“if the council was balanced between parties I believe there would be more of a discussion on agenda items and that more of the residents would be represented,” said Laura Hesse, a candidate for one of the two seats to be decided in the November election for the Atlantic Highlands Council. She continued “Right now, they (the borough council) vote the way the Mayor wants them to vote.”
Hesse and Justin Thomas are running for the two seats being vacated by Vito Coloasurdo and Eileen Cusick, neither of whom is seeking another term on the local governing body.
Hesse and Thomas are both Republicans, Colasurdo and Cusick are both Democrats.
Should the Republicans win, it would mean that representatives of both political parties are represented on the borough council. Currently, the Mayor, and all six council members are Democrats, with no Republicans currently serving on the borough council.
Hesse confirmed there have been instances while the candidates were campaigning when residents, upon hearing they were Republicans, indicated they were not interested in hearing what they had to say or what plans they had for improvements in the borough should they be elected. It isn’t fair to judge us without hearing what we have to say, Hesse said.
Nor is it fair to all the residents of the borough, the candidate continued. Having both parties represented on the governing body would put the governing body on a more balanced level and let every resident of the borough feel his concerns are being taken equally, even though he might not be of the majority party. When all elected borough officials are members of the same party, it not only dominates, but is also representative of only one party’s opinion even though the borough is ruled under a bipartisan government form.
“A bipartisan town government would put all candidates on the same level. The outcome of this election should not be about party affiliation as it appears from residents who will not even listen to us when we say we are Republicans; the election should be won based on the best candidate for the job, “ Hesse said.
Hesse continued that she feels confident both she and Thomas are the best qualified for council; her feeling, she said, has been endorsed by reactions from those residents who have taken the time to hear and see them in recent weeks.
Thomas and Hesse have been meeting people door to door in various sections of the borough and will continue to do so to give every resident an opportunity to meet them and discuss what they would want the borough council to be doing. Hesse and Thomas also have Facebook pages and videos to enable residents to know more about them and how they stand on matters that affect the borough.
Tired of Facebook? You can also Find ViniVidiScripto on the Following Platforms …
Parties Parties Parties Parties
