Post by admin on Oct 31, 2011 10:33:56 GMT -5
nt.gmnews.com/news/2011-10-26/Front_Page/Clayton_Earle_make_bid_for_Freehold_council_seats.html
(Click on link for full article)
When asked why he decided to run for council, Clayton said, “Being a longtime resident of Freehold Borough, I have sat back too long and watched the borough slide in the wrong direction. I believe I can bring the same success I have had with all of the other organizations I have volunteered on to the borough by being a part of its leadership.
“My career has taught me how to work with the public, to multitask and to meet challenges head on. I am always focused on the issues at hand and I don’t give up just because things are difficult. I see things through to the end and that is not going to change,” he said .
Addressing issues he believes are important in the borough, the candidate said, “Fiscal responsibility is often a campaign slogan, but the truth is that the borough budget has ballooned out of control over the years and has created a situation where the tax burden on residents to meet the budget has skyrocketed.
“Marianne and I have spoken with various people who work or who have worked in the municipal and finance fields and have reviewed the budget line by line to identify areas and ways to better manage the overall budget, which would result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings.
“I have done a comparison analysis to towns that have similar attributes, such as size, population and socioeconomics, to ours. In reviewing the information, it is clear that our budget needs an aggressive overhaul. In saying this, the money currently appropriated needs to be reviewed and reappropriated by need.
“The outdated mindset and systems put in place put this town in ridiculous lawsuits. We should have a more proactive dialogue as opposed to the usual defensive stance. If there is a continuous problem or issue, such as code enforcement, then maybe the system in place is broken. In this day and age, there is no reason why we cannot take advantage of technology to speed up the process of addressing concerns and creating consistency,” Clayton said.
One of the Republicans’ platforms is term limits for council members. The two candidates said they believe an individual should be limited to two three-year terms.
“Once you are out (of office) for a year, you can run again. This gives the residents of Freehold a chance to see what other people can do for them and not the same old status quo year after year,” Clayton said. “I refuse to accept mediocrity, and being told there is nothing we can do is unacceptable to me.
“For instance, there can be a way to address the traffic hazards caused by loiterers. If police need to do their job, then we need to support them. Other towns have addressed their day laborer issues in a civilized manner. We can do that, too. But I understand we cannot address anything if we don’t think outside the box. A strong community is built by extending your hand, not by waving your fist,” he said.
When asked why she is running for a seat on the council, Earle said, “I don’t like the direction Freehold Borough is going in. I am not a politician, but in an area of 2.2 square miles, to make politics your first objective is ridiculous.”
Earle said she wants to “pull together” and “get the town back into shape.”
“I want to address all court systems and explore the idea of sharing legal services with neighboring towns such as Freehold Township or Colts Neck or other towns to combine the cost of judges, prosecutors and all of the other costs that are necessary to run the courts. This would cut a lot of money out of the budget,” the candidate said.
She would also like to address the $8,000 stipend that is budgeted for each council member. She said if she is elected, she will not accept the stipend.
One of her priorities, if elected, will be to address code enforcement issues in the borough.
“I want to start enforcing the regulations on the books regarding the court system and overcrowding,” she said.
Earle noted that one issue that has developed in the borough over the years is the number of people who congregate at various locations in town in an attempt to be hired as day laborers. She said she would like to work to establish one facility where individuals who are seeking daily work can be picked up.
She said she would like to see that facility expand to include classes where volunteers can teach English to individuals for whom English is not a first language and also possibly offer after-school programs with tutors, and other activities for families.
“There will probably be some day labors who will still choose to wait out on the street, but it is a good probability that at least 75 percent will come to the facility,” she said.
The candidate said she has maintained and continues to maintain a deep interest in what goes on in the borough’s downtown district. She has been a member of Downtown Freehold (formerly the Freehold Center Partnership) since its inception and is now a member of its executive board.
(Click on link for full article)
When asked why he decided to run for council, Clayton said, “Being a longtime resident of Freehold Borough, I have sat back too long and watched the borough slide in the wrong direction. I believe I can bring the same success I have had with all of the other organizations I have volunteered on to the borough by being a part of its leadership.
“My career has taught me how to work with the public, to multitask and to meet challenges head on. I am always focused on the issues at hand and I don’t give up just because things are difficult. I see things through to the end and that is not going to change,” he said .
Addressing issues he believes are important in the borough, the candidate said, “Fiscal responsibility is often a campaign slogan, but the truth is that the borough budget has ballooned out of control over the years and has created a situation where the tax burden on residents to meet the budget has skyrocketed.
“Marianne and I have spoken with various people who work or who have worked in the municipal and finance fields and have reviewed the budget line by line to identify areas and ways to better manage the overall budget, which would result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings.
“I have done a comparison analysis to towns that have similar attributes, such as size, population and socioeconomics, to ours. In reviewing the information, it is clear that our budget needs an aggressive overhaul. In saying this, the money currently appropriated needs to be reviewed and reappropriated by need.
“The outdated mindset and systems put in place put this town in ridiculous lawsuits. We should have a more proactive dialogue as opposed to the usual defensive stance. If there is a continuous problem or issue, such as code enforcement, then maybe the system in place is broken. In this day and age, there is no reason why we cannot take advantage of technology to speed up the process of addressing concerns and creating consistency,” Clayton said.
One of the Republicans’ platforms is term limits for council members. The two candidates said they believe an individual should be limited to two three-year terms.
“Once you are out (of office) for a year, you can run again. This gives the residents of Freehold a chance to see what other people can do for them and not the same old status quo year after year,” Clayton said. “I refuse to accept mediocrity, and being told there is nothing we can do is unacceptable to me.
“For instance, there can be a way to address the traffic hazards caused by loiterers. If police need to do their job, then we need to support them. Other towns have addressed their day laborer issues in a civilized manner. We can do that, too. But I understand we cannot address anything if we don’t think outside the box. A strong community is built by extending your hand, not by waving your fist,” he said.
When asked why she is running for a seat on the council, Earle said, “I don’t like the direction Freehold Borough is going in. I am not a politician, but in an area of 2.2 square miles, to make politics your first objective is ridiculous.”
Earle said she wants to “pull together” and “get the town back into shape.”
“I want to address all court systems and explore the idea of sharing legal services with neighboring towns such as Freehold Township or Colts Neck or other towns to combine the cost of judges, prosecutors and all of the other costs that are necessary to run the courts. This would cut a lot of money out of the budget,” the candidate said.
She would also like to address the $8,000 stipend that is budgeted for each council member. She said if she is elected, she will not accept the stipend.
One of her priorities, if elected, will be to address code enforcement issues in the borough.
“I want to start enforcing the regulations on the books regarding the court system and overcrowding,” she said.
Earle noted that one issue that has developed in the borough over the years is the number of people who congregate at various locations in town in an attempt to be hired as day laborers. She said she would like to work to establish one facility where individuals who are seeking daily work can be picked up.
She said she would like to see that facility expand to include classes where volunteers can teach English to individuals for whom English is not a first language and also possibly offer after-school programs with tutors, and other activities for families.
“There will probably be some day labors who will still choose to wait out on the street, but it is a good probability that at least 75 percent will come to the facility,” she said.
The candidate said she has maintained and continues to maintain a deep interest in what goes on in the borough’s downtown district. She has been a member of Downtown Freehold (formerly the Freehold Center Partnership) since its inception and is now a member of its executive board.