Unger: I will represent opposition on council
Says win is sign of anti-eminent domain sentiment
BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer

Brian Unger

LONG BRANCH - According to Councilman-elect Brian Unger, residents will see more than just a new face at the next meeting of the Long Branch City Council.

According to Unger, they will see a councilman who is not afraid to challenge current policy-making in the city.

"Before, opposition was just in the audience," said Unger in an interview last week after winning election to the council in the Nov. 7 special municipal election.

"Now, opposition has a place sitting on council," he said. "My job is to represent the opposition."

Unger took the council seat by a margin of more than 600 votes over runner-up Councilwoman Jackeline Biddle, who had been appointed to the seat by the council in August.

Unger will be sworn in to office at a special ceremony Wednesday at 4 p.m. at City Hall; the election results were certified by the Monmouth County Board of Elections on Nov. 14.

The tally of votes cast in the five-candidate race was 1,836 for Unger and 1,157 for Biddle.

Unger will fill the remaining term of former Councilman John "Fazz" Zambrano, who resigned the seat after pleading guilty before a U.S. district judge to accepting a bribe.

The term expires in 2010.

The council seat was also sought by Ralph DeFillipo, Vincent Maccioli and Michael Sirianni, who received 458, 234 and 632 votes, respectively.

Unger called his victory an "anti-eminent domain vote at large. It doesn't feel like an individual victory," he said.

"It is more a victory for everyone who believes in the issues I believe in.

"There is no question that this was an anti-eminent domain vote," he said.

Along with fair government and affordable work-force housing, Unger's political platform included fighting the abuse of eminent domain for private redevelopment projects in the city.

"The first thing I can do is try to convince one or two council [members] that [eminent domain] has gone far enough," Unger said, adding that standing up to eminent domain abuse is not a one-day process.

"We need to take a serious look at this legal battle [of pursuing eminent domain] that we are in," Unger explained.

"We need to actually calculate the cost of these lawsuits [from eminent domain], speak to developers, consult with experts outside of city hall and closely scrutinize these developer contracts," Unger said.

"We can try consulting with the developers to see if they are willing to redesign their projects to let the families that want to remain in their homes, stay in their homes," he said.

One redevelopment neighborhood that Unger has pledged to try to save from condemnation is the Marine and Ocean terraces and Seaview Avenue neighborhood known as MTOTSA.

"MTOTSA is a great neighborhood," Unger said.

"Infill development is the way to go," Unger said, adding that the city "just needs a different design and a different approach.

"One way to improve the three-street neighborhood without bulldozing the homes is fix roads, install street lighting and landscaping.

"Or, can the city provide low-interest home loans for homes that need to be remodeled?" he said.

Once eminent domain issues are resolved in Long Branch, Unger said, the city can then begin to concentrate on other areas, including problems with zoning applications and disturbances with college housing in residential neighborhoods.

"There doesn't seem to be much energy, because everything is exhausted on eminent domain," Unger said.

He said running for council was a positive experience.

The election was "a great experience. I met close to 1,000 people at various grocery stores, the train station and in their homes from going door to door," he said. "It was fabulous.

"I think the people in Long Branch are passionate about political issues and good government," he added.

Unger said he is looking forward to working with Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider and the City Council.

"They have been cordial and they have been friendly to me," Unger said, adding that each member of council has congratulated him on his victory.

However, Unger said he will be just one voice in an administration that has been serving together for 12 to 16 years.

"They have the majority," Unger said. "But this election was not a popularity vote. It was not based on the best résumés. It was not on ethnic backgrounds. It was a referendum largely about the current application of eminent domain," he said.

"And I think my one voice will make a difference."