A Hope for Better Governing for Holmdel Residents

Perhaps I have an idealized view of what a township council meeting should be like. After my wife and I moved from Manhattan to Holmdel to start a family four yours ago, I decided it was time to be civic-minded and attend my first meeting.

I expected elected officials and involved citizens to be discussing issues, debating merits, and making judicious decisions after lengthy deliberation. I expected the guiding principle would be: what policies, projects, and expenditures maximize value to the most residents. I expected a common understanding of what qualities made us choose Holmdel: the semi-rural feel and great natural spaces, and the reputation of the schools being paramount. I expected a commitment to preserving and enhancing those qualities as the purpose of a township meeting.

To my surprise there was, in my opinion, a very expensive pet project—a $3.3 million lighted sports field supplanting a beautiful open expanse of land—being rammed through, the elected officials already committed to its completion and visibly aggravated that they had to be subjected to anyone's questions or disagreements.

There was no weighing of the merits relative to other options: other improvements, or simply being more financially prudent and not going into debt. There was no care whatsoever about many voiced concerns: toxicity of the turf, water and environmental impact, traffic, noise, light pollution, fiscal concerns, more pressing priorities, etc. There was not even a pretense of argument that this project was superior to a myriad of other considerations, that this profound and expensive change to this township positively impacted the community the most, etc.

To the contrary, from what I could ascertain, some well-heeled private sports clubs and a small but unknown number of Holmdel child athletes may potentially benefit. It is safe to assume the rest of us will either be negatively impacted in various ways, or best case: unaffected except for a fiscally weaker township and the associated risks and liabilities.

Perhaps I have an idealized view of small-town politicians not being as questionable in their values and motives and disdainful of their electorate, as the corrupt lots in our state capitols and in Washington. But I would hope that even if Trenton and Washington are too broken and corrupted to be fixed, at the very least a tiny little township can be.

We deserve politicians who represent and serve us, and who do not need to be sued in order to compel them to pay attention.

It is my sincerest hope that the winners of the election commit to fair, honest, and transparent leadership.