Special Meetings Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon and the Borough Council are calling a special meeting for Monday night, September 30 at 6 p.m. to ensure residents have yet another opportunity to learn more about the non-binding question on the ballot concerning Henry Hudson Regional school district including Sea Bright in the district.
The ballot question will give the governing body an indication on whether voters in Highlands support tax relief by adding Sea Bright to the regional school district.
In addition to the Mayor and Council, several Highlands professionals will also be at the meeting encouraging questions from the public before the November 5 election. All voters from any of the three towns affected by the regionalization are invited to attend the meeting
Although the question is non-binding, which means it does not have a legal impact on whether regionalization would go forward, Mayor Broullon has indicated many times in the past she wants to be sure voters are fully informed on any question put on the ballot and has provided town hall hearings to ensure the governing body has made all efforts to keep the public informed.
Regionalization including Sea Bright needs the majority approval of all three towns’ voters before it could be enacted. Both Sea Bright and Highlands have the non-binding question on the November ballot seeking the opinion of voters. However, Atlantic Highlands Mayor and Council chose not to put the question on the ballot, with Mayor Lori Hohenleitner saying it was “frivolous.”
Oceanport and Shore Regional Boards of Education, from which Sea Bright would withdraw in order to join Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, appealed the Commissioner of Education’s approval of a possible regionalization to the Appellate Division of the Court.
That appeal is being heard Tuesday in Trenton.You can watch the proceedings HERE
Should the Judge uphold the state Commissioner’s decision, the three municipalities would then have a binding question on a ballots either in November, 2025 or in a special election, as to whether Sea Bright could join. All three towns must approve it before regionalization with Sea Bright could take place.
This is one of two questions on the Highlands ballot in November. The second question, also non-binding, concerns the flood wall plans by the Army Corps of Engineers.
A second meeting with information on that plan is scheduled to be held October 7 at 6 p.m. and will be held at Henry Hudson Regional School to accommodate what is expected to be a large crowd.
I’m sorry, Murial, but you have this woman confused with someone who cares about what her constituents say.
She ignored residents about the 15 million dollar borough hall; most residents were concerned about the cost and scale for a small borough. She ignored a survey and residents’ sentiments regarding Bay Avenue Redevelopment, which will make flooding considerably worse for the borough and place more people in danger of a significant storm event. She ignored the Frank Hall Park survey—she asked for input, never released the survey results, and put in for a grant application for who knows what. She has already decided, as she had in all instances cited. It’s a dog and pony show. She voted twice against the Ace to finish a free feasibility study. She put it on the ballad when still many don’t understand it, and it’s too late with ballots already out. She is biased and creates a hostile, intimidating environment for those who may support the project. Just watch the last meeting and how she allowed aggression with a grin on her face. She has these meetings at 6:00 pm when most working folks or families with children cannot participate and refuse to use Zoom or Google Meet. As the other Bayshore mayors have shown, we would already have flood protection if she had the courage to act.
The next highlands floodwall meeting is October 7th! Not Oct 5th as this article states!!!! See highlands borough website for more info.