Battle Over Holmdel Township Committee Race Heats Up

Holmdel, NJ - Things are heating up in the Holmdel Township Committee race!

Last week, Patch ran this op-ed from resident Debbie Brew in support of Holmdel Mayor Eric Hinds, who is running to keep his seat on the Township Committee. (Brew works for Hinds.) Hinds and Committeeman Michael Nikolis, both Republican, are running to keep their seats. They are challenged by Democrats Karen Strickland and Barbara Singer.

Now, another Holmdel resident, Lea Shave, has submitted this letter in response:

I am writing in response to the letter written by Debbie Brew. Beyond the personal feelings of Ms. Brew towards Mayor Hinds, which are clearly skewed being that in her own words he has been paying her for nearly three years, we need to look at the facts: 1. Right now before Mayor Hinds is a petition signed by over 700 residents concerning a controversial decision by the Town Council to install artificial turf fields in the amount of a $3.3 million dollar bond (at Cross Farm Park, pictured above). The petition asked Mayor Hinds to allow the turf field decision to be voted on by the public. The Mayor, through the township attorney and township clerk, is fighting the petition. When so many people in the community voice opposition to these fields, why not put it on the ballot and have it voted on by ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF HOLMDEL? The Mayor has refused to answer the question of why he is opposed to holding such a ballot.

2. This Mayor also supported a PILOT program which applies to housing at the new Bell Works Property. Under this controversial PILOT program, a portion of the tax revenue that would typically go to the schools and Holmdel Board of Education, is now diverted to the township, to be spent by the governing body.

3. The township also has the need for a functioning firehouse in the village of Holmdel. The previous administration closed the firehouse, and it still sits closed today, to the concern of those residents in close proximity to it. This past winter, there was a fire in the Village area of town, and the first fire trucks on the scene were not from Holmdel, but from neighboring towns. This is an extremely important issue that should be addressed. It should also be noted, that the proposed New Jersey Natural Gas substation that is being proposed for Holmdel Road, would sit a short distance from the closed firehouse, raising further concerns of safety.

These are the issues before the voters of Holmdel. This is what is at stake in November. I do NOT have a political stake in these issues. I am not being paid by the mayor "out of his own pocket." I DO, however, have a personal stake in these issues as I do live near the closed firehouse; I am a resident of Holmdel and I do not want money to be bonded for artificial turf fields when there is so much more that needs to be addressed in this town, I did not want the PILOT program and how it diverts tax revenue to the township, and I am not in support of New Jersey Natural Gas placing a large sub station on Holmdel Road that could negatively impact the environment and cause possible safety issues.

These are the issues that should be reflected on and considered by the voters of Holmdel before they cast their decisions in November. These are the issues that will affect the future of Holmdel for generations to come.

Lea Shave