Pat Snell Quits Middletown Township Committee, Leaving Vacuum

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Middletown Township Committeewoman Pat Snell (R) is moving out of Middletown, resigning her seat on the Township Committee.

Snell is leaving Middletown because her husband accepted a job transfer to Georgia, she said in her official resignation letter, which she gave to the Township last Thursday, Aug. 19.

"It is with much regret and sadness that I must tender my resignation effective immediately from the Middletown Township Committee," she wrote. "My husband has been offered a position in Georgia, prompting our family decision to relocate ... I will be living in Georgia, but my home will always be in Middletown."

"Pat leaving is such a big loss for Middletown and the Township Committee," said Middletown Mayor Tony Perry. "I was honored and privileged to run with her in 2018 and I got to know her and work with her. Pat Snell and her entire family are some of the best. Pat has an ability to connect with people that is among the best I've ever seen."

Both Snell and Perry are Republican. Snell and Perry have long been political allies; last fall, she backed his proposal to slightly raise Middletown's taxes to preserve more open space.

Snell has incredibly deep Middletown roots: She graduated from Red Bank High School and her husband, Bill, is a lifelong resident of Middletown. The couple sent their children to Middletown public schools and even today, their six grandchildren are all enrolled in Middletown schools. Her husband is also a volunteer with Leonardo First Aid Squad.

In 1987, the couple opened Jersey Mike's Submarines at Rt. 35 and New Monmouth Road. Before she announced she was moving, Snell worked as a real estate agent, managing the Middletown office of Heritage House Sotheby's International Realty. She's volunteered as an assistant tennis coach at High School South and with Middletown Helps Its Own; she's also on the board of the Middletown Arts Center, Poricy Park Conservancy and Library Board.

Again, you can read Snell's resignation letter here: https://pdfhost.io/v/AY1LIcT2W...

Who will replace her?

Because Snell was elected as a Republican, the Middletown Township Republican Executive Committee will meet this week and come up with three names of candidates. All three names will be presented to the entire Township Committee, who will then choose one person to replace her.

The four other Committeemen are Perry, Rick Hibell, Kevin Settembrino and Ryan Clarke. The five-person Middletown Township Committee is all Republican and has been that way for several years now.

"If she had been elected as a Democrat and then resigned, the Middletown Executive Democratic Committee would meet and pick three individuals to replace her and the Township Committee would choose one of those three," said Perry.

Middletown voters will then be asked to give their opinion on her replacement in November: Whoever is chosen will likely appear on the Nov. 2 ballot to fill out the remainder of Snell's term, which goes until 2023.

However, the Middletown GOP could also pick someone new to appear in November, i.e., not the person chosen to take over Snell's seat for the next two months.

The next Middletown Township Committee meeting is Sept. 7.

Snell's end-of-August departure creates a very quick turnaround.

"Usually, we have a much more leisurely, educational, thorough process," Middletown Republican Party chair Peter Carton told the Asbury Park Press on Tuesday. "The timing here really telescopes it very tightly so they won't have that process, so I'm certainly encouraging anyone interested to send me materials, starting quickly."

Snell speaks:

“Many emotions spinning right now but the overwhelming feeling is one of gratitude for the life Middletown has given me for almost 40 years in raising my family," Snell wrote on her personal Facebook account this week.

"Thank you to our brave Police Department for keeping our community safe and and always being a friend to our young people. To our amazing Fire Department for their selfless dedication and to our First Aid for coming to the aid of all our residents no matter the emergency.

To my friends on Township Committee and in the Mayor’s Office … I was privileged to serve the residents of Middletown with you knowing we made decisions in the best interest of all families in town. I will leave hoping my stay may have made a small difference in bettering what was an already beautiful place to live.

I couldn’t have asked for anything more than having the opportunity to make almost 70,000 friends. I will be living in Georgia but Middletown will always be my home."

Prior: Middletown Twp. Committee Race: Pat Snell On Why She's Running (June 2020)

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