Matthew J. Doherty

October 17, 2008

Council seat at stake in Belmar race
By FRAIDY REISS
ASBURY PARK PRESS

COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU

When voters head to the polls in November to choose a new Borough Council member, they should not focus on the national media attention Mayor Kenneth E. Pringle brought to the borough this summer with his local newsletter, at least one Belmar resident said.

“It shouldn’t, in my view, have any bearing on” the election, said Dennis McGill, 73, of Third Avenue. “It was blown out of proportion.”

But whether they should or not, voters probably will be thinking about that newsletter when they pull the lever, said Thomas Volker, the Democratic candidate and a political newcomer. He predicted, though, that voters will accept that the Democratic mayor was trying to help Belmar with his description of the “guidos” and “Staten Island girls” who visit the borough during the summer and flout its rules.

“He admits he went overboard and he apologized,” said Volker, 67. “I think it won’t hurt me at all.”

His Republican opponent, political newcomer Richard J. Wright, said he could not guess how memories of the newsletter will affect the election.

“I think the mayor was probably well-intended, but it has caused a great deal of embarrassment for the town and for the people in the town,” said Wright, 57. Still, he added, voters might not punish Volker for that embarrassment just because he hails from the same political party as the mayor.

Pringle said he doubted voters would make that connection.

“I don’t think people will hold my newsletter against Tom Volker,” the mayor said. “He had nothing to do with (it).”

From 1990 until 2005, all four borough council seats and the mayor’s seat were filled with Democrats. Then, in 2005, William Merkler snagged a spot as the lone Republican council member.

Merkler, 41, won the primary election in June but later announced he would not seek a second three-year term because he needed to focus on his landscaping business. He withdrew from the race, and Wright took his place as the Republican candidate.

So when voters head to the polls in November to choose a new council member, they will be looking for “another voice” to help govern the borough, local resident Pat Melango said.

“It’s always the same people voting the same way,” she said. “It’s good to have another voice and another point of view.”

Wright agreed. For too long, the council simply followed the mayor’s lead and never dissented on any issue, he said.

“An important part of my candidacy is to have an independent voice on the council that can make sure issues are addressed,” Wright said.

Volker countered that a mixed-party council is not necessarily in the best interest of the town.

“It depends if they can work together harmoniously,” he said. “If there’s going to be fighting all the time and that one opposing voice is going to be against everything that’s proposed, good or bad, then it’s not a good thing.”

Another issue on voter’s minds this election season is the borough’s stalled plan to redevelop the downtown, Wright said. The process has been dragging on for too long, leaving property owners unsure of whether to invest in upgrading their storefronts or to wait for their buildings to be torn down, he said.

“The first thing (we need) is a clear statement of where the redevelopment stands, so that people can begin to plan for the future,” Wright said.

But Volker said voters are not thinking about the downtown right now.

“Redevelopment is on hold until the economy improves, so I don’t see it being an issue,” Volker said. “We’re just going to have to wait until things get better.”

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