Letter To The Editor: Morris Plains Mayor Takes $1,500 Over Nearly 1,500 Residents?

The following is a letter to the editor from Morris Plains resident Rachel Reinhart:

If you live in Morris Plains like I do, you know the proposed double-lane drive-through downtown and across the street from two schools has been a divisive issue for more than two years. So it was surprising to see in the state ELEC campaign database that Mayor Jason Karr accepted a $1,500 campaign donation from the law firm representing the McDonald's application.

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The donation is legal. However, I would hope the mayor of a town where more than 1,500 residents signed a petition against the development would have turned down the money out of respect for those residents, many of whom are still frustrated and worried about their children's safety. Additionally, accepting such a donation where there is still an active lawsuit and DOT permit review process in motion raises significant questions.

The McDonald's donation is not the only example on this public database. At least four other developers from outside Morris Plains also donated to the Karr campaign, for a combined total of $12,400, representing more than half of the campaign's total contributions reported as of earlier this month. Two of these developers have also recently appeared before the planning board, on which the mayor sits, with applications for proposed developments.

Again, all of these donations are legal and a matter of public record, but in our already divided small borough, they are highly disappointing and appear to be unprecedented in Morris Plains.

Most importantly, these campaign contributions raise questions as to whose interests the mayor has at heart. Morris Plains residents deserve a local government they can trust to be transparent and to put their needs first. It is for these reasons, and so many others, that I am proudly voting for Nancy Verga on Election Day.

Thank you,

Rachel Reinhart