RED BANK – Should Red Bank change its government to allow nonpartisan municipal elections and give its mayor a vote in council matters?
The Red Bank Charter Commission, which has studied potential changes to the borough’s form of government for the past nine months, presented its suggestions from its report during its last meeting Tuesday night, arguing that getting rid of political parties might ease the regular battling that has come to dominate the town’s government.
Nearly 70% of Red Bank voters voted to form a charter study commission during last November’s election and now voters will be asked to vote for or against the recommendations in this November’s election.
The question reads: “Shall the council-manager plan of the Optional Municipal Charter Law, providing for seven council members to be elected at large for staggered terms at nonpartisan elections to be held in May, with the mayor directly elected by the voters, with run-off elections to be held thereafter if a sufficient number of candidates fail to attain a majority of votes, be adopted by the Borough of Red Bank?”
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How would elections be conducted?
Red Bank currently holds two municipal elections a year — the June primary, in which the Democratic and Republican parties pick their candidates, and then the general election in November.
Under the proposal, there will be one election every other year in May. The commission’s report found yearly elections “draining” and said a year’s break would allow “the council additional time to pursue initiatives without experiencing annual election gridlock.”
