The six candidates vying for three council seats in next week’s election in Tinton Falls assembled last night for what turned out to be a “congenial” debate, according to today’s Asbury Park Press.
Among the points of agreement: the new borough hall is… something less than desired. One candidate called it a “disgusting embarassment,” though it’s not clear if he was talking about the building itself or the fact that it is overdue and over-budget or both.
“Candidates from both slates pledged to ensure that taxpayer money would never be spent in that manner again,” the Press reports.
From the story:
Asked by audience members about development in town, all six candidates praised the work of the Planning Board — of which Barrett is a member. The board has recently approved the first major revision to the borough’s master plan in a decade.
“I truly believe that the need for controlled growth is crucial to our fiscal bottom line,” Barrett said.
But the borough hall construction project was the subject of the most heated language of the forum.
[Charles] Lomangino had the harshest language for the project, calling it a “disgusting embarrassment.”
Candidates from both slates pledged to ensure that taxpayer money would never be spent in that manner again.
Tobin defended the council’s actions since taking over the project from the administration of former Mayor Ann Y. McNamara, citing hundreds of thousands in savings on a project that he said was poorly planned.
“We inherited a mess,” Tobin said. “I think it’s easy to snipe, but if you do your homework, I think you’ll find we’re doing an excellent job with this building that we did inherit.”
