RED BANK – Democrat Pasquale Menna and Republican Pearl Lee are campaigning for the mayor’s seat in Red Bank.
Election Day is Nov. 6.
The winner will serve a four-year term from January 2019 through December 2022.
Menna, the borough’s current mayor, did not respond to requests for comment on his bid for a fourth term. He defeated John P. Curley by slightly more than 100 votes in November 2006 and took office in January 2007. Menna, who is an attorney, ran for re-election in uncontested races in 2010 and 2014.
Lee, who is running for Red Bank’s top elected position, said, “The driving force behind my decision is twofold. One of my fondest memories growing up with my grandmother was one of her most common phrases, ‘So many choices.’ The way she tells it, having been born and raised in China, her choices were non-existent. You pretty much became whatever you were born into.
“Farmers’ offspring became farmers, laborers’ children became laborers, etc. Having (Menna) run unopposed for a third time just struck a chord in me that people having choices is, well, just so American. The second reason is the scathing Management Enhancement Review commissioned by Red Bank.
“This 42-page report involving 45 interviews with elected officials, professionals and the town’s workforce states that the town’s services delivery system is dysfunctional and ineffective. To quote a local newspaper, you could run a campaign centered on the report alone. It’s that bad. Since 2006, residents have not had a choice for mayor as (Menna) wins by default and it shows. This report became my call to action and I answered it,” she said.
Asked what she would like to accomplish in municipal government, Lee said, “I have over 40 years of business experience, 30 of those years running an entertainment company that was started in 1983 with $10,000 my dad left me when he passed away in 1979. I want to use my experience and help the operations of the town to become efficient, functional and cost-effective.
“I want to find ways to increase revenue without burdening residents with tax increases. The town should be run like a business with emphasis on helping residents and businesses. Customer service should be paramount. The master plan for the future of the town needs to be updated.
“Another issue that has been dormant is the shortage of parking, however, a study has been ordered and results will be forthcoming in December. There are also many pedestrian safety issues that must be addressed. Red Bank is at a crossroads and needs to have someone with business solutions, critical thinking, a fresh perspective and new ideas,” she said.
Lee is a part-time client associate with Merrill Lynch in Red Bank. She is also a singer songwriter and musician. Lee is a volunteer at the Women’s Exchange Gift Shop in Little Silver and a volunteer with Kevin Garrison’s Blessing Bag Brigade. She also volunteers with Garrison’s weekly community dinner for St. Luke’s Church, Long Branch.
Lee is a supporter of the Associated Humane Society. She is involved with the Family Civil Liberties Union and is on the board of Mary Weir’s Pacific Encore Performances repertory company. Lee has also coached children’s tennis at East Side Park in Red Bank.
