You are entitled to your opinion. But not your own facts.

Committeeman Rocco Impreveduto posted a three-part opinion, almost “War and Peace” Tolstoy-like, on “How We Got here?’. Despite the extreme length, the opinion piece appears to be short on substance and facts.

Let’s take a look at some examples.

1. In what appears to be an attempt to discredit the Holmdel Charter Study Commission, Impreveduto points out that the Commission was approved by 23% of registered voters. He then states that this illustrates how small factions of motivated activists and voting blocs can impose their will upon a majority of residents.

However, Impreveduto was elected to the Township Committee in the SAME ELECTION with less than 30% of Holmdel registered voters. Following his reason and logic, should we say that his status as a member of the Township Committee is tainted and should have an asterisk
next to it because it shows that a small faction of politically motivated supporters of Impreveduto can impose their will on the majority of Holmdel residents?

2. Impreveduto noted that “like Holmdel, none of the three Townships discussed during Phase I of their process (Millstone, Hazlet, and Colts Neck) elect their own mayors, and none of them utilize non-partisan election structures. Yet, the Charter Study Commissioners wound up recommending that we do exactly the opposite of what these Townships are currently doing!”

Phase I is the study of the Township Committee form of government. What Impreveduto didn’t tell readers is the fact that those towns with Township Committee form don’t do it because they CANNOT do it. Under state law, towns under the Township Committee form cannot elect their
mayors directly and can only hold partisan elections.

It is precisely for that reason that the Commission unanimously recommended a form of government that is very close to our current form but which allows residents to elect the mayor directly and to hold elections on a non-partisan basis that doesn’t allow a party boss from
outside of Holmdel to solely pre-determine who the winner is in our local election.

His statement is misleading and disingenuous.

3. Impreveduto then stated that invited guests expressed their unanimous support of the progressive vision of the Charter Study Commission and no dissent nor opposing points of view presented.

Here is what really happened. In addition to two presentations from knowledgeable experts on available forms, the Commission strategically and deliberately invited elected officials from a mix of towns, all within Monmouth County, in order to have diverse views of the different options that can be considered. Specifically, the Commission interviewed elected officials not only from the two major forms (Mayor-Council and Council-Manager) but also (a) where the mayor is directly elected and from a town that did not elect the mayor directly and (b) towns that held partisan elections and towns that held non-partisan elections.

The Commission interviewed Mayors from Aberdeen and Marlboro, towns that hold partisan elections, and both expressed their preference for partisan elections, which is different from the recommendation for non-partisan elections. The Commission also interviewed the Mayor from Ocean Township in which the Mayor is NOT directly elected – which is also different from the recommendation to elect the Mayor directly.

To paraphrase US Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Impreveduto is certainly entitled to his own opinion but not to his own facts.

Just remember this: shortly after he was elected in the 2021 November election, Impreveduto stated “There’s a lot of work we’re gonna have to do to frankly build some teamwork within the Township Committee.”

So, what was Impreveduto’s first official act after getting sworn into office?

He voted no to the nomination of Greg Buontempo to serve as Mayor and Prakash Santhana as Deputy Mayor even though there were no other nominations.

With all due respect, perhaps readers should take what Impreveduto writes or says with a grain of salt.

There’s more but perhaps we will save it for a Part 2 in the future.

Kin Gee

Chairman

Holmdel Charter Study Commission