By Sunayana Prabhu
MIDDLETOWN – Republican incumbent township committee member Tony Perry, currently the town’s mayor, will face Democratic challenger Michael Morris in the Nov. 5 general election. It would be a breakthrough for Democrats if Morris wins the one open seat on the township’s all-Republican, five-member governing body.
Perry joined the Middletown Township Committee in 2017 and was re-elected in November 2021; 2024 marks his sixth consecutive year as mayor, a position chosen by the township committee from its members during the reorganization meeting each January. The five members of the committee are elected to staggered three-year terms; Perry’s is the only seat open this year.
Perry is challenged by Democratic candidate Morris who has lived in Middletown for 34 years and has run the blog MiddletownMike since 2008. In it, he spotlights township policies for the public. Morris is a graduate of Brookdale Community College and has worked in the chemical industry for 30 years.
The Two River Times reached out to each candidate for their thoughts about the issues facing Middletown residents.
Answers have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
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.
Instead of building townhouses and condos, I would like to see new rental complexes built along with affordable single-family homes in well-kept new neighborhoods.
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.
I also think… a first priority has to be the safety and security of residents and the tax scale system that has put residents in Middletown and residents across New Jersey at risk… I’m going to stand up for the safety of my residents because that’s what they have elected me to do. And I think every candidate should put their name on the bottom line and say that they’re going to put the safety and security of their residents first. Right after the Uvalde (Texas) school shooting, Middletown Township Committee and the board of education came together and put a Special Class-III police officer in every single one of our schools within three months.
TRT: What would you like to shield from budget cuts in the township?
Morris: I don’t see anything that is in danger of being cut from the township budget. Middletown is flush with tax dollars thanks to the annual property tax assessments that the township now relies on to raise revenue. The annual reassessment of township property values has driven massive tax increases for the average homeowner.
According to Colleen Lapp, Middletown’s CFO, during her April 2024 budget presentation, she was happy to exclaim that the average property assessment has risen 47% over the past five years. That’s great if you’re about to sell your home. But if you plan to stay, the tax increases associated with it will put you into the poorhouse.
The township should be investing this revenue in the township’s infrastructure. They should return twice-yearly brush and leaf collection, and support the residents on the flood-prone side of town with better assistance with storm cleanup.
Our township officials should especially focus on repaving our main roads and neighborhood streets. I believe that the installation of sidewalks in the many areas where there are none should be a priority. The township is building a veterans home along Leonardville Road where there are no sidewalks and only a ragged, dirty shoulder. This is what I mean by a lack of vision. These veterans and the neighborhood in general deserve a tidy, well-lit road with sidewalks. Instead, Tony Perry and members of the township committee have endorsed a plan that will strand our veterans on an island of broken asphalt. They deserve better.
Perry: Middletown is in good position from a financial perspective. We have ensured that if an economic downturn impacts the town,… with proper financial planning, we have been able to create a surplus fund that would protect the taxpayers of Middletown as well as our business owners. We do not blow out our budgets every single year. We do not spend every dollar that we have. We are constantly looking at ensuring that health insurance costs remain as low impact as possible, that all the projects that we do, do not impact the bond, and that needs leadership. A lot of credit goes to our CFO Colleen Lapp, who does an unbelievable job every single year, from an operating budget perspective and from a capital budget perspective.
We could be budgeting and bonding for millions and millions and millions of more dollars every single year. Is that the right thing to do? The answer is no. You have to put yourself in a position where, if the worst occurs, will you be able to continue to provide the residents of the town with the basic necessities that you’re providing them now? And that is yes, but in the event of an economic downturn… you would never want to cut back on your police, you want to ensure public safety is always No. 1.
Preserving open space and investing in our part continues to be, would be an absolute priority for me, and I think for anyone else.
TRT: What do you like about living in Middletown?
Morris: Even though Middletown is the largest municipality in Monmouth County with over 67,000 residents, it maintains a small-town vibe. Families are active in local events and it’s a great place if you value community involvement.
Middletown is literally in the middle of everything. Its proximity to the hustle of New York City and the calm of the Jersey Shore is extraordinary. You can commute to the city in about an hour or hit the local beaches in under 20 minutes. Middletown offers plenty of green space and recreational opportunities. From the Henry Hudson trail to the many hiking trails throughout our local parks to the waterfront views of Bayshore Waterfront Park or Sandy Hook’s Gateway National Park, Middletown has something for everyone.
Also, the historic nature of Middletown is amazing, having celebrated its 350th birthday a few years back and now getting ready to celebrate our country’s 250th birthday!
Perry: Middletown is the definition of the Crossroads of America. We have people that live here their entire lives. We have people that came here because they wanted to provide their kids with a better place to grow up than they did because of what we’ve stood for. Middletown is a town of leaders, a town of dedicated volunteers, volunteer firefighters, volunteer EMS, people dedicated to a greater cause, and that’s being part of a town that defines what America is… good, hard-working people that just want to provide their family with a great place to live and raise a family. And I think from our parks to our beaches to our small businesses, how could you not fall in love with Middletown?
I love living in Middletown because I’m surrounded by great people, people who are willing to work hard, people who are willing and share the same values that I have of a town that is willing to take care of itself.
For 360 years, Middletown has stood strong through every single adversity, through every single issue, triumph, victory, defeat. Middletown has stood the test of time. I’ve said it a few times that perseverance is the heartbeat of Middletown.
The article originally appeared in the October 10 – October 16, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
