Republicans Lead In Middletown Committee Race: Unofficial Results

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — While many votes have still not been counted, Republicans Patricia Snell and Ryan Clarke were in the lead for the Middletown Township Committee race.

From the Monmouth County clerk, as of midnight:

Pat Snell, Republican, 11,096 votes 27.45% of the vote
Ryan M. CLARKE, Republican, 10,876 votes 26.91% of the vote
Brian W. PENSCHOW, Democrat, 9,116 votes 22.55% of the vote
Marguerite STOCKER, Democrat, 9,308 votes, 23.03% of the vote

Also, a majority of voters so far approved a tax increase to preserve open space: 13,487 Middletown voters voted "yes" to that ballot question, and 6,750 voted no.

However, not only are these unofficial results, these are not even all the votes. If you mailed your ballot back on Election Day, it still has to be counted; if you voted provisionally at the polls, it still has to be counted and ADA-machine votes are still pending.

Snell ran to keep her seat; she is running with Ryan Clarke, who seeks to fill the seat held by Tony Fiore (he chose not to run this year.) They ran with the backing of the Middletown Republican Party.

Democrats Marguerite Stocker and Brian Penschow were challengers. For the past decade, the five-person Middletown Township Committee has been under one-party Republican leadership.

"Diversity of opinion and fresh thinking are needed on the Township's governing body, which has seen little change under decades of Republican control," said Stocker during the race.

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There was a revelation last week that the Middletown Republican Committee's campaign finance reports have been missing for four years. But did it sway voters?

Open space tax increase sees strong support

Middletown residents were also asked whether they want to pay more in property taxes to preserve open space.

Currently, Middletown homeowners pay 2 cents per every $100 of their quarterly tax bill to the town's Open Space Trust Fund. The Open Space referendum question, if approved, would raise it to three cents per every $100. The average Middletown homeowner (owning a home assessed at $447,629) pays around $89 a year to the town's open space fund, so it will be a small increase above that.

The increased tax dollars will go to purchase land and historic farms in Middletown and keep it as open space. The money can also be used to make improvements to Middletown's recreation facilities.

All four candidates, Democrat and Republican, support the open space tax increase.

Why Stocker and Penschow ran

Stocker said there is a lack of transparency from the Middletown Township Committee, particularly when it comes to approving construction and development.

"A frequent pattern in Middletown is that residents first learn of development projects only after those projects are well into the planning stage and are moving full-steam ahead," she said. "Residents have little opportunity to meaningfully participate in the process, the way things are now. Residents are almost forced to organize, and often sue, to have a say in what's happening in their own town. And this happens over and over. Village 35, Taylor Lane and Four Ponds are just the most recent examples."

Snell meanwhile said that in her tenure, the Township Committee has hired more police officers. She also pointed to upgrades to the Middletown senior center, and improvements made to sports fields for children.

For full coverage of the 2020 election in New Jersey, go here: New Jersey Elections 2020

Patch coverage of the 2020 Middletown election: Middletown Township Committee Race: A Voting Guide On The Issues
Four-Year Gap In Middletown Republicans' Campaign Finance Reports
Middletown Mayor Urges Residents To Approve Open Space Referendum
Middletown Twp. Committee Race: Pat Snell On Why She's Running
Middletown Twp. Committee Race: Ryan Clarke On Why He's Running
Marguerite Stocker: Why I'm Running For Middletown Twp. Committee