Two River Times: Middletown Incumbent Faces Democratic Challenger in Committee Race

 I wanted to post this earlier but time got away from me. In the October 10th edition of the Two River Times appears a Middletown candidate Q&A profile between myself and Tony Perry.

When you read the answers its pretty evident that Perry preferred to supply fluff over substance and resorted to the same old tired scare tactic answers that he and his predecessors have been spewing out for the past 20 years but you can decide for yourself.

The Two River Times reached out to each candidate for their thoughts about the issues facing Middletown residents.

The Two River Times: What motivated you to run for the township committee?

Michael Morris: I am running for a seat on the Middletown Township Committee because I believe Middletown’s government lacks a clear vision for our town’s future. Based on the decisions our elected officials have made on land use and zoning, it is clear the Township Committee is more interested in maintaining the status quo than actually leading. Instead of looking forward to the future and embracing the changing world around us, its members are stuck in the past. They are reactionary as opposed to visionary.

Tony Perry: What motivates me to run is my dedication. Seeing my parents work so hard to put me in a position to succeed, now it’s my turn to put my kids in a position to succeed. As mayor, it’s my job to put every single kid and every single family in a position to succeed, whether you are a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, whether you care about politics or not. Middletown is my priority. It’s my job and my responsibility to create a great place to live, work and raise a family. That’s what I’m going to do every single day. I am never going to stop fighting for Middletown, whether I’m in this job or not.

TRT: What do you think are the most pressing issues in the township? Where would you like to see a change?

Morris: Middletown has an affordability problem. There are few attainable housing options for young people that have grown up here and wish to stay in our community. Young professionals, working-class families and seniors are being priced out of our community.

Since backing out of its COAH (Council on Affordable Housing) responsibilities, the township has been in the pockets of the developers, continuing to approve massive townhouse and condominium complexes that maximize builder profits over community needs under the threat of builders’ remedy lawsuits. These townhouses and condos often cost upward of $800,000 per unit. This leaves many young families nowhere in our community to establish roots of their own.

Perry: It is impossible for every municipality to be able to afford these (builders’ remedy) lawsuits. But Middletown has been very loud on this issue. I have taken a very tough stance that I am not opposed to creating affordable housing. We have our 100% veteran housing project built as we speak. We’ve partnered with Habitat for Humanity, where we have taken properties that Middletown has been able to foreclose on and donate them to Habitat for Humanity… to help residents because government doesn’t have to be the answer to every problem, but it can be the spark. It can be the catalyst to make a better community and a greater, stronger community.Trenton’s constant threat of overdevelopment has got to change eventually....

You can read the rest of the article over at the Two River Times

Patch: Meet Mike Morris, Running For Middletown Township Committee

 The Middletown Patch has posted my Candidate profile, a simple Q&A that consists of several inquiring questions that Middletown residents should find interesting. I'm going to post a snippet of the online publication here and encourage you all to follow the link to finish the article. 

My only gripe (and it's minor) with this article is that regardless of how many times its pointed out that Tony Perry, like myself, is running for a seat on the Township Committee, where if reelected, he can be appointed once again as Mayor. It always seem to come across as if we're both running for Mayor. Middletown does not elect it's own Mayor. The person assuming the mayorship is  appointed to the position by the other four sitting members of the Township Committee... Rant over 😊 

Here is a little bit of what i had to say: 

Give a brief bio on yourself. Age, education, occupation. 

 I’ve lived and raised my family in Middletown for 34 years. I’ve stood up for working-class taxpayers, special-needs families, affordability and transparency in government. Since 2008 my watchdog blog “MiddletownMike” has kept residents informed about township policies, issues and events. I am a proud graduate of Brookdale Community College and have worked in the chemical industry for 30 years. 

Why are you running? 

 Middletown's government lacks a clear vision for our town's future. They rely on outdated strip malls and large developments without a strategy for organic growth. We need better commuting options, including walkability, bike lanes and transit connectivity. But, instead of addressing traffic congestion, the Township Committee keeps building car-dependent communities.

Growth is inevitable, but how we manage it defines our future. We can't grow sustainably without attracting new residents and businesses. Unfortunately, Middletown has an affordability problem: Young professionals, working-class families and seniors are being priced out. There are no more affordable housing options for those that wish to stay in our community. 

The annual reassessment of Township property values has driven massive tax increases for the average homeowner. According to Middletown's CFO, the average property assessment has risen 47 percent over the past five years. That’s great if you're about to sell your home. If not, the tax increases associated with it will put you into the poorhouse! 

Despite higher taxes, we're getting less value. Brush and leaf collection has been reduced, storm clean-up is lacking, our roads and sidewalks are in terrible condition. We can do better! We must commit to fixing our broken streets and sidewalks to promote and restore our walkable neighborhoods. 

Can you pinpoint any failures on the Middletown Township Committee in the past few years — specifically point to things you would have done differently? What do you see are mistakes they've made in running the Township? 

Over the years its been the perception that the Township Committee is more interested in maintaining the status quo than actually leading. Instead of looking forward to the future and embracing the changing world around us, its members look to the antiquated past of days gone by. Instead of living in the 21st century, they look back to the last century and yearn for the days of the 1950s. They are reactionary as opposed to visionary....

You can finish reading on the Middletown Patch