Charter Change Won't Help Holmdel, Say Opponents

HOLMDEL, NJ — Christian DiMare, who has lived in Holmdel nearly his entire life, has formed Save Holmdel to discourage the approval of a change of government here.

After the creation of a Charter Study Commission was approved by voters last November, the body approved a proposal to change the Township Committee form of government to a nonpartisan system with a directly elected mayor.

The vote to approve the change is July 26.

DiMare's has voiced his opposition through the Save Holmdel Facebook community, and that has put him, rather reluctantly he says, in the public realm.

As a spokesman for Save Holmdel, DiMare has issued a statement partially to refute claims by supporters of government change of "fearmongering" by opponents but also to bring the group's concerns to a different platform.

"My message to Holmdel residents is that this is a once-in-a-generation chance to protect our Township form of government and preserve Holmdel, which has been operating well since 1857," DiMare said Thursday

DiMare said the commission, which was chaired by Kin Gee, "has yet to tell us how this change will actually make Holmdel a better place to live than it is today."

Gee and Mayor Gregory Buontempo have said that the proposed nonpartisan form would allow for more "responsiveness and accountability." For example, a county Republican committee - or county Democratic committee - could not determine ballot positions and endorsements. Gee says he himself is registered as unaffiliated.

The government form proposed by the commission will put a Council-Manager form of government before voters as a referendum. The change also calls for a directly elected mayor and allows for an initiative and referendum mechanism.

DiMare said the "same group proposing radical change is now pointing fingers at others for fearmongering tactics," referring to mailers that went out from sources not clearly explained that maintained a change in government would turn the township into a big city, such as Newark or Jersey City.

DiMare said that "the only thing Save Holmdel is responsible for is the lawn signs, banners and T-shirts for events," and did not send out the mailers. He said his group has a Word document copied to pass out to residents.

He said the supporters of government change "throughout the process were constantly drumming to residents that we should fear this mythical party boss . . . and we need to change our entire structure of 150 years as the solution."

He said the mayor, a Republican, was elected without support from the regular Monmouth County Republican Organization. Deputy Mayor Prakash Santhana is unaffiliated and ran as an independent with recently retired Committeewoman Cathy Weber, a Republican.

"They were all elected without Republican support and have held the majority for the past three years," DiMare said.

"I’ve learned Holmdel residents don’t care about the politics and this is all they (supporters) have made it about," he said.

DiMare said although the vote to establish a Charter Study Commission was won by 53 percent to 47 percent of those voting, voter turnout meant that "only 23 percent of the registered Holmdel Voters supported this charter study."

DiMare said the move to make this Republican town nonpartisan is "the primary driver, to flip Holmdel’s conservative district."

Republican Holmdel Committeemen Rocco Impreveduto and DJ Luccarelli, who did not vote for Buontempo for mayor in January, also are opposed to a change of government. They sent out a letter to Holmdel residents to vote "no" to the Charter Study Commission’s recommendations, Impreveduto said when reached Tuesday night.

DiMare said he understands the Council-Manager form is only used in five (nine percent) of 53 Monmouth County municipalities: Asbury Park, Keansburg, Howell, Aberdeen and Ocean Township.

"Sounds like a risky bet for Holmdel, which already seems to be operating extremely well," he said.

He also opposes direct election of the mayor in the proposed form of government.

"The only two times Holmdel residents have heard from the mayor on this charter study is when he littered Holmdel with campaign signs and flyers to vote yes back for the election in November and again now. On this mailer it is misleading to mention 'extra responsiveness and accountability' when we are also being told this will be a 'weak mayor' format."

He said supporters are "not disclosing to residents we will be electing a mayor for four years with no term limits. It is not even on the public question placed on ballot," he said.

Gee has noted previously if the measure passes, all candidates would be up for election this November, with the mayoral candidates running for four years and one other council position chosen by lot for a term of four years. The other council offices would be two years and then have four-year terms, staggering the terms.

"When you look at the data, mayors have long tenures, and average of 10-plus years, becoming very difficult to remove, which concerns many residents. Currently, if we are unhappy with our mayor, there is an opportunity to remove within the year. If Holmdel changes, we risk being stuck for four years," DiMare said.

DiMare said Save Holmdel’s Facebook page (click here) has more details regarding his research into these issues and reasons to oppose the proposal.

"Let’s keep our eye on the ball and focus on the facts and data moving forward," he said.