Letter To The Editor: Hillsborough Resident Endorses Mayor Tomson And Committeewoman McCauley

Submitted by Peter Cipparulo, III

I am writing this letter to urge Hillsborough residents to vote for Mayor Doug Tomson and Committeewoman Gloria McCauley. Under their leadership, Hillsborough has been awarded many accolades. Hillsborough has been rated by Money Magazine as one of the top places to live in the United States by finishing number sixteen (16) in the publication’s top fifty (50) list.

Further, New Jersey Monthly Magazine named our town in its top ten list of the best places to live in New Jersey and of the top fifty (50) towns, Hillsborough has the seventh lowest property tax rate. Additionally, SafeWise has Hillsborough rated as one of the safest towns in New Jersey finishing in the top 3.5% all municipalities in New Jersey. Given this sterling record of accomplishment, Mayor Tomson and Committeewoman McCaughly deserve to be reelected.

I have read with amusement some letters concerning “open government” in Hillsborough. At best these letters are misinformed. At worst, they are hypocritical. These letters do not comment that there have not been any Republican mayors in many of our largest cities including Newark, New Jersey and Detroit, Michigan for over fifty years. Moreover, assertions that there are no Democrats on various boards and commissions in Hillsborough are false given that there are registered Democrats on the Parks and Recreation Commission, Environmental Commission and the Planning Board to name just a few.

I am extremely concerned about the future competency and creditability of our town government should Ms. Le and Mr. Beggiato be elected. Ms. Le and Mr. Beggiato talk about openness in government, yet they chose not to go through their own party’s Democratic screening process. Moreover, they incorrectly asserted during that process that a screening committee member sat on that committee when her son was screened. (See April 10, 2014 Hillsborough Beacon).

Ms. Le also had to issue an apology for incorrectly repeating statements made by the town administrator (See September 24, 2013 Hillsborough Beacon). In further irony, although Duke Farms does not permit the placement of campaign signs on its property, the supporters of Beggiato and Le have placed a political sign on Duke Farms’ property. As supposed champions of open space, why are they abusing it by placing political signs on it? As someone who watches town meetings through the internet, I was very surprised to see that Ms. Le request the township committee to support Assemblyman Jack Ciatterelli’s bill pertaining to the OTW, during the September 23, 2014 meeting, only to learn that the township committee had already passed resolutions supporting Assemblyman Ciatterelli’s bill in April 2014. For someone who wants to lead, shouldn’t she know this?

It should also be noted that when Ms. Le was on the Hillsborough Township Board of Education, the school budget rose well over cap during her three years on the board. Hillsborough has competent and practical public servants. Let’s keep it that way.

Very truly yours,

Peter Cipparulo, III