War Of Words In Mailers Ahead Of Vote To Change Holmdel Government

HOLMDEL, NJ—With less than a month to go before a special election on the township's form of government, mailers for and against the change are appearing in voters' mailboxes.

But supporters of change say certain mailers from opponents are "fearmongering," and supporters have produced their own mailer.

'There has been a constant drumming the last week and a half," said Kin Gee, the chairperson of the Charter Study Commission.

Christian DiMare, who is leading the Save Holmdel effort to stop a change in government, says there is a need to inform residents. "I believe in transparency," DiMare said. He added that he would explain his group's position in a separate statement.

The commission voted unanimously in May to recommend a form of government that would be nonpartisan in this Republican town, directly elect the mayor and offer initiative and referendum.

There is a special election July 26 on the commission's recommendations, Gee said.

Mayor Gregory Buontempo and former Assemblywoman and former Holmdel mayor Serena DiMaso, both Republicans, have put out a mailer in favor of the vote to change the form of government. Buontempo says in the mailer that he supports the change to allow for more "responsiveness and accountability to residents."

But a mailer put out by some opponents of the change have depicted Buontempo in a mockup photo holding a check for $100,000, implying that could be his salary. But Gee said there is no change to any salary for elected township officials if a new form of government is recommended.

Gee said the current five-member Township Committee with a mayor chosen from among them provides a stipend of about $4,800 a year. If there were ever a change, the new form allows for initiative and referendum to repeal a salary increase, he said.

Voters last November voted 53 percent to 47 percent to establish the Charter Study Commission, Gee said.

He said he supports the change of government to nonpartisan because it increases accountability in three main ways: It has a directly elected mayor; removes the influence of political parties to select ballot positions; and would allow for initiative and referendum action from the public.

The current Township Committee is majority Republican, with Deputy Mayor Prakash Santhana unaffiliated. He ran as an Independent along with Cathy Weber, a Republican, who resigned recently to relocate out of state.

Republican Holmdel Committeemen Rocco Impreveduto and DJ Luccarelli did not vote for Buontempo for mayor in January.

In another break from him, they 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 last night.

Impreveduto said he and Luccarelli sent the letter to the community to explain what a change in government would mean, but did not use any scare tactics. He said other more extreme mailers were not put out by Save Holmdel. He said they are not affiliated with Save Holmdel, but they support its cause.

He said his group has researched the proposed form of government and feels there is "no necessity to do this."

But Gee said the more explicit mailers are concerning because they are not accurate.

Of two "fearmongering mailers," one appears to target Holmdel Republicans and the other Holmdel Democrats, Gee said.

He said the mailers raise the issue that Holmdel would become like Newark or Hoboken or Jersey City. They have strong mayors, but that is not the form of government proposed here, Gee said.

Gee said he will contact the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission (“ELEC”) regarding who paid for the mailers. Gee said one mailer claims that it was “Paid For By Holmdel Republican Party.” Gee said the mailer about the Essex and Hudson county cities lists a post office Box 45 in Howell – the same address, he said, that was used for a similar mailer sent last year in opposition to the charter commission public question.

Impreveduto said he puts his name on whatever information he sends out. He added he will have more to say about the vote, but that he would always accept the will of the voters. But with four weeks to go before the election, he said voters should hear the opposing view to change, he added.

If the voters approve a government change, Gee said the governing body would be up for election in November. The mayor and one committeeman (chosen by lot) would run for a four-year term. The other committeepersons would initially run for a two-year-term and then run for four-year terms, he said.