Norris: Let Middle Voters Decide on Change in Government

In October 2018, Middle Township Committee approved the formation of the Citizens Advisory Board that would study different types of municipal structures and compare them to the township’s current, three-member committee form of government.
The advisory board, called for by then Committeeman Tim Donohue in December of 2017, was finally supported by Deputy Mayor Devico, nearly a year later. My opponent, Mike Clark, refused to support the measure when it was first brought to a vote.
Nine months after its formation, the advisory board presented its findings to the governing body. The volunteers on the board, under the leadership of Board Chairman Mike Butterfield, did an excellent job in looking at this important issue with a broad lens. They were diligent and meticulous in their work and research. Their meetings were public and held in locations throughout the township, to encourage citizens’ input and participation.
While the board’s final report did not recommend one, a specific new form of government, the consensus of the members was that Middle Township should at minimum increase the number of members on the governing body from three to five, as a first step in bringing more representative government to the Township.
FROM THE REPORT: “It is the consensus of most of this advisory board that a change in our current form of government would be best for Middle Township. At a minimum, to increase the number of seats from the current three (3) would provide for more oversight, avoid communication challenges related to the Sunshine Act and provide for greater representation and opportunity throughout the township. In addition, by increasing the number of seats to five (5) or more, the probability of party change tends to decrease. With greater oversight, one would garner, comes greater efficiency and communication.”
Mayor Donohue and Deputy Mayor Gandy have supported the board’s findings.  Committeeman Clark does not.
Michael Clark continues to advocate for preserving the status quo, a tight-fisted, three person committee. No other town in the state, comparable in size and area to Middle Township, still operates under this three person committee form of government, first established in 1798.
This approach lead to 80 years of one party control that sadly became a breeding ground for special interest favoritism, nepotism, undue influence by special interests, a lack of transparency and accountability and an ever-increasing tax burden on our residents. Clark would prefer that the good work of the advisory board be left to gather dust; that power remain concentrated in the hands of a privileged few.
For the record, I fully support changing our government to one that offers more representation to our communities. The three person committee has been dominated for decades by a full majority from Court House. This has left many people in neighboring parts of Middle, including; Rio Grande, Del Haven, Green Creek, Goshen, and Whitesboro, feeling their voices are often not heard and important issues are not addressed.
It is time to consider a new form of government that respects the diverse voices in our 73 square mile community and the needs of our unique and historic neighborhoods.
The board’s study found that voters want a real voice when it comes to who serves as their mayor. The current system allows the three committee members to decide amongst themselves who will be appointed mayor and deputy mayor. I believe the choice of a mayor, and in essence the direction of our town must be done by the voters directly.
Voters want to hear on the campaign trail how a prospective mayor plans to address the concerns of the township, instead of waiting to find out who that mayor is in January each year.
Changing our form of government would end the overly-political, yearly election cycle in Middle Township. We have an election for township committee every year. The need for political parties to seek candidates, raise campaign funds and assume an adversarial posture on an annual basis, harms the governing body’s ability to work together on long-range goals for the good of all the community.
Time spent campaigning and fundraising each year could and should be better spent on pursuing smarter, more open and efficient government.
My opponent would prefer that the nine months of hard work (and resulting sage counsel) of the advisory board be shelved as just another “study” and gradually forgotten. If we believe in a more open and honest government, we cannot permit this to happen.
This report should be the foundational building block on a path to a more open, transparent and representative form of government for Middle Township; a government that better reflects the unique history and diversity of our home town and is better structured to face the complex challenges of the 21st century.
When elected, I will call for this question to be put before the voters in the fall of 2020. It’s your government. It should be your decision.
Ordered and paid for by Norris for Committee, 113 S. 10th St., Del Haven, NJ 08251