Former mayor challenges committeemen on ownership
BY KATHY BARATTA
Staff Writer

MANALAPAN - A former mayor has criticized two Township Committee members for not telling voters they do not own property in the community.

At the Sept. 27 meeting of the Township Committee, former Mayor George Spodak made several queries of committeemen Andrew Lucas and Joseph Locricchio regarding their resident status.

Spodak said he had become aware that neither Lucas nor Locricchio paid property taxes in Manalapan, as neither was an owner of any real estate in Manalapan.

Spodak told the News Transcript he believes that in a town like Manalapan, voters naturally assume a resident running for elected office is a home or property owner in the township.

Speaking at the meeting and later with a reporter, Spodak said that by not informing the voters who elected them they did not own real property in Manalapan, the two men had "lied by omission."

Spodak said he was focusing his criticism mainly on Locricchio, due, he said, to the fact that Lucas, who is single, lives on his parents' farm, where he has resided since birth.

However, said the former mayor, Locricchio "is another story."

Responding to Spodak at the Sept. 27 meeting, Locricchio said he had sold his home in 2004 and was renting until he could find a new home he and his wife wanted to purchase. Noting that Gov. Jon Corzine was a renter when he took office following his election as governor, Locricchio told Spodak, "If it's good enough for the governor [to rent instead of own a residence], it's good enough for me."

Speaking to a reporter after the meeting, Spodak said he did not believe that voters would have elected a committeeman who could "just pack up in the middle of the night and leave without a look back."

Referring directly to Locricchio, Spodak noted that as a renter in Knob Hill, Locricchio was not able to vote on issues put before the property owners that make up the condominium association.

"He's not eligible to vote on issues in his own front yard, but he's voting on issues that affect the whole town. I have a problem with that," Spodak said.

In other business, the committee announced a logo contest that is being sponsored by Manalapan Township, which will be open to all Freehold Regional High School students. The Mayor's Arts Council is looking for a logo that will be used as the face of the council.

Speaking before the Township Committee, Recreation Advisory Board members Michael Gross and Sandra Lippman announced the proposal that will feature three prize categories for aspiring artists who take the challenge to develop the logo.

According to Lippman, Best Buy, of Manalapan is the Mayor's Arts Council's "local business partner" who will be awarding a $1,000 Best Buy gift certificate to the grand-prize winner whose logo will be chosen, a second-place $350 Best Buy gift certificate for the runner-up, and a $150, third-place gift certificate.

Judges for the finalists will include Gross and Lippman, as well as Manalapan residents Judy Drucker, Rene McCallum and Cheryl Soback.

The submission deadline for entries in the logo contest is Nov. 3. The finalists' work will be displayed in the Best Buy store for community participation and voting is Nov. 16-18.

The winners will be announced Nov. 29.