Borough of West Long Branch Candidates
WLB mayor

Janet Tucci South Arlene Drive Republican

When Mayor Janet W. Tucci won the special mayoral election last fall, she garnered the votes not only of fellow Republicans, but Democrats and independents.

"I appreciated that [voters] knew how hard I worked for the town," said Tucci, who has served as an elected official for 21 consecutive years including the last 11 months as mayor.

Now that she's sampled life in the mayor's office, Tucci, presently filling the unexpired term of former Democratic Mayor Paul Zambrano, wants to stay for another four years.

"I decided I would run again because people seem to appreciate my efforts," said Tucci, a lifelong borough resident.

As councilwoman for 20 years Tucci says she gained a working knowledge of the borough's departments.

With its more than $7 million municipal budget, the borough "needs an experienced leader at the helm," Tucci noted.

Seeking to share services with other municipalities as a means of stabilizing escalating property taxes is a priority for Tucci, who hopes to set up a committee to look into such agreements.

John E. Hegarty Fulton Avenue Democrat

"This is what the public wants," Tucci said. "It doesn't mean we have to give up home rule completely."

In particular, Tucci would like to pursue a proposal to share municipal court services with neighboring Ocean Township as a means of saving money and eliminating the need for a courtroom in a proposed new police station.

Though the funding of public schools via property taxes is the domain of state, not local, government, Tucci believes the governing body ought to do what it can to lessen the load on tax-weary residents.

On Tucci's watch, the borough has secured a low-interest state Department of Environment Protection (DEP) loan to clean up Franklin Lake, funding from Monmouth County to repair lighting near that lake, and state Department of Transportation (DOT) grants for paving Larchwood Avenue and Parker Road.

A property maintenance ordinance passed earlier this year has proven effective, and the borough has humanely, but successfully dealt with its goose population, Tucci said.

Seven nonpartisan new members appointed to the borough's planning and adjustment boards are committed to enforcing the master plan and zoning laws, she continued.

Tucci hopes to see a long-term, albeit cost-effective resolution to water-logged conditions inside the police station at 95 Poplar Ave.

"We are fortunate to have a fine police department," Tucci said. "They deserve a new home."

Political newcomer and Democratic mayoral hopeful John E. Hegarty says he has heard the people's cries about high taxes.

"West Long Branch is a great community," said the 11-year borough resident. "Crime is low, the quality of life is good, but the taxes we pay are simply outrageous."

"I represent positive change that will benefit the entire community," Hegarty said. "Outrageous increases in property taxes have created a hardship on a lot of the residents in our community."

Currently a member of the town's Environmental Commission and a former member of the borough Planning Board and the Shade Tree Commission, Hegarty points to his tenure with those bodies as proof of his ability to work with others.

To address property taxes, Hegarty said that if elected, he would pursue a zero-based budget before crafting the annual municipal spending plan, and shared services with nearby towns.

"We will begin sharing services with other communities and think outside of the box to find ways to streamline borough operations to reduce costs," he said

Hegarty also favors regular maintenance of borough-owned properties, switching to an automated garbage

collection service and streamlining services.

To find money for items such as automated garbage trucks, Hegarty calls for enlisting grant writers who would work on commission only.

Automated garbage trucks would "save on worker compensation insurance and free up borough employees who can then maintain our properties," he said.

Regarding conditions inside the borough police station at 95 Poplar Ave., Hegarty has said that he supports repairing that 78-year-old facility, specifically by fixing leaks in its foundation and remediating the mold in its basement.

Originally a candidate for the Borough Council, Hegarty decided to seek the mayor's office instead late last summer out of what he calls frustration with the way the current GOP-controlled governing body has conducted business.

"Most of the [tax] increases in the last year were caused by bad management," Hegarty said.

"I know how to make hard decisions that may not be popular, but at the end of the day [they] are going to benefit the entire community and not just special interests," said Hegarty, who said he is campaigning on platforms of "Open, Honest Government" and "Progress, Not Politics."

Hegarty is a self-employed construction contractor for over 25 years.