Chairman's Message

The election in Middletown in 2012 of the Township Committee seat is vitally important to ensuring that transparency and oversight is provided to taxpayers. The successes achieved by the Democratic Party during the recent past have contributed to a more open government in Middletown. These successes include the adoption of resolutions to provide the public with access to action items before the governing body actually votes on them.

For over 30 years, a Republican majority has controlled Middletown. During this time the Township operates with a “shadow government” lurking behind the elected officials. Real control in Middletown rests with the leaders of the Republican Party. They select the candidates, fill the Boards with their supporters and give jobs to their friends and family members. Members of the Party who expressed any dissent from the leaders’ approach to the Township are cut out from the Party’s activities. This culture of party dominance creates an environment where the good of the Party is a factor in all decisions concerning the Township’s future. This extraordinary measure of control eventually makes many of the Party members dependent to some degree on the largess of the Township. Key employees have strong family connections or friendships with the Party. The Sewerage Authority is populated with Commissioners, all of who are former Republican Mayors, Committee Members or Party leaders. They receive salaries, health benefits and pension contributions. The Director of the Sewerage Authority is a former Republican Mayor earning a six-figure salary. He was rewarded with this position after being charged with sexual harassment as mayor and costing the taxpayers thousands to settle this case. Similar examples abound throughout the Township. The dominance exercised by the Republican Party over the local political scene cultivates a certain arrogance and sloppiness that found its way into the decision-making of the Township Committee. Township Committee meetings were and are now, once again, becoming a formality. All decisions were and are now made outside the formal meetings. Reported decisions from the New Jersey Appellate Court confirm that the Republican Committee members gathered on a regular basis outside of these meetings and discussed Township issues. This is, once again, taking place based on statements made by the current mayor where he said discussion items are discussed before the public meeting to clear up any “question” a Committee member might have. This results in no discussion in front of the public, unless a member of the public solicits discussion at the meeting. The Republicans typically vote together relying upon consent agendas where all resolutions are adopted in a single vote. Residents seeking information about the business transpiring before them at Township meetings were frustrated by an impersonal Township Administrator and an atmosphere that discourages citizen participation in government.

Not surprisingly, this one-sided approach to governing produces poor outcomes. Middletown spent close to $8.0M on a Cultural Arts Center with no business plan or concept of how it would fund its operations. Aside from the staggering debt financed by the Township, the operations of this facility run at a yearly deficit of $300,000. The HVAC system must run constantly to address a humidity problem that threatens to warp the floors. Utility bills in the summer months approach $30,000 per month, with yearly expenses for utilities exceeding $200,000. To top it off, the facility was constructed on contaminated land, which the Township knew was contaminated. Our Township spent significant additional sums of money dealing with the contamination. This decision to engage in the construction of the Arts Center emanated from one member of the Township Committee insisting that this be done. With no opposition, and no public access to information, this disaster of a project was allowed to move forward.

These are the kinds of things that need to be prevented from happening in the future.

The taxpayers of Middletown need a two party system of government to ensure that they are receiving a return on their tax dollars.