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Team Of Challengers Offer "A Change For The People"
By Keith Hagarty
This year, two slates of candidates are vying for three seats on the Manchester Township Council. Election Day is May 13.
It's time for Manchester to have some fresh, new faces and voices in town hall, say a slate of challengers vying for three seats on the Township Council.
A family man, a veteran and a senior citizen have joined together under the political banner "A Change For The People" with the purpose of providing three different voices for the town, voices who all share the same belief in doing whatever's necessary to help lower taxes in Manchester and answer to the community.
The slate of candidates challenging the incumbents for seats on the council are Don Bates, Robert Greger and James Poss.
A retired resident of Leisure Knoll, Don Bates, 73, is tired of what he's seen coming out of town hall.
"I honestly believe that it is past time for a change in the way the present administration is handling local government," said Bates. "It's time for new thinking and new minds."
Bates is no stranger to local politics, having served as the mayor of Jackson in 1978, where he was elected to four terms on the former Jackson Township Committee. He also served on the Township Board of Education there and as a member of the municipal utilities authority.
Now retired after working as government affairs manager for Jersey Central Power & Light, some of Bates' other credentials include: former president of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club and Fire Company #1; former regional relations manager for government relations at the New Jersey Department of Transportation; former manager of the state's community outreach department; former permit manager and ombudsman for the state; former member of the Ocean County College Board of Health and the Board of Trustees.
In addition to addressing rising property taxes, some of the other outstanding issues Bates would like to see addressed include plans to remedy the pollution at the 60-acre Pine Lake; controlling town growth while balancing the need for commercial ratables; improvements to traffic safety on Route 70, such as at the intersection of Beckerville Road, as well as the "dangerous" intersection at the gated community of Renaissance at Manchester at Wilber Avenue and Renaissance Drive.
"Those thousands of people are coming out of Renaissance with no four-way stop sign," said Bates. "There's a little sign there that says 'Be Careful, Dangerous Cross-Section Ahead' instead of them putting up four-way stop signs there. Someone's going to get killed, and it's going to be one of us senior citizens."
A veteran of the United States Marine Corp (USMC), Robert Greger, 40, has been a Manchester resident for 16 years. The father of two is a graduate of Central Regional High School and served an HMXI Presidential Helicopter Squadron Service, as well as holding top secret clearance for the USMC. He currently works for the industrial supply company McMaster-Carr.
"It's time for change with new people and new ideas," said Greger. "The incumbents have become too complacent. They are not the only residents who care about Manchester. My wife and I have chosen to raise our family here, and we plan on staying when we retire."
While he's proud of his extensive military background- which included serving under former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush- Greger said he's most concerned about the issues facing him, his family and his neighbors right here in his own backyard.
"I would like to contribute to the future of our town, and preserve the character of our hometown," he said, pointing to one of several issues he wants to see addressed. "The recent increase in the municipal tax rate is unacceptable. Every line item in the budget must be analyzed, and every dollar spent must be questioned as to the benefit and necessity of our residents."
A self-employed insurance broker for 28 years, James Poss, 48, has been a township resident for two decades. Despite losing out to Mayor Michael Fressola in a run for mayor two years ago, Poss said the experience provided a host of valuable lessons, and even more motivation to seek a spot on the governing body and make a difference.
"It was my first time ever in politics," Poss said of his debut run at public office. "Right now, I have a lot more people behind me, and a lot more people know who I am now."
In addition to his political pursuits, Poss said he enjoys volunteering and coaching the township's youth, with membership in the Manchester Little League and Manchester Recreation Basketball.
When explaining his reasons for seeking a spot on the Township Council, Poss said it's plain and simple.
"They're out of control spending, that's the main thing," he said. "I go to the meetings and it's like, 'this is what we want' … and then boom-boom-boom, they approve it. Nobody (on the council) even questions it. To me, it doesn't seem like they're accessible to the people. Be the people's voice. You were voted in by the people, protect them. But they're not doing that. They don't have the people's best interests at heart, in my opinion."
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