Hegarty will address concerns of residents

I have been a resident of West Long Branch for over seven years and during that time, my taxes and my frustration with the town have continually gone up.

There is much more litter in our streets and waterways as some residents put garbage and recyclables, construction debris and all unwanted yard waste in the street regardless of the borough's collection schedule.

This is especially common in those neighborhoods where an increasing number of homes are occupied by temporary residents. West Long Branch has finally adopted a Property Maintenance Ordinance, which is supposed to address these issues. But the borough already had existing ordinances regarding proper waste disposal, which were rarely enforced. As a result, the Department of Public Works is burdened with cleaning up after these residents, while all taxpayers are burdened with paying for it.

I have four children, yet there is not a single playground in a public park in West Long Branch for the children to enjoy. For years, the borough has been promising to build a new playground in town. But all that has been accomplished is to remove the last existing playground, only a portion of which was deemed unsafe.

In addition, there are no water, restroom facilities or picnic tables at the town parks where local families spend their days playing soccer and baseball. Why can every other neighboring town, with similar financial situations as West Long Branch, provide these basic amenities at their parks? For how much longer is West Long Branch's governing body going to watch residents travel to another community to enjoy a nice park?

Most residents are aware that the existing West Long Branch police station has a leaking roof and is "infested with mold."

As a result, the current Borough Council is determined to build the police department a new 17,000 square-foot police station at a cost of $5.5 million. And if they can't build this new very large building, they'll renovate the current building at a cost exceeding $6.5 million. However, this same Borough Council has reported that the current building is structurally sound and that air quality inspections did not show mold levels above the indoor air quality standards.

Our municipal employees deserve to work in safe buildings that do not leak, but is a complete renovation or replacement absolutely necessary? Why do the current mayor and council seem so reluctant to consider any less costly ideas? How much more can our taxes go up?

Much of the current governing body of West Long Branch has been in office for many years, watching the taxes and "For Sale" signs keep going up, as they make little or no changes in the quality of life to keep families in West Long Branch.

It's time for a change. This Election Day, Nov. 7, I urge all West Long Branch residents to vote for John Hegarty for mayor.

John is a self-employed home-builder who has the determination and decision-making skills needed to address the concerns of his fellow residents. John is running on a platform of "Open, Honest Government," and he is open to any new ideas and changes that will benefit all residents of West Long Branch, help ease our tax burden and improve our quality of life.

Greg Schussler

West Long Branch