Kleinberg tops Glickman to win mayor’s office
Marlboro residents tap
school board member
for highest municipal post
BY LARRY RAMER
Staff Writer

Dr. Robert Kleinberg’s message of strong opposition to unchecked residential development struck a chord with a majority of Marlboro residents who went to the polls on Election Day, Nov. 4.

Running as a Republican, Kleinberg, 47, a member of the Marlboro Board of Education, won the township’s highest elected office in his first bid for a municipal position. He will have to give up his seat on the school board when he moves into the mayor’s office.

He defeated first-time candidate Democrat Steven Glickman, 4,264 to 3,893. Kleinberg received 52 percent of the votes to Glickman’s 48 percent. During the campaign both candidates accused each other of having close ties to housing developers.

Republican Mayor Matthew V. Scanna-pieco did not run for re-election and will complete 12 years of service in the mayor’s office on Dec. 31.

Kleinberg targeted the Scannapieco administration for criticism in the weeks leading up to Election Day.

Scannapieco responded by taking out several advertisements in the News Transcript chastising Kleinberg for statements he (Kleinberg) had made in newspaper articles and advertisements.

Kleinberg, a chiropractor who is also an insurance consultant, has lived in Marlboro for 17 years. He will begin serving a four-year term as mayor in January. Upon taking office, Kleinberg will have to resign his seat on the Board of Education.

Board of Education President Cynthia Green said the board will have 65 days to select a qualified replacement for Kleinberg from the day he resigns. The new board member will have to run for office in April.

Kleinberg said he believes the election results show that his campaign message had resonated with the voters of Marlboro.

"The election confirmed what we said during the campaign — that Marlboro is going in the wrong direction and the people want change," Kleinberg said. "I want to thank the people of Marlboro who came out and voted. We will keep our pledge to make Marlboro a better place to live."

On the afternoon following the election, Kleinberg’s Internet Web site (www.robertkleinberg.com) was a bit more exuberant than the mayor-elect himself. "Robert Kleinberg is now the Mayor Elect for Marlboro Township!" the Web site reads. "HOW SWEET IT IS! Marlboro Will Soon Be Better Than Ever!!! Marlboro is not for Sale! Good-bye Developers! Better days are just on the horizon..." the Web site proclaims.

According to the message, the Web site is being updated and will "become an avenue for Marlboro residents on the Internet to keep in touch with the mayor and his staff as he leads Marlboro to new heights."

Kleinberg said he is planning to form a transition committee of about 12 people that will analyze issues such as mayoral appointments.

"We do not want to make haphazard decisions," he said, adding that he will be joined on the transition committee by his victorious Township Council running mates Joseph Pernice and Patti Morrelli, and his campaign manager Mitch Jacobs.

Not every member of the transition team has been selected, but Kleinberg said the committee will "represent a diverse cross-section of Marlboro residents."

Judging by statements made on Nov. 5 by Scannapieco and Kleinberg, as well as a brief interaction between the two men at a Planning Board meeting that evening, the outgoing mayor will probably not be a member of Kleinberg’s transition committee.

Kleinberg told a reporter he has no plans to meet with Scannapieco personally. Scannapieco then walked over and informed Kleinberg that he would schedule a block of time for the mayor-elect to visit Town Hall and meet with municipal employees.

"I don’t support how you got elected," Scannapieco told Kleinberg.

Kleinberg replied, "I have nothing to say."

"We should cooperate for the best interests of the residents of Marlboro," Scannapieco said.

Kleinberg nodded, but it seemed that the tension between the two men was thick.

Scannapieco said Kleinberg would only hurt himself by declining to meet with him.

"I won’t force myself on him. It’s his loss. I have extensive background, knowledge and experience that would benefit him in getting up to speed on the issues quicker. He hasn’t been here and has no feel for the issues ... It’s up to him if he wants to put our differences aside for the benefit of the people or just go on his merry way," the mayor said.

Speaking of the outcome of the race, Glickman said, "Kleinberg’s campaign was based on lies, false accusations and misrepresentations."

Glickman said Kleinberg falsely accused his campaign of taking money from housing developers.

The News Transcript obtained documents indicating that the local Democratic campaign received approximately $6,000 from the Monmouth County Democrats, which has received funds from housing developers in recent years.

Glickman, who said he would not seek office again in the near future, said he did not believe Kleinberg would be able to deliver on his campaign promise to stop what he (Kleinberg) called residential overdevelopment.

For his part, the mayor-elect said he intends to keep all of his campaign promises.

"We plan to do everything that we said we would do," he told a reporter.

Kleinberg said he would meet with members of the township council before taking office. Democrats will still have a 3-2 majority on the council next year. The mayor-elect added that township officials should re­frain from taking unnecessary, major steps before January.

"I trust that, where legally possible, no rash decisions will be made until the new government is in place," the mayor-elect said.