach Councilman Tim Perrella
Union Beach Councilman Jeff Williams

MUNICIPAL CHAIRS
Aberdeen Democratic Chairman Greg Cannon
Allentown Democratic Co-Chairs Alice Lloyd and Rob Schmidt
Asbury Park Democratic Chair Joe Grillo
Atlantic Highlands Democratic Chairman Chair Regina Hawley-Keelen
Avon-By-The-Seat Democratic Chairwoman Patricia Sheehan
Belmar Democratic Chairwoman Claire Deicke
Brielle Democratic Chairman John Pirnat
Bradley Beach Democratic Chair Steve Lozowick
Eatontown Democratic Chairman Bill Robinson
Farmingdale Democratic Chair Beau Byrtus
Freehold Borough Democratic Chair Kevin Kane
Freehold Township Democratic Chair Haven Franklin
Hazlet Democratic Chair Audrey Tyler
Highlands Democratic Chair Chris Francy
Holmdel Democratic Chair Larry Luttrell
Howell Democratic Chairman John McCabe
Interlaken Democratic Chairman Bob Napoli
Keyport Democratic Chairwoman Joy Johnson
Loch Arbour Democratic Chairman Paul Fernicola
Manalapan Democratic Chairman David Kane
Manasquan Democratic Chairman Michael Mangan
Marlboro Democratic Chair Lynn Franco
Matawan Democratic Chair Joe Altomonte
Middletown Democratic Chairman Don Watson
Neptune Township Democratic Chairman Jim Mowczan
Ocean Township Democratic Chairman Don Yacavone
Oceanport Democratic Chairman Mike Sikand
Red Bank Democratic Chairman Ed Zipprich
Roosevelt Democratic Chairwoman Peggy Malkin
Rumson Democratic Chairman Michael Steinhorn
Sea Girt Democratic Chair Altha Morton
Sea Bright Democratic Chairman Marc Leckstein
Shrewsbury Borough Democratic Chairwoman Norma Rosenbloom
Shrewsbury Township Democratic Chairman Ed Nolan
Spring Lake Heights Democratic Chairwoman Eileen Eilenberger
Tinton Falls Democratic Chairman Sam Loffredo
Union Beach Democratic Chairmann Ken Connors
Wall Township Democratic Chairman Eric Brophy

Letter: Military Toxic Waste In Middletown

The expressed opinions or views of this letter does not necessarily represent the opinion of the MiddletownMike blog:

Dear Editor,

The Department of Defense is America’s biggest polluter.

It is known that locations such as the now-closed Fort Monmouth and it's earlier shuttered Camp Evans contain some levels toxic waste from military projects of the past, when record keeping and safety protocols were much different than today. So far, nothing located has been deemed in excess of “safe” levels.

But as these locations begin to be further adapted to civilian use, it is important we have a full picture of what contaminants are actually there.

Independent contractors should be hired by the State of New Jersey to locate any previously unknown chemical or radiological materials present at these locations, to protect the public from potential exposure to unknown contaminants.

Still active military locations such as the Naval Weapons Station Earle and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst should be prioritized for contaminant identification and environmental remediation, to protect both the safety of the civilian public and military families.

The people of Middletown, Colts Neck, Tinton Falls and Lakehurst should begin asking more questions of their active military neighbor's environmental practices.



Eric Hafner
Toms River

Mtown Newsflash: Disaster Relief Fund to Distribute Gift Cards to Sandy Victims

The Middletown Disaster Relief Fund, an independent non-profit organization, has received a donation of $100 Target Gift Cards to distribute to residents of North Middletown, Port Monmouth, Belford and Leonardo affected by Superstorm Sandy.

Recipients must pre-registered by noon on Tuesday, January 8th to qualify. Residents registered with the Citizen Communication Center for alerts simply need to log in and join the User Group ‘Sandy Relief’. New registrants can select the User Group ‘Sandy Relief’ as part the registration form.

Gift cards will ONLY be distributed by the Middletown Disaster Relief Fund from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm on Sunday, January 13th at the Middletown Arts Center, located at 36 Church Street next to the train Station. Proof of address will be required. Walk-ins will not be accepted.

Again, you must register by Tuesday, January 8th by noon to qualify. Limit 1 gift card per household. Supplies are limited. For additional information, contact the Mayor’s Office at 732-615-2024.

• Citizen Communications Center Login (Join User Group Sandy Relief)
• Middletown Disaster Relief Fund (501c3 Non-profit organziation)

FRACKING WASTE BAN PASSES THE STATE ASSEMBLY, SENATE VOTES ON MONDAY

by guest blogger Linda Baum

If you’ve been following the progress of bills A575/S253, which ban the treatment, storage, disposal and discharge of fracking waste in New Jersey, you may have heard that just last week the State Assembly passed the fracking waste ban by a huge margin – the vote was 56 yes and 19 no, with 4 not voting. 

Thanks to all of you who called or emailed your legislators to ask them to support the bill.  I’m told that the number of calls and emails from residents in legislative district 13 – Middletown and surrounding parts of Monmouth County – outnumbered those from other districts by 2 to 1.  So kudos to you all.

Supporters of the bill are hoping for a strong showing in the State Senate as well.  The Senate vote is scheduled for this Monday, 6/25.  

So if you haven’t already, please call or send an email to your State Senator asking him or her to pass the fracking waste ban.  You can find senators' names and phone numbers by town here:  http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/municipalities.asp.  The following link can be used to generate an email:    http://bit.ly/PassNJFrackWasteBan

Thank you for your activism.

A Good Night for the Democrats; The Dems pick up one seat in the Assembly, while the Republicans lose all key races, despite Christie's campaigning

While it wasn't such a good night for being a Democrat in Middletown or a candidate for state office in Monmouth County, Democrats did increase their majorities in Trenton and a consolidation vote between two Princeton towns to merge into one municipality to save on property taxes is looked at as an anomaly rather than the next wave of the future as many would hope for.

NJspotlight has a pretty good wrap up of last nights events worth reading today:

Despite tough, nasty contests in a few races and more than $25 million spent, very little changed in the New Jersey legislature on election night. The Democrats gained one seat in the Assembly and still control both legislative houses. The Republicans lost all the key races that they targeted and where Gov. Chris Christie campaigned.

In the most hotly contested races, Democratic incumbents James Whelan in South Jersey’s 2nd District and Robert Gordon in North Jersey’s 38th won by relatively comfortable margins.

And Richard Codey, the incumbent Democratic senator in the 27th, prevailed. Some had predicted he would run into trouble given that redistricting had shifted several Morris County municipalities into his home territory.

The Democrats also picked up one Assembly seat in the 4th.

Two ballot questions, one statewide and one local, also won.

About two-thirds of New Jersey voters approved the one question on the ballot: to allow sports betting in New Jersey should Congress give other states besides the four already approved the OK at a future date. And voters in Princeton and Princeton Township also approved a momentous merger question. It would be the first time in more than half a century that two New Jersey communities of any real size agreed to merge.

Democrats gloated over the gain of one Assembly seat.

“Chris Christie is all coat and no tail,” proclaimed John Wisniewski, chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee and an Assemblyman, to cheering crowds at the Bergen County Democrats’ celebration. "Chris Christie kept saying if he didn't lose any seats, this would be an historic election for Republicans. Well, there's one more Democrat going to Trenton."

Christie tried to set low expectations for the Republicans’ chances, saying governors almost always lose seats in midterm elections.

Ben Dworkin, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, said the circumstances this year were vastly different.

“It is a very disappointing night for Gov. Christie,” said Dworkin, adding the GOP should have gained as many as six seats. “He outraised the Democrats by millions of dollars. He put his high approval rating and his personal reputation on the line by going on network television in New York and Philadelphia. And in the end, he wasn't able to even keep the status quo in the legislature, much less win the several seats that Republicans might have expected given his efforts.”

When the state legislative seats top the ballot, turnout in New Jersey’s midterm elections is notoriously low. In 2007, the last time the Senate led the ballot, 32 percent of voters turned out statewide. Most counties reported voter turnout hovering between 20 and 30 percent -- Cape May had a high of 38 percent -- despite a beautifully warm, sunny day.

Although most voters don’t see these races as important, the stakes were high.

With a 24-16 majority in the Senate, the Democrats went into the night only three seats shy of a veto-proof majority in the upper house. They needed those 27 votes back in July when they sought to override Gov. Chris Christie’s line-item vetoes of more than a dozen spending items cut from the state budget. They didn’t think that would happen and, at least, defended all their seats.

However, if the Republicans could pick up five seats, a scenario most saw as unlikely, they would give Christie at least one house to help advance his agenda.

Continue reading ... Here

Mtown News Flash 10-7-11

Meet the Mayor Nights
Middletown Mayor Anthony P. Fiore will host Meet the Mayor nights at the Middletown Library, 55 New Monmouth Road, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm October 17th, October 24th and November 7th . Residents are invited to stop by to discuss issues related to Township government. Meet the Mayor nights replace regularly scheduled office hours at Town Hall on these dates. Residents can also reach the Mayor by calling his office at 732-615-2024 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.


Health Department Moved to Croydon Hall
The Health Department has been temporarily relocated to Croydon Hall, 900 Leonardville Road in Leonardo until further notice. This includes Animal Control, Social Services and Vital Statistics.

Croydon Hall, 900 Leonardville Road, Leonardo, NJ 07737
Phone: 732-615-2095 |Fax: 732-671-8697 | Contact Us
Office Hours - 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.



Flood Mitigation Assistance Funding Available
As a result of Hurricane Irene, federal funding assistance is available to mitigate flood hazards and reduce future losses. Residents interested in applying for a matching grant to fund flood mitigation projects such as house elevation, should contact Middletown Emergency Management by Thursday, October 13 at 732-615-2129.

Fall Recreation Class Registration
The Middletown Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department is currently accepting registration for youth and adult classes offered this fall. Adult classes include computers, karate and volleyball. Youth classes include Computer Explorers, ceramics, bowling and gymnastics. Registrations are accepted on-line, by mail and at the Parks and Recreation Office, 900 Leonardville Road, Leonardo. Call 732-615-2260 for details. Online Registration


DISASTER RECOVERY CENTERS CLOSED FOR COLUMBUS DAY
Officials at the FEMA/State Joint Field Office announced that the Disaster Recovery Centers in New Jersey will be closed for Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 10. They will re-open on Tuesday, Oct. 11 and resume normal hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Assistance is available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. by calling the Helpline, 800-621-3362. Anyone affected by the disaster may register for assistance by calling FEMA's toll-free registration line at 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA). Those with access or functional needs and who use a TTY, call 800-462-7585. Video Relay Service and 711 are also available by calling 800-621-3362. Hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Multilingual operators are available. Register anytime online at www.fema.gov or m.fema.gov. Residents can find the DRC closest to them online at: http://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm. The deadline to register is Oct. 31.


TV programming
October programming includes the Middletown Arts Center Talent Showcase and Reaching Out to Prevent Subsistence Abuse. The station is viewable on Comcast Cable Channel 20 and Verizon Fios 26.

• About the TV Station
• Program Schedule

In between programs catch on local news and events by viewing Community Bulletin. Don't have Comcast or Verizon. View the bulletin board online!

Community Bulletin Board

Written Comments on Oceanic Bridge Accepted Through 10/26
If you missed the chance to voice your concerns about the Oceanic Bridge at recent public information meetings held in Rumson and Middletown, you can still do so in writing. The Monmouth County Department of Public Works and Engineering has created and posted a form online that you can download and use to submit your written comments.

The public meetings were held to discuss the replacement alternatives of the Oceanic Bridge over the Navesink River between Rumson and Middletown, in accordance with federal and state regulations. The public is encouraged to voice their opinions on their preferred bridge replacement alternative. All written public comments will be included in the submission to the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. The forms, as well as the materials presented at the public information meetings, are posted on the Monmouth County website via this link.

Written comments will be accepted through Wednesday, October 26, 2011. Comments may be mailed or faxed to: Monmouth County Engineering, 1 East Main Street, P.O. Box 1255, Freehold, NJ 07728, Attn: Inkyung Englehart, Fax: 732-431-7765

Disaster Food Assistance For Storm-Impacted Families

Monmouth County to begin taking applications on Sept. 12

FREEHOLD, NJ – On Monday, Sept. 12, Monmouth County will open four locations where residents can apply for a Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefit if they experienced extensive material losses due to Hurricane Irene or subsequent flooding.

“Hurricane Irene and the flooding in her aftermath have negatively impacted many of our residents,” Freeholder Amy A. Mallet said. “The D-SNAP and supplemental benefits programs are ways to help families now so that they can recover from the devastating effects of the storm.”

D-SNAP is a one-time food assistance benefits that can be used only for the purchase of certain food items. Individual and families not currently receiving SNAP benefits and whose storm-related expenses include damages beyond the loss of food due to power outages may be eligible.

Monmouth County will process D-SNAP subsidy applications from Sept. 12 to Sept. 20 at temporary sites in Middletown and Asbury Park in addition to the county’s two Social Service Offices. The locations are:

- Monmouth County Division of Social Services, 3000 Kozloski Rd., Freehold
Monday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

- Monmouth County Division of Social Services, 2405 Rt. 66, Ocean Township
Monday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

- Croydon Hall, 900 Leonardville Rd., Middletown
Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

- Asbury Park Municipal Building, Council Chambers, Bangs Avenue entrance, Asbury Park, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Residents are encouraged to apply at any one of the sites according to the first letter of their last name. The schedule is as follows:

Monday, Sept. 12 A –B
Tuesday, Sept. 13 C- F
Wednesday, Sept. 14 G- K
Thursday, Sept. 15 L- M
Friday, Sept. 16 N- R
Monday, Sept. 19 S- T
Tuesday, Sept. 20 U- Z

The application process will ease requirements around documents necessary to apply for D-SNAP and will weigh disaster-related expenses when considering eligibility. There is an income test that includes liquid financial resources such as checking and saving accounts. Benefits are electronically applied to a card similar to a debit/credit card for the purchase of certain food items.

Individuals and families currently not receiving SNAP benefits and whose storm-related expenses include damages beyond the loss of food due to power outages may be eligible.

The state Department of Human Services’ Division of Family Development, which administers SNAP through the counties, is coordinating these processes with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services.

Residents also should be sure to register for FEMA assistance at www.recoveryassistance.gov and to check www.nj211.org for valuable disaster-related information. including how to: acquire clean-up kits; schedule home inspections, and; exercise renters rights.

Possible suitor for Avaya? Monmouth Girls Academy Said To Be Interested

There has been talk recently that there maybe a commercial buyer interested in purchasing the controversial AVAYA site and redeveloping the property into something other than a high density housing project which would consist of 342 units.

In order to deflect residents anger away from the proposed housing project at AVAYA, members of the Township Committee have been floating rumors and innuendo to Lincroft citizens groups like SONIC and the Lincroft Village Green Association about a potential commercial buyer of the property, but they have been mum on details and wont elaborate.

Earlier today I was forwarded an email that I thought would be of interest to some in Lincroft. The email (posted below minus contact information, I can forward if interested) details a plan that would have the Monmouth Girls Academy purchasing the property and turning it into an all girls school similar to that of Christian Brothers Academy, which is also located in Lincroft:

Hi all,

You may have heard the facts by now but here is a summary for the proposed school:

• Yes - they ARE serious about this!! The feasibility study is being funded by local parents who seem quite determined to make this happen.
• The school would be accredited by the Middle States Association and Colleges.
• The school will be somewhere in Lincroft - they have already checked out the Avaya property.
• Tuition would be comparable to CBA - currently $13,000. Academics and curriculum would be comparable to CBA.
• Like CBA - the school would NOT be a part of the Diocese of Trenton.
• Target enrollment would be 500-600 girls.
• Target freshman class - Sept 2013 a bit aggressive but they are hopeful:)!
• They currently have a Steering Committee in place with various local Educators and professionals.
• They also have a Founders Committee in place to raise funds if the study has a positive outcome.
• Meitler Consultants hopes to complete the study by October 2011.
• This is the first Phase in the process.

How can you help? Go to the website www.monmouthgirlsacademy.org and register so they can get an idea of just how many parents are truly interested in the school.

Also - please forward to anyone you think would be interested. I did not use any group e-mail lists so as to not abuse the system.

On the surface, I don't think this is a viable plan. There is just too much involved to make this happen and at a cost that would easily exceed millions of dollars. First off the building is very large and sits on partial wetlands building an active campus for students would seem almost impossible at that site. But stranger things have happened.

We'll just have to see how it plays out.

In many N.J. towns that undergo revaluations, homeowners end up paying more open space taxes

The second NJ.com editorial that caught my eye today was about how NJ open space taxes are effected when municipalities undergo revaluations like Middletown has. Open space taxes are tied into property values and increase proportionally to the value of a property after a revaluation.

I remember during last year's budget introduction meeting in Middletown, a gentleman brought up this issue and wanted the Township to adjust the rate downward to offset the 14% tax increase which was contained in the budget. I believe his request fell on death ears and nothing was done to make adjustments to the open space tax:

In the nation's most densely populated state, Garden State residents value their space.

But they may not be so thrilled about what they are paying for it. The reason is a tiny municipal tax for open space — pennies per $100 of a home's valuation — that, left unchecked, has added up to big bucks in some towns.

The result is homeowners in 50 New Jersey towns have paid out some $15 million more to preserve land, farms and historic and recreational sites than they had in previous years. In one town last year, the tax bills jumped by more than $150 for some homeowners.

The quirk comes into play when towns conduct revaluations. The problem is towns — which make adjustments to prevent other slices of the tax pie from skyrocketing — fail to do the same for the open space tax. Because that tax's rate is tied to property values, the levy goes up when properties appreciate.

The longer a town goes between revaluations, the more homes are worth and the bigger the bite taken by the open space tax. Last year, for example:

• In Roseland, which underwent a revaluation for the first time since the Nixon administration, the average property assessment climbed 651 percent. That jacked up the open space tax from roughly $25 to nearly $200 for the owner of a home assessed at the borough's average of about $481,000. The Essex County town's open space tax levy surged from nearly $95,000 to almost $727,000.

• In Brick, what had been an open space levy of more than $471,000 ballooned by 127 percent to more than $1 million after a revaluation in that Ocean County township.

• In Princeton Borough, leaders tried to avoid a tax hike by spending surplus funds and not replacing several departing workers. But the open space rate wasn't adjusted before the Mercer County borough's revaluation, and it raised that part of the average tax bill by $40 from the year before.

"Maybe some people are asleep at the switch," said Ulrich H. Steinberg, a former director of the state Division of Local Government Services, which provides management and fiscal advice to municipalities. "(Officials) may see the numbers, but they may not understand what the numbers mean. They may not be looking out for what the overall impact is on the residents."

Over the last five years, 71 New Jersey towns with open space taxes underwent property revaluations. Nearly three-quarters of them failed to adjust their open space tax rates, leading to a 128 percent increase in their combined levies — a windfall of more than $15.5 million. By contrast, municipal taxes in those towns rose an average of 12 percent....

Read more >>> Here and find out exactly "WHAT IS A MUNICIPAL OPEN-SPACE TAX?"

N.J. municipalities scramble to notify voters on property tax referendum; I wonder if Middletown has plans to hedge it's bet

According to the Star-Ledger, today is the last day that municipalities around the State have to notifiy their votes of the potential to hold a property tax referendum that would enable a municipality to exceed Governor Christie's 2% cap on budgets.

I posted Saturday about how Middletown's Administrator Tony Mercantante and others have stated that they had no intention to exceed the 2% cap and that there would be no referendum needed, especially since Mercantante had no idea how a referendum would work. He stated at the February 16th Library Board meeting that the State Legislature(code word for Democrats) in its bill, provided no guidance or allocated any type of funds to municipalities for the purpose of such an event. So Middletown wasn't going to even consider such a possibility.

Instead of planning for the possiblility of a referendum, Middletown's Mayor Tony Fiore, and others that control the town planned to follow Governor Christie's lead and stay with in a 2% budget increase.

That sounds great in theory but wouldn't be a good idea to hedge your bets and announce a referendum just in case they can't stay with in the cap?

Is the Township Committee really prepared to lay off 10 or more police officers and the whole department of Parks & Recreation if they can not get union consessions during contract talks or if they Library Board refuses to hand over any more reserved funds then they are legally responsible to do, which at this point is in the neighborhood of $250,000?

I guess these questions will be answered at tonight's Township workshop meeting.


TRENTON — New Jersey enters a new era today as voters get to find out if they may be asked next month to raise their property taxes beyond the Christie administration’s new 2 percent limit.

Under the law signed by Gov. Chris Christie last summer, residents will decide if their town or school budget can exceed the 2 percent cap through a referendum on April 27, the same day as school board elections.

Towns and schools were scrambling last week to meet today’s deadline to publish a newspaper ad notifying voters a referendum may be held. As of Sunday, five towns — Plumsted, Mount Holly, Riverdale, North Arlington and Chesilhurst — had placed ads and at least five more towns and two schools planned to, according to groups representing towns and schools....Read more >>> Here

Can Someone From Middletown Call Someone From Brick To find Out How A Special Budget Referendum Is Supposed To Work?

During the February 16th Library Board meeting, someone asked about the possibility of Middletown exceeding the new State mandated 2% cap on budgets and the possibility of placing a budget referendum question on the ballot that would allow voters to authorize exceeding the cap if they thought it was necessary to retain services.

The question was answered by Township Administrator Tony Mercantante and the goon that acts as Township Attorney Brian Neslon. They answered that Middletown had no intention whatsoever in exceed the 2% cap and even if they did there was no mechanism in place that they knew of, that would guide them towards how a special budget referendum would be putting place or carried out.

Mercantante stated something to the fact that, like most of what the law makers in Trenton do, they passed a provision with no guidance on how to carry it out or how to finance it. Mercantante and Nelson were both adamant that Middletown was not going to spend one dime to carry out a special election just so that voters can approve or disapprove a proposed budget, without funding from the State.

Fast forward now to Wednesday when it was reported in the Asbury Park Press that Township of Brick is planning to hold a special budget referendum to exceed the State mandated 2% cap. At stake are the jobs 172 employees that would include 29 police officers and 117 members o the public works department.

Now the article didn't mention when or how the special budget question was going to happen, but it is a good bet that the question will be posted on the ballot of the next set of elections coming up, which would be the school board election in April.

Contrary to popular beliefs in Middletown, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this stuff out. I believe this is why Governor Christie and those in the State Legislature have told municipal leaders that their budgets need to be submitted to the State by mid March, so if there is a need for a special referendum it could be without the need for a special election or any extra costs associated with it.

It would just be nice to get a straight answer out of people that represent Middletown for a change, without it being turned into a big political name calling game.

So can someone from Mercantante's office call down to Brick and ask someone in the Mayor's office down there, the details on how a special election would work to exceed the budget cap if ever needed?

MyFox Video: Farm Tax Breaks for N.J. Celebrities; Middletown's Mercantante Featured

Many NJ residents like Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Max Wienberg and others are taking advantage of huge property tax breaks for having portions of their property designated as farmland. They are being called by many phony farmers, for their attempts at cashing in on the law that states property owners with 5 or more acres can qualify for a special farm land tax break if they can show income of only $500 from goods produced on their lands.

MyFox News posted this report last night and interestingly Middletown's Administrator Tony Mercantante is featured in this report:

...But many say these tax breaks help preserve New Jersey open space and limit development. And Middletown manager Tony Mercantante thinks that can be a good thing.

Merchantante says, "Farming certainly is an activity that the state's been looking to preserve to the extend possible and farmland assessment has allowed farmers to survive."

People in favor or the tax breaks worry that backlash will force a change that hurts real farmers and possible jeopardize agriculture in New Jersey.

But Mercantante says change could occur, and bring more tax money to town's like his, without hurting real farmers.

"I think there should be a sliding scale approach to farmland assessment based upon the extend of your farming activity," Mercantante says.....

I find Mercantante's take on this subject somewhat disingenuous. If he felt this way previously why didn't he speak of it before, could it be because the "Queen of Middletown" is no longer with us? Judy Stanley-Coleman, aka the Queen, also took advantage of this law by raising honeybees on a portion of her large Middletown estate.

Farm Tax Breaks for N.J. Celebrities: MyFoxNY.com

Hat tip goes out to RedBankGreen.com for finding and posting first!

Reassessment On Tonight's Agenda In Middletown

If you’re like me and the many others township residents that I have spoken to, than you also have received your property tax reassessment notification in the mail recently. From what I have determined, Realty Appraisal has been sending out notification of new property assessments to residents over the past two weeks.

As a result of this, part of tonight’s agenda for the Middletown Township Committee meeting will be to discuss the status of the recent reassessment (which I have no doubt has been completed by now).

For those that do not know, Reality Appraisal is the same company the Township paid over $2M to conduct the less than stellar property tax revaluation 2 years ago. This recent attempt at reassessment has cost the taxpayers of Middletown an additional $400K.

So armed with these new assessment figures, I would suspect that the Township Committee will be discussing what the new tax rate should be based on tonight. Or, better yet, I would think that the Township Committee should be producing a budget to present.

If the Committee would present an outline of the budget then a somewhat accurate tax rate can be formulated and taxpayers could be informed of what they need to pay to keep Middletown operating for 2011.

After all, we are 2 months into the year and the Township has already appropriated $25,131,237.13 including the resolution that will be voted on tonight for another $646,709.00 in emergency appropriations.

Monmouth County to repair Compton’s Creek bridge

Just in case some Middletown residents haven't heard about this, I am posting this news brief from the County. This project will impact some of those that live in and around the Port Monmouth section of town and may make it difficult for some to get to the Belford Ferry terminal, depending on how they travel.

MIDDLETOWN, NJ – Work to stabilize the southwestern embankment at Monmouth County’s bridge over Compton’s Creek on Broadway in Port Monmouth is expected to begin Monday, Jan. 31.

Weather permitting, the project is expected to take one week to complete. Vehicle traffic on Broadway and across the bridge should expect to be detoured between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays. There may be occasions where the detours remain in place until 5 p.m. Broadway is expected to be open to traffic each evening.

Specifically, eastbound traffic in Port Monmouth will detour from Main Street to Port Monmouth Road to Church Street and return to Broadway. Conversely, westbound traffic will detour from Broadway to Church Street to Port Monmouth Road to Main Street in Port Monmouth.

“The scheduled repair will stabilize the eroded southwest embankment and correct the undermined edge of the roadway adjacent to the bridge,” County Engineer Joseph Ettore said. “This condition was caused by the tidal influence of Compton’s Creek.”

The embankment will be reestablished to its original limits with suitable backfill and filter fabric. The repairs also will include the construction of about 30 feet of timber retaining wall. Finally, an upgraded guide rail system will be installed in front of the retaining wall repair to provide additional protection to the traveling public.

“These repairs will benefit Middletown residents, commuters, patrons of Bayshore Waterfront Park and other local travelers who have been affected by recent tidal flooding and washouts,” Freeholder John P. Curley said. “Stabilizing the embankment will resolve public safety concerns and restore full access to the county bridge and municipal roadway.”

The work will be performed by the Bridge Division of the Monmouth County Department of Public Works and Engineering.

“The county understands the inconvenience these detours will have on motorists and local residents,” said John W. Tobia, director of the county’s Department of Public Works and Engineering. “Unfortunately, this work cannot be completed without the closure of the bridge and road.”

Is Everyone Ready For Some More Snow ?

... I hope so.

According to the National Weather Service the Middletown area can expect anywhere from 6 - 9 inches of snow Tuesday night into Wednesday afternoon, so I'm hoping that this storm doesn't turn out to be a disaster, like the last storm that hit the area back on December 26th.

Are towns doing anything differently this time around to prepare for the upcoming snow?

Hazlet Township posted on it's newly created Facebook page earlier this afternoon that:

"As of 3:45 PM the Hazlet Township Emergency Operations Center is monitoring a Winter Storm Warning for a weather event capable of producing 6 to 9 inches of snow between 4 Pm Tuesday and noon Wednesday."

Which is good to see because it show that leaders of the town are trying to be proactive by informing residents a head of time what they can expect from the township. Will it have any effect on how well the powers that be respond to the upcoming storm? I don't know but I sure would hope so.

Is Middletown doing anything different this time around to keep residents informed about the coming storm after the fiasco of the last storm? Currently not much, but maybe that will change.

If you look at Middletown's website, they seemed to have overreacted to the possibility of snow over this past weekend when they posted preparation plans for a storm that never was over this past weekend:

"Middletown Township is making preparations for an expected Friday snow storm. New supplies of salt and sand have been delivered to the Public Works Yard with additional tonnage slated for delivery Friday. Road Crews are ready to be activated. Township snow removal equipment has been inspected and readied for service. In the past 24 hours, main roads have pre-treated with salt brine to help prevent snow and ice from bonding to the roads."

Are the same precautions going to be taken again starting late tomorrow afternoon? I should think that the Township would after all the flack that they received from residents that were buried in their homes for days after the Christmas weekend storm, but you never know.

But I would think that the response to this pending storm can only be better because it couldn't keep any worse.

As they say, "you live and you learn".

So here's to hoping that towns in the area have learned for the mistakes of the last storm so that we don't have to live through the same mistakes again.

FYI - Middletown's Committee Meeting Moved To Thursday The 13th This Month

Here's an FYI for anyone who may be interested in attending this month's Township Committee meeting in Middletown this next week.

The regular meeting was scheduled for Monday night January 17th but because of a conflict with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on that date it was moved to the following day, Tuesday 18th.

Now comes word that the meeting has once again been rescheduled.

The next scheduled meeting of the Middletown Township Committee is Thursday of next week, the 13th.

There has been no word as of yet for reason behind the rescheduling. Below is the notice ethat is posted on the Township's website:

01/05/2011
January 18, 2011 Township Committee Meeting Rescheduled to Jan. 13, 2011
Notice is hereby given that an "Open Public Meeting" of the Township Committee of the Township of Middletown is CANCELLED for:

Date: Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Time 7:00 PM Executive Session (Closed to the public)
8:00 PM Regular Meeting (Open to the public)
Place: Main Meeting Room
One Kings Highway
Middletown, NJ 07748

MEETING IS RESCHEDULED TO:

Date: Thursday, January 13, 2011
Time 7:00 PM Executive Session (Closed to the public)
8:00 PM Regular Meeting (Open to the public)
Place: Main Meeting Room
One Kings Highway
Middletown, NJ 07748

Please plan accordingly if you wish to attend.

Letter: Middletown needs to take lessons from county road dept.

The following letter appears in this weeks edition of the Independent. The letter reflects fairly well the frustration that residents felt and may still feel about the clean-up efforts after last weeks massive blizzard that struck the area:

In Middletown, our recent snowstorm was not only a climatic event; it was catastrophic to its citizens. From its inception, this storm paralyzed transportation on Middletown’s roads. The storm started with intensity at approximately 10 a.m. on Sunday; it roared into Monday and stopped at approximately 4 a.m. S ervices in the form of plowing appeared to be nonexistent not only during the storm but after the storm.

On Monday morning, the concept of plowing turned out to be a real mystery. With the exception of the Monmouth County roads, the roads in Middletown were not really plowed. There didn’t even seem to be an attempt to plow a single lane down the middle of the road. I always thought this was done to facilitate the movement of police, ambulance and fire vehicles. I was very concerned; I therefore called the offices of both Public Works and the business administrator. The phones of both these departments were not manned. The phone at public works had a pre-recorded message, which stated that the individual had just stepped away from her desk and I should leave a message. I called the police department and there was an immediate response from a live person. The individual said that they didn’t have anything to do with the roads.

I began to think and I reached back into my memory. I began to recollect that under our form of government it is the business administrator who is responsible for the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Middletown. I made another call to the business administrator’s office, and once again I experienced an unmanned phone. I didn’t think that it would be appropriate to give a civics lesson to a message recorder.

Driving on Middletown’s roads has been a real challenge. It may be related to shake, rattle and maybe roll.

Middletown needs to take lessons from the Monmouth County Road Department. The work done by this department can be described as nothing less than excellent.

Middletown needs to learn how to plan, manage, deploy, schedule and implement the skills of its workers. They are a great group of guys. They should have the opportunity to do a great job.

P.S. I can’t wait for the next snowstorm. I’m thinking about purchasing a snowmobile.

Preston Gillam
Belford section of
Middletown

The Underlying Common Thread

Can anyone pin-point the underlying common thread that runs between the last three blog postings?

I am not looking for the obvious Chris Christie references on a national TV program or the demise of the middle-class at the hands of the GOP.

I'm looking for a much more local common thread, the one that effects residents in Middletown and the surrounding area more closely than whether or not Christie has national ambitions.

If you have any thoughts about it send me your comments, I'll post them, then I will give you what I perceive is the common thread between the last three postings.

What Else Did Our Outgoing Mayor Have To Say Yesterday?

So what else did Gerry Scharfenberger have to say yesterday at the Township's reorganization meeting? Well, in typical Scharfenberger style he patted himself on the back for a the great job that he did as mayor as the Town faced enormous challenges brought on by the state of the economy and ongoing recession.

He also took time to kiss the ass of his benefactor, Governor Chris Christie, who appointed him to the position of Director for the Office Planning Advocacy back in August, by making sure that everyone in the room know that Christie is the greatest gift to Middletown since the appearance of sliced bread.

There is more if you want to hear it for yourself, the audio clip runs about 7 minutes and includes everything I mentioned above and then some.