Republicans Vs. Democrats In Battle For NJ 13 Statehouse Seats

LITTLE SILVER, NJ — This November, Monmouth County state Senator Declan O'Scanlon will face a re-election for the Legislative District 13 seat, along with Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger of Middletown and Vicky Flynn of Holmdel, all Republicans.

They will be challenged by Democrats Vinny Solomeno of Hazlet, Erin Howard of Fair Haven and Allison Friedman of Aberdeen.

Election Day is Nov. 2, but mail-in ballots have already been sent to homes. Plus, Monmouth County residents can vote early by machine at these following 10 places from Oct. 23 - Oct. 31: https://patch.com/new-jersey/m...

New Jersey's 13th District includes the towns of Aberdeen, Atlantic Highlands, Fair Haven, Hazlet, Highlands, Holmdel, Keansburg, Keyport, Little Silver, Marlboro, Middletown, Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Sea Bright, Rumson and Union Beach.

It is a historically Republican area and O'Scanlon, a moderate Republican, has represented LD 13 since 2008; he was first in the Assembly. He lives in Little Silver.

His running mate Scharfenberger is viewed as a more conservative Republican and a strong Trump supporter. O'Scanlon has rarely publicly praised Trump.

Flynn, currently the Holmdel school board president, is a political newcomer who was selected by the local Republican Party to run after a very public fight broke out this winter between GOP Party boss Shaun Golden and current LD 13 Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso.

Solomeno is a U.S. Army veteran and still serves in the Army National Guard; he currently works for the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Friedman is in her third term on the Matawan-Aberdeen BOE; she has run previously for local seats as a Democrat and lost. Howard owns a small business (a maternity clothing line) and this is her first time seeking public office.

While 1991 was the last time a Democrat represented this part of Monmouth County in Trenton, Solomeno said he is confident that 2021 will be the year.

Here is where the candidates stand on major issues:

Property taxes

The Democrats have made property taxes — or more accurately, how Monmouth County towns calculate their property taxes — the cornerstone of their campaign.

For months now, Solomeno has criticized Monmouth County's Assessment Demonstration Pilot program, or ADP.

"Our first priority is ending the annual property tax assessment program, the ADP, an unfair system that was brought into law by Declan O’Scanlon," said Solomeno's team. "It takes place ONLY in Monmouth County — not any of the other 20 counties in New Jersey. This program punishes our residents year after year, and drives many out of our county."

"These annual property tax assessments lack transparency and they are unfair," said Solomeno. "It results in higher property taxes for Monmouth County homeowners and small businesses."

O'Scanlon strongly supports the ADP, or what he calls the "Monmouth County system."

"So let's say the home values in an entire town go up, then the tax rate that year drops for everyone because everyone's home is worth more money," said O'Scanlon. "But if you live in a waterfront mansion in Little Silver and your home appreciates faster than a bungalow down the street, yes, the tax rate will go up for the mansion owner."

Solomeno disputed this explanation of ADP. He also said out of the 16 towns in the 13th Legislative District, Marlboro Twp. opted out of this system of taxation because they think it is unfair. He also said the Monmouth County Tax Board refuses to disclose its formula on how homes are assessed every year.

"The Monmouth County tax board should be disclosing how these are calculated," he said. "And when the system was introduced it was riddled with ethical problems and was investigated by the Monmouth County Prosecutor."

O'Scanlon called ADP "the best property tax assessment system in New Jersey."

He also said southern Monmouth County state Senator Vin Gopal, a Democrat, supports ADP. Cliff Moore, the president of the Monmouth County Tax Board, another Democrat, confirmed he also supports ADP.

Moore also said Solomeno has been spreading "misinformation" about how ADP works and that in August the tax board invited him to come speak with all the commissioners, ask questions about ADP and voice his complaints.

Moore said Solomeno has so far not gotten back to his invitation.

"It's a good system because it's fully transparent, it's fairer and it allows for the fair distribution of taxes," said Moore. "Taxpayers overpaid taxes for 10-15 years under the old system."

"Every single thing I've seen Vinny Solomeno say about ADP has been a lie," said O'Scanlon. "Either he doesn't understand the system and how property taxes work, or he's purposefully lying. And either one of those disqualifies him to be a state legislator."

Solomeno responded:

"Sen. O'Scanlon needs to calm down, take a breath and have a serious conversation about this public policy problem," said Solomeno. He also cited a 2021 individual case decision by NJ Tax Court Judge Mala Sundar that criticized ADP, saying it does not result in "100 percent market value."

Pension funding

In September, Solomeno and the Democrats secured two major endorsements from powerful unions: The New Jersey State Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association, which represents 5,000 career firefighters, EMTs and 911 dispatchers statewide. They were also endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, the state's second largest police union.

When asked to respond, O'Scanlon accused Solomeno of "pandering" to them over how their pensions and healthcare would be funded in order to get their vote.

"The police and fire unions are being as shortsighted as ever, and you can publish that," said O'Scanlon. "Unions frequently behave myopically. They refuse to accept that if we don't fix the way their pensions and health systems are funded now then they will fall apart later."

O'Scanlon supported state reforms in 2011 that changed how pensions and health plans were funded.

"Even if it costs me my seat today I would not pander to them and lie in order to get their votes," he said. "If you want your pension and healthcare to be there long term, you should vote for me."

Solomeno criticized O'Scanlon's vote in June of this year, where he voted against allowing police officers to review body cameras before compiling reports.

"This is not about pensions," said Solomeno. "This is more about public safety and whether or not the state Senator supports law enforcement officers."

O'Scanlon said he voted against the bill because "the bill came out of nowhere, right at last minute at the end of the session, giving very little time for any of us to do much research. This is unfortunately typical of the way important policy is made in Trenton."

O'Scanlo said he encouraged the state Legislature to hold the bill for more discussion.

Economic growth/JCP&L power outage issues

Solomeno and the Democrats said "they’re ready to push new ideas forward that can help our business community."

They are proponents of Suburban Enterprise zones, an idea similar to the concept of Urban Enterprise zones, which could revitalize businesses in suburban areas like Rt. 36, which residents often cite for eyesore empty storefronts.

The Democrats also said they want to hold JCP&L accountable for the power outages that plague Monmouth County.

Abortion/Reproductive rights

While abortion is usually a topic debate on the national level or at the Supreme Court, it can be legislated at the state level as well, such as the controversial "heartbeat" law in Texas.

Solomeno and the Democrats paint the Republicans as "extremists" on topics such as abortion.

"In contrast to Declan O'Scanlon, Gerry Scharfenberger, and Vicky Flynn, they reject extremism and back-room deals," said the Democratic team in a statement. "They’re ready to fight to defend women’s rights and reproductive freedom, unlike their opponents ... Their opponents are true extremists. For the past two years, they’ve focused on riling their base up through social media, instead of working to find solutions to problems and assist residents. This has to end. We need leaders who are willing to work for the people. "

Under the Christie administration, O'Scanlon did vote for a $6 million cut in funding to Planned Parenthood in New Jersey.

"I believe Gerry is pro life, I'm pro life (with exceptions for things like rape, incest or the life or health of the mother) and I am not sure of Vicky's views," said O'Scanlon. "But that issue is a red herring because there's not going to be anything close to an abortion bill brought up in New Jersey."

Friedman and Howard disagreed that abortion rights are a red herring in New Jersey.

“Senator O’Scanlon has voted to defund Planned Parenthood repeatedly during his tenure," they said in a statement. "As a direct result of this defunding, STI rates skyrocketed in New Jersey by 50 percent. Each dollar invested in family planning saves $7 long term by providing preventative care. It’s not just the right thing to do — it’s also the economically responsible thing to do."

"If Senator O’Scanlon thinks his vote to make women sicker and dig our state deeper into fiscal crisis is a red herring, then maybe he’s the one who is unqualified to serve in our Legislature."

Election Day is Nov. 2. But a new change this year is if you want to vote by machine early, you can do so from Oct. 23 - Oct. 31 at these places in the 13th District:

• Middletown Township – Croydon Hall, 900 Leonardville Road, Leonardo
• Hazlet Township – James J. Cullen Center, 1776 Union Avenue
• Little Silver Borough – The Women's Club of Little Silver, 111 Church Street
• Middletown Township – Croydon Hall, 900 Leonardville Road, Leonardo

Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

If you'd prefer to vote by mail, these are all the secure drop-box locations in NJ's 13th Legislative District:

• Middletown Twp. Municipal Bldg. 1 Kings Hwy. Middletown 07748
• Croydon Hall 900 Leonardville Rd. Leonardo 07737
• Aberdeen Municipal Building 1 Aberdeen Square Aberdeen, NJ 07747
• Fair Haven Municipal Building 748 River Road Fair Haven, NJ 07704
• Hazlet – NJ Motor Vehicle Commission 1374 Highway 36 Hazlet, NJ 07730 Airport Plaza
• Holmdel Senior/Community Center 6 Crawfords Corner Road Holmdel, NJ 07733
• Keansburg Bayshore Senior Center 100 Main Street Keansburg, NJ 07734
• Keyport Municipal Building 70 West Front Street Keyport, NJ
• Little Silver Municipal Building 480 Prospect Avenue Little Silver, NJ 07739
• Marlboro Township Municipal Building 1979 Township Drive Marlboro, NJ 07746
• Matawan Municipal Building 201 Broad Street Matawan, NJ 07747
• Red Bank Municipal Building 90 Monmouth Street Red Bank, NJ 07701
• Rumson Hall 80 East River Road Rumson, NJ 07760 Front Parking Lot
• Union Beach Municipal Building 650 Poole Avenue Union Beach, NJ 07735

Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked or placed in drop boxes on or before 8 p.m. on Nov. 2, Election Day.

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