Ask questions, get to know candidates for municipal election
Peter Armenia
Guest Column

It was disappointing that both parties chose their candidate for mayor of Old Bridge without a significant primary. Now over the course of the next few weeks, we need to find out more about Jim Phillips and Richard Greene, as well as the candidates for Township Council.

There are three questions we must ask each candidate. Don’t let them off the hook without an answer, then save the answer and monitor the performance of the winning candidate.

Question one: Who will be on their team? First, who will they appoint as business administrator? Second, will they reappoint existing department heads? These two answers affect our daily life and quality of living.

There are three directors who must be reappointed. Himanshu Shah, director of finance, took over a scandalous department, restored order, put in place fiscal controls and truly automated his area. It wasn’t easy picking up the pieces he inherited. Tom Badcock, director of parks and recreation, has continued to institute and maintain programs that are the envy of cities three times our size and has earned kudos for park development. We need to applaud the running of the Public Works Department by Rocky Donatelli. Demand that these three professionals will be retained by either mayoral candidate.

Question two: How will they monitor school budgets? Remember, in nine out of 10 school board elections, voters reject the school budget, resulting in negotiations between the council and the school board. Most of the time it’s a negotiated settlement, always with a tax increase. It is obvious that the council is not fully knowledgeable about the school budget to make informed decisions.

I would ask all candidates if they would support a township committee of experienced business people to explore, initially, the nonsalary/benefit items in the school budget, to make suggestions for real cost savings in the areas of purchasing, information technology, insurance, building maintenance and possible outsourced services. Each member would declare political independence.

Question three: How about a real ethics committee? Let’s get a commitment to first change the statute whereby three members of the clergy need be members along with three citizens. Let’s have six public-spirited individuals from across the town who would commit to a two year nonrenewable appointment.

Elected officials do not like monitors. But we need them in instances such as when a councilman-at-large appeared to have a possible conflict of interest in reviewing the Police Department budget. Get a commitment for a committee that has real teeth. No one should challenge this question in asking for good government. Demand it.

Last of all, vote. When the country was being built, consensus for our form of government centered on the premise that the voice of the people should be heard and should drive the lawmaking process. Maybe we forgot that. Current events should make us realize what living in a democracy is all about and the sacrifices that have been made to preserve it.

Take my questions, delete some and add your own. Make sure you attend at least one event to meet the candidates to get your own answers. After the election you will have a scorecard to monitor the results.

Peter Armenia is a resident of Old Bridge.