At What Cost ...

As the July 26th special election looms, the dialogue has, predictably, gotten more aggressive. Despite the noise, one thing remains clear – the facts do not, in any way, indicate that this change is beneficial to our community.

In fact, they prove otherwise.

As I mentioned in my previous article, Holmdel currently has the MOST popular form of government for a township – and proponents of change want to move us to the LEAST popular form of government.

But further research reveals an even more troubling conclusion: townships that have the recommended “Council-Manager” form of government are larger, more densely populated, worth less, spend more, have higher crime rates, and are less likely to vote. That is FACT.

Compared to Holmdel, “Council-Manager” townships have:

• 40% lower property value per capita
• 79% higher violent crime rate
• 38% larger municipal budget
• 61% higher population
• 233% higher population density (I previously misstated that it was only 30% higher)
• 8% lower voter turnout

These numbers are SHOCKING. Selecting a form of government used by townships with key statistics so misaligned with Holmdel's simply CAN'T be the right way to go.

We desperately need to put politics aside here. This is about our community. If political agendas supersede what’s right for our town, for you, for our families … EVERYONE loses.

They LITERALLY want to change the way you VOTE … and (based on the data) want you to do it less! Think about that – they want to change the way you VOTE.

And, if this passes – based on the conversation from our most recent township meeting – your government will effectively dissolve, including: 60 elected officials, appointees, and volunteers across the Planning Board, Zoning Board, Recreation, and other critical committees. One visit to the voting booth can wipe everything out. And for what – politics?

If we’re going to be BOLD – let’s be bold in finding new ways to cut taxes, let’s be bold in finding new ways to preserve open space, let’s be bold in finding innovative ways to support our school system.

In a town known for innovation and excellence, allowing our government to take a step backward is just not … US.

No matter what happens, I am committed to serving you and this community – we have so much we can accomplish together, let’s not let politics get in the way of it.

Please Vote NO on July 26th.

You can follow or contact me at: facebook.com/CommitteemanRoccoImpreveduto/

Data sources for this article include: U.S. Census Bureau (2020); New Jersey Division of Local Government Services (2020); New Jersey Division of Elections (2020); New Jersey County Superintendents of Elections or Boards of Election (2020); New Jersey State Police, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (2020); Federal Bureau of Investigation (2020).