Middle Needs a New Form of Government for the 21st Century

To the Editor: 
Driving south on the Garden State Parkway, approaching Exit 13, one will see a sign that says, “Middle Township – Next 6 Exits.” At 73 square miles, Middle is the eighth largest town in New Jersey, by area.
Middle ranks in the top one-third of New Jersey towns, in number of residents; with a population approaching 20,000 and the township shares a border with seven of the other 15 communities in the county. Looking to the future, Middle Township has more potential for future growth than any other local municipality.
These facts present both challenges and opportunities that the township’s governing body must be well equipped to meet and exploit; yet, Middle Township has the smallest governing body in the county, a three-person committee.
The committee form of government is one of the oldest in New Jersey. Under this form of government, the town can be governed by either a three- or five-person committee.
Upper and Dennis Townships, with populations and areas much smaller than Middle Township’s, use the five-person committee form. Of 23 towns in New Jersey with a population between 17,000 and 20,000, only Middle Township uses the three-person committee form of government. 
The committee form of government requires an election every year. In the last decade, we have seen tightly contested races and a shift from a Democrat majority to a Republican majority and back again, in just five years.
This whipsaw election process is creating a hyper-political environment in Town Hall and forcing elected committeemen to spend much of their time each year running for office or working on the campaigns of their allies. There is little time to catch our breath, to work together or to focus properly on long-term goals.
As I enter my third term, I believe it is time to grow our governing body and change the form of government. This change would create a more representative and diverse group of elected officials, presiding over a more open, stable and deliberative governing process. There are several options to explore, and, ultimately, after an open public process, the decision would be made by the voters of Middle Township.
My vote would be to look to Lower Township. Their governing body is composed of five council members (mayor, council member-at-large, and three wards), each elected on a partisan basis, serving the township for a four-year term. Because the terms overlap, elections to the council are held every two years. This would allow for a five-member governing body, with geographic representation and elections every other year, but I’m just one voter, out of close to 13,000 in our town. Everyone should have their say.
The process to study a change in our form of government can begin quickly and easily with the creation of a Charter Study Committee by township committee. The Charter Study Committee would review all options available and make a recommendation that they deem to be the best fit for Middle Township. The next step would be a petition drive to secure the number of signatures required to place the change in government on the ballot.
This is the start of an important conversation on the future of our town. We face many complicated challenges in Middle Township. In a town of close to 20,000 citizens, we need a governing body that better reflects the priorities of our diverse communities and takes full advantage of the talented, intelligent and engaged local leaders that should have a say in the future direction of our town.
I hope Mayor Michael Clark and Deputy Mayor Jeffrey DeVico will join me now in voting for the creation of the Charter Study Committee. Let’s get this conversation started.
ED. NOTE: The author is a Middle Township Committee member.