Lucas Farm, "Club Monmouth" & Cronyism

As I see it, the issue here is not whether or not we should preserve open space and farmland. The minor issue is whether or not preserving 90 plus acres from an 8-estate development is the best use of this $1.2 Million. The more important issue - which is connected - is, as Mr. Curley expressed at the last two Freeholder meetings, whether Mr. Lucas used his position improperly when submitting the land into the program. 

Look at it as a real estate deal.  Mr. Lucas, then the Mayor of Manalapan, endeavored to sell the development rights to eight houses on a recently acquired farm to a consortium composed of the state, the county, and the municipality.

Mr. Lucas was Mayor of Manalapan when he submitted his property to the Farmland Preservation program. While he abstained from the vote on his property, according to the executive session minutes that were OPRA'ed by former Mayor Spodak, Mr. Lucas participated in the discussions regarding the resolution of the other properties. Had the Township moved to place other properties in Farmland Preservation it might not have had sufficient funding for Mr. Lucas' property. Mr. Lucas advocated against those other properties.

Thus, as I see it, Mr. Lucas was wearing at least two hats. He was the seller of the development rights to his property. And he was acting as a broker for the buyer. But, it seems to me that he was wearing a third hat. As a member of the governing body, indeed, as Mayor, he was not only acting as a broker presenting property to a buyer, he was making the decision for and on behalf of the buyer, the Township of Manalapan, County of Monmouth and State of New Jersey. Even tho he recused himself from the vote on his property my understanding is that he argued against other properties so there would be funds available for his property.

If a real estate broker was to try to sell you one property - his own - rather than another property, you might become upset, especially if the other property might be better suited to your needs. But if that broker was to BUY his own property for YOU in YOUR name with YOUR money while acting on your behalf - you could  legitimately ask whether he was acting in your interests or in his interests.

This seems to me to be what Mr. Lucas did. It sounds to me like he was acting on his own behalf to sell the development rights to a property he had just acquired. And he was simultaneously acting on behalf of the taxpayers to buy those development rights - from himself with $1.2 Million of taxpayer monies.

Club Monmouth at it's worst.