The Courier - September 4, 2008
Walsh, Grenafege roused crown in M'town
By MELISSA L. GAFFNEY Staff Writer
Many Middletown residents are ready for a change.
So are Democratic candidates for Township Committee Patricia
Walsh and James Grenafege.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 2, Walsh and
Grenafege spoke to a crowd of nearly 20 people on the steps of Middletown Town
Hall.
Grenafege spoke about leadership, and the gap that has been
allowed to widen in Middletown's administrative processes.
He also spoke about the quality of government, and wanting to
run the township as financially stable and well run as it could be.
"Mismanagement is symptomatic of poor leadership," he
explained. "As a whole, the employees of Middletown are one of its greatest
assets."
Grenafege went on to note an example of the leadership gap
when he mentioned the township's revaluation under Charles Heck, the tax
assessor.
"[Heck] decided on his own not to submit the required data
[to the state]," the candidate said. "The governing body said it did not know
anything about it, making it perfectly clear that no one provided direction or
gave oversight to this project while it was going on."
Additionally, Grenafege said it was a reflection on members
of the Township Committee.
"Rather than a reprimand following this fiasco, Heck was
rewarded by keeping his job," he said. "Heck is either incompetent or
insubordinate, and definitely not worthy of positive reinforcement from the
township's administration."
Grenafege said the governing body took no accountability for
its lack of leadership with the township revaluation. In fact, as a matter of
record, the candidate said Deputy Mayor Pamela Brightbill even voiced approval
of Heck's actions during a public meeting.
Grenafege said the message sent to other township employees
and residents was not OK. "Convenient accountability, convenient integrity and
convenient leadership are totally unacceptable," he said.
Pat Walsh
Walsh is a member of the Middletown Township
Board of Education, where she has been elected for the past 12 years.
The candidate said this election is about changing the way
Middletown does business.
Walsh said all the committee's "yes" votes for excessive
majority spending have cost the public, with higher taxes and a budget that
continues to grow out of control.
"Those votes added up to excessive bonding for projects that
were never thoroughly planned or evaluated prior to implementation," Walsh
said.
She noted the Middletown Cultural Arts Center as one such
project.
"The truth is the GOP majority has been spending beyond 'our'
means, and we got stuck with the bill," Walsh said.
The candidate proposed that any large capital projects be
well planned, including detailed budget estimates. "It's called being frugal,
and these tough economic times require it" Walsh said. "There was a lot of
finger pointing at Trenton, but the committee failed to take responsibility for
its own financial decisions.
Walsh additionally proposed a subcommittee structure to bring
legal costs under control, a structure that would include assignments for all
Township Committee members.
"A finance committee would review all legal spending," she
explained. "Estimates of proposed legal actions would be reviewed and approved
by the committee before incurring additional legal costs."
The candidate also said she would establish a "blue-ribbon
advisory committee," a body that would be given unfettered access to all budget
documents for its review.
"We can no longer afford the way the GOP majority has handled
municipal finances," Walsh concluded "The change that was begun brought
increased accountability. I ask you to complete that change."
Grenafege said it is time to elect leadership that is
accountable. "It is time to be able to do what is legal and right in this
township," he concluded.
Both candidates said they intend on joining current
committeemen Patrick Short and Sean Byrnes come January.