“Keep Them In The Dark”, Say Virginia Haines, Michael Fiure, Carmine Inteso, As They Kill Change Of Government Clarification

Sam Christopher Disagrees, Says Question “Needs Clarification”

Thanks To GOP Gang Of Three Who Weren’t Even There Nine Months Ago, Thousands Of Dover Township Voters Will Get No Clarifying Statement On Confusing Government Change Ballot Question

Dover Township: Three members of the township committee voted to kill any clarification of the change of government question that will appear on the November ballot.

Many citizens, particularly those who worked collect 10,000 signatures to put the question on the ballot, have complained that the mandatory question to appear on the ballot does not even mention that the mayor would be directly elected by the voters if the question passes, and is one of the central features of the new proposed form of government.

Petitioners Wanted A Clarifying Statement

The question on the ballot never mentions election of a mayor: “Shall the Mayor-Council Plan of the Optional Municipal Charter Law, providing for a division of the municipality into four (4) wards with seven (7) councilmen, one to be elected from each ward and three (3) to be elected at large at elections to be held in November be adopted by Dover Township?”

Petitioners wanted an “explanatory statement” printed on the ballot, clarifying the issue and stating the Mayor would be elected instead of the current procedure of appointing the “mayor” which has produced three appointed “mayors” since the beginning of the year.

Clarification Shot Down Along Party Lines, 3-2

A resolution calling for a clarification was introduced by Democratic Committee members John Russo Jr. and John Fiure, but the Republican majority of Virginia Haines, Michael Fiure and appointed “Mayor” Carmine Inteso shot it down 3-2 along party lines.

Haines, Fiure, Inteso and their colleagues who benefit financially from the current GOP administration all oppose the change of government proposal and would like to see it voted down in November.

Clarification Also Shot Down By County’s GOP Law Firm

The question was then submitted to the county clerk’s office, but County Attorney Jack Sahradnik, whose law firm has been employed by the Republican township committee majority to do “labor relations” work, stuck to the party line and said there was no language in the statute specifically authorizing an explanatory statement.

Petition leaders quickly point out there was no language that prohibited the clarification either, but Sahradnik shot the proposal down, so there will be no clarification, and voters will have to find out for themselves they can directly elect a mayor next year by voting YES this year.

Columnist Sam Christopher Calls For A Clarification

Ocean County Observer Columnist Sam Christopher called for a clarification, saying “the question is vague and needs clarification in simple, straight-forward terms.”

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