“In my opinion public questions are key to truly hearing what the electorate is thinking and I plan to continue to use them again for other matters in the borough.” Care Less
Those are the words of Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon. Every other Mayor and council throughout the state should follow her example.
The Mayor made the statement to newspapers, actually, to anybody who asks, following the overwhelming votes on two issues facing Highlands these days.
The two questions, one on the regionalization with Sea Bright for better, more cost efficient, higher quality education for students in her town, Sea Bright and Atlantic Highlands, and the second on whether the residents want a 14 foot wall which allegedly will stop flooding in the borough some time in the future but which will cost millions to put in place and maintain.
The folks in Highlands voted overwhelmingly on both issues: yes they want regionalization, and no thanks, they don’t want a 14 foot wall to change the esthetics of their town.
What’s more, the Mayor is promising to follow the will of the people…as every mayor should do ” My administration will honor that vote while continuing to work with state and federal agencies to help solve our flooding issues,” she said.
Smart move.
She is telling the people who voted not only is she listening but she’s going to do what they say.
On the other hand, she isn’t going to quit working to resolve flooding problems and isn’t going to turn down other ideas from the state or federal government.
In short, not only is this Mayor listening to her people, she’s also listening to the folks who could provide funds and ideas for something the local people might like.
That regionalization issue has been the talk of all three towns for a few years now. That alone should show the people are interested. The fact that seven out of ten voters went to the polls in Highlands and another huge percentage went to the polls to say yes to the same question in Sea Bright should alert Atlantic Highlands officials to how important this issue is to the people.
The fact that only 360 Highlands voters don’t think regionalization is a good idea while 2150 like it, and on the other hand, 1959 votes said no to that 14 foot wall and 579 said it would be okay is also indicative that Highlands voters not only read and understood the questions, but they took the time to read them again carefully at the polls and cast their ballots thoughtfully.
But it wasn’t on the ballot in Atlantic Highlands.
Frivolous, the mayor had said.
She did not say it is frivolous for Oceanport or Shore Regional school districts to pour thousands of dollars into trying to take control over what Sea Bright should do.
Nor did she say it is frivolous that Atlantic Highlands has paid not one, but two different lawyers to look into and take stands, without the people’s input, into the question. But asking people in Atlantic Highlands simply to give their opinion on regionalizing with Sea Bright was frivolous, she said.
Yet, Atlantic Highlands did have a question on the ballot, and the voters approved it. Their question was on whether they wanted to pay extra in their taxes to protect open space.
The people answered. Sure, they’ll pay extra and be grateful for the open space. That isn’t frivolous.
But do they want to save on some of those same taxes by having three towns, instead of two, paying for education for their kids? According to the mayor, and apparently the entire council because no one else brought it up either, it’s frivolous to ask the folks for an opinion about that.
