Sayreville officials always game for a hearty debate

The election season is upon us, though in some locales it never really leaves us. Sayreville would be one of those places.

Democrats and Republicans have been at odds with each other all year, over political issues, people issues, just about all issues. Sometimes each side makes a good case, other times it's clear the argument boils down to pure partisan politics.

A couple of months ago, the parties - and these days it's the Democrats on the Borough Council doing battle with Republican Mayor Kennedy O'Brien, and vice versa - disagreed over problems with violence and criminal mischief at the Winding Woods apartment complex. The debate escalated following a fatal shooting in the parking lot in July.

Democrats including Council President Thomas Pollando, who is challenging O'Brien for the mayor's seat this November, vowed to do all they could to make the community as safe as the rest of Sayreville. O'Brien said the murder was an isolated incident and that much of the problem there amounts to teenagers congregating outside. He argued that a greater police presence in the community was unreasonable. Pollando said the mayor should "get his head out of the sand" if he thinks it's safe.

Politics made its way to the cancer cluster concerns raised earlier this year by some residents. When a state health official came to Sayreville to discuss his conclusions about Sayreville's cancer rate, O'Brien opened the meeting by indicating that the official had come at the invitation of Pollando, and did not notify the mayor's office of his desire to address the public that night - an awkward way to begin a meeting on health concerns. Later, council Democrats complained that the mayor gave them no opportunity to speak or question the state official.

O'Brien this year proposed an ordinance to give nightclubs "three strikes" before being shut down; the Democrats would not discuss the idea, choosing to pursue more informal means of dealing with problems with clubs.

Most recently, the sides are in dispute over the potential purchase of land on Washington Road near the 9/11 memorial. Democrats fear the 3 acres will be developed someday and bring further congestion to the area; the mayor says its contours are prohibitive and it would be a waste of money.

Regardless of the issues or the merits of each argument, Sayreville officials always seem poised to do combat with the other side. That's not necessarily a bad thing. A good debate is essential to a healthy democracy. And with the fall election season about to unfold, we can only expect local officials to up the ante down at borough hall.