By John Burton
RED BANK – There was a changing of the guard and some new faces in borough government as Republicans took control of the Borough Council for the first time in more than 25 years.
At the Jan. 2 municipal reorganization meeting, Mayor Pasquale Menna offered his vision for the coming year and vowed to work with the new majority.
The two newest members of council, Mark Taylor and Michael Whelan, were sworn in and join their two Republican colleagues and two incumbent Democrats counterparts – ushering in the council’s first Republican majority since 1989.
“Today is a new beginning for Red Bank,” Whelan, 25, proclaimed to the full house in the council council chambers, which included a number of countywide GOP standard-bearers. That list included state Senators Jennifer Beck and Joseph Kyrillos Jr., who administered the oath of office to the two; several of the county freeholders and as well as Monmouth County Sheriff (and county GOP chairman) Shaun Golden.
“I just want to change and improve the town I live in,” Whelan concluded.
Taylor acknowledged his and Whelan’s has been “a relatively crazy journey” campaigning and preparing to take office over the last few months. Now, “We’re just getting started,” on that journey, concluded Taylor, 35, a lifelong borough resident.
That getting started commenced as the council voted to name Republican Cindy Burnham to serve this year as council president. “This is a wonderful day for me,” Burnham said, recalling her time as the lone Republican on the Democratic-controlled council. Now, she insisted, “We’re going to move forward in an efficient and economic fashion.”
The new majority made some changes in key borough appointments, most notably the ousting of Christine Ballard and T&M Associates as borough engineers. According to Menna, T&M has had the borough’s engineering business since the first year of the last Republican administration, under Mayor Michael Arnone, in the early 1980s.
Taking T&M’s place will be Bill White and Maser Consulting, Red Bank.
The new borough attorney is Jean Cipriani with the Toms River law firm Gilmore and Monahan. That firm’s partner, George Gilmore is the Ocean County Republican Committee chairman.
Cipriani replaces Daniel J. O’Hern Jr., who represented the borough since 2011 and is the lone Democrat on the Little Silver Borough Council and the son of the late Daniel J. O’Hern, a former Red Bank mayor and state Superior Court justice.
Also replaced was longtime borough auditor David Kaplan, replaced by Robert Allison, with Holman, Frenia, Allison, a Freehold accounting firm.
On the other hand, the council re-appointed veteran administrator Stanley J. Sickels, who will also continue to serve as qualified purchasing agent, fire marshal, community development representative and municipal housing liaison, and is joined by much of the returning administrative staff.
Another familiar name to be returning is William Himelman, who was reappointed as Municipal Court judge for another three-year term. Himelman is the longest serving Municipal Court judge in the state and given he’s retired, receives just $15,000 a year for the position, according to Menna. “He’s a benefit for the people of Red Bank,” the mayor said. “We get him for a bargain.”
“We will all be working together,” said Councilwoman Kathy Horgan, offering her cooperation for the community’s benefit.
“It’s a lot of work,” she added. “So, we have to get started.”
Menna pointed out that among the elected dignitaries on hand were state Assembly members-elect Joann Downey and Eric Houghtaling, both Democrats, who will be representing the 11th Legislative District, which includes Red Bank.
Menna noted “It’s so wonderful to have someone who has served in a municipality,” in the Assembly, referring to Houghtaling, who had served on the Neptune Township Committee.
The past year was one of “accomplishment and change,” Menna told the audience. He noted the balanced municipal budget that had a flat tax rate as one such accomplishment. And that, he continued, “In 2016 we are in better shape than we’ve ever been.” Contributing to that was officials consolidating debt, which resulted in a $300,000 savings.
“We’ve had challenges, obviously,” he acknowledged. Menna ticked off such issues as the contentious Marine Park redevelopment proposals and the ongoing issue faced by such a high percentage of tax exempt properties.
But, “I’m extremely excited,” about the prospect of working with the council’s young members, hoping to invigorate the community and move forward, he said.
The community has to maximize its cultural resources to appeal to visitors, as well as embrace the medical industry, with the borough home to the area’s major medical center, which are sources of employment and make the community a destination.
Menna will again investigate a redevelopment of the borough’s White Street municipal parking lot property in hopes of sparking interest in a public/private partnership to construct a parking facility. “I think we have to look at all possibilities,” he said.
Investigating recreational possibilities for the riverfront will be another priority for him, asking for requests for proposals for Marine Park.
Another issue looming, “the biggest elephant in the room,” as Menna called it, is the controversial plan to expand the Red Bank Charter School over the objections of the public school district. Menna is calling for a blue ribbon panel to investigate the proposal to remain informed of the options as state education officials consider the proposals.
“There is so much going on,” and much to look forward to, the mayor said.
