It was the best of towns, it was the worst of towns. It was listening, it was ignoring. It was the right decision, it was the wrong decision. This is the tale of how two towns, entwined in so many ways, differed so much in how they chose to handle trash collection for their residents.
It is perplexing that Englishtown and Manalapan, both completely controlled by Republican
administrations, faced the same issue, but came to entirely different conclusions on how to deal with trash collection.
Manalapan, with hardly any notice to the public and with less than a handful of residents in
attendance, changed the schedule for trash collection from pickups twice a week to once a
week contrary to the wishes of most residents.
Englishtown, on the other hand, introduced an ordinance during a special meeting of the mayor and Borough Council on March 9 and then announced a public hearing for March 23 for participation from its residents.
Because the residents had a voice in making the decision, Englishtown continues to have trash picked up twice a week.
Why do we allow Manalapan’s Township Committee to make policy that affects us all, behind closed doors and without any input from the public?
In stark contrast, Englishtown took the necessary steps to listen to the concerns of its residents and acted in accordance with their wishes.
Manalapan residents need to demand a voice in issues pertaining to our quality of life.
Rick Aaronson
Manalapan
