UPPER FREEHOLD – One Democrat and one Republican are seeking one three-year term on the Township Committee in Upper Freehold Township this year. Voters will head to the polls on Nov. 7.
Democrat Elliot Wiesner is seeking the seat currently held by Republican Dr. Robert Frascella, who is seeking re-election.
Frascella, who is serving as Upper Freehold’s mayor this year, has served on the committee for nine years. He is also a member of the Planning Board and the Open Space Committee.
“I am running for re-election to continue my service to the residents of Upper Freehold and to maintain the high level of fiscal responsibility which has earned an AAA bond rating for Upper Freehold,” Frascella said. “I intend to continue working with neighboring towns on shared services agreements that make fiscal sense for Upper Freehold. I will continue to pursue preservation of worthy farmland and keep Upper Freehold the rural gem it is today.”
Frascella, who has been a resident of Upper Freehold for 14 years, is a general dentist in private practice, which he has worked at for more than 27 years.
“I have built my practice from scratch into what it is today through customer [patient] service and building relationships,” he said. “I currently have nine employees. I know what it means to manage finances, manage payroll and benefits, and make hard business decisions.”
One issue Frascella said he intends to continue to address if he is re-elected is road maintenance.
“Upper Freehold is in a strong financial position today due to the oversight by myself and this current Township Committee,” he said. “The most challenging and, quite honestly, expensive part of maintaining the town is road maintenance.
“With over 190 road miles of township roads and a limited budget, we have developed a road inventory system to prioritize repairs. Each year we apply for and receive DOT (New Jersey Department of Transportation) grants to lessen the burden on the taxpayer while improving road conditions,” he said.
Wiesner, who has lived in Upper Freehold since 2005, is making his first bid for Township Committee. He has been an appointed member of the Upper Freehold Environmental Advisory Committee since 2011.
“My wife and I have lived in Upper Freehold Township for the past 12 years,” Wiesner said. “Coming from very crowded Brooklyn and Staten Island, we love the open space, the peacefulness and beauty of the community. I care about the efficient management of government and I want to help keep the rural community atmosphere and small town feel of the township.”
Wiesner is an attorney and operates his own law firm.
“I worked in various management positions in the financial and medical services fields,” he said. “I attended law school at night while working full-time. Running my own law practice for the last 18 years, I have experienced the same financial ups and downs, same paperwork headaches, and same business issues that confront all small business owners, farmers and homeowners.
“Since most of the Township Committee’s agenda involves both financial and legal matters, I feel my practical experience in business and law would be an asset to the committee and the community,” he said.
If elected, Wiesner cited three issues he would address: coordinating with neighboring municipalities on cross-border issues; changing how the township communicates with residents; and working with state representatives to allow casino gambling at Freehold Raceway in Freehold and Monmouth Park in Oceanport to help preserve horse farms and related jobs.
“The township needs to actively coordinate with our eight neighboring townships and boroughs on cross-border issues such as open space, roads, school district issues and the proposed (natural gas) pipeline,” he said. “When elected, I will make sure the committee appoints active liaisons to work with our neighboring towns on these issues.
“The township website needs to be updated on a timely basis. For example, as of Oct. 1, the last posted Township Committee minutes are from Jan. 5. This is unacceptable. Also, committee meetings are often cancelled by only posting a notice in the window. The website needs to be updated so that residents can receive real-time notification of meeting cancellations, and/or changes of dates, times and locations. Finally, the meeting agendas should be posted in advance on the website.
“The committee needs to preserve our horse farms and their related jobs by working with our state representatives to allow casino gambling at our two Monmouth County racetracks,” Wiesner said. “We need to act aggressively to keep our equestrian industry competitive with Pennsylvania and New York. This action will preserve the value of all our farms.”
Republicans hold all five committee seats in Upper Freehold Township.
