Republican incumbents will run for re-election
Kleinberg, Pernice & Morelli will seek new four-year terms
BY MARK ROSMAN
Staff Writer

Robert Kleinberg

MARLBORO - Three incumbent elected officials will seek new four-year terms in Marlboro's government this year.

Republicans Robert Kleinberg, Patricia Morelli and Joseph Pernice have announced that they will run for re-election. Kleinberg is serving the fourth year of his first term as mayor, and Morelli and Pernice are serving the fourth year of their first terms as members of the Township Council.

Kleinberg, who has lived in Marlboro for 22 years, said the best thing about being mayor is that "I met people I would never have met in a hundred years. I have learned things about the town that the average resident does not observe."

Kleinberg named a list of accomplishments that he believes warrants his re-election to a second term. He said that during his first term he and the council have restored people's faith in the honesty and integrity of their local government; slowed residential development by increasing the size of building lots; made public works its own department, thereby increasing the efficiency of that department.

He said he and the council eliminated several no show and political patronage jobs; became the first municipality in Monmouth County to have every union employee contribute to healthcare coverage for their dependents; enacted ordinances that are resident friendly, specifically a law that changes impervious lot coverage percentages and allows residents to improve their property without going through a costly zoning board process; capped zoning board fees for certain residential applications; tightened hiring and promotion practices for municipal jobs; and cooperated with the FBI in its ongoing investigation into political corruption in Marlboro.

Kleinberg said Marlboro residents did not trust their government four years ago when he succeeded Matthew Scannapieco as mayor. He said that during his campaign he promised to stop political corruption.

Kleinberg said he believes he has kept that promise with the help of the council, in part by appointing people with honesty and integrity to municipal boards and agencies.

"I believe that Marlboro residents have a better feeling about their local government today," he said.

Pernice, who has lived in Marlboro for 10 years, said he has brought personal characteristics of integrity, honesty, credibility and accountability to the council. He said he believes the Republicans have made progress in their original campaign platform of putting the brakes on residential development and putting an end to corruption in government. He, too, said the mayor and council have appointed residents to Marlboro's planning and zoning boards who have acted with honesty and integrity.

He said no major residential subdivisions have received municipal approval in the past few years and said increasing building lot sizes of certain sections of the township is one way the local government has sought to cut down on the number of houses being built in town.

Pernice said when he joined the council four years ago, Marlboro public school administrators were saying a new school was needed to handle a growing K-8 enrollment. School officials later reversed that opinion, which the councilman said is an indication that residential development is slowing.

At a school board meeting on March 27, Marlboro K-8 School District administrators indicated that enrollment is expected to remain essentially un-changed in the 2007-08 school year and that a new school may not be needed until the 2010-11 school year.

Pernice said he has enjoyed being involved in the community in areas such as recreation and the student exchange program Marlboro shares with Nanto, Japan.

"I have listened to residents and I have made my decisions based on what is right. We have tried to solve people's problems. If something is wrong, I'll try to fix it. I think we've made good strides and I would like to continue to do so," he said.

Morelli could not be reached for comment for this story.

Three Democrats previously announced they would seek election this year. Jonathan Hornik is running for mayor, and Frank LaRocca and Randi Marder are running for council.

The deadline for candidates to file was April 9. It was not known at press time if the Republicans or the Democrats would face a challenge in the June primary. If neither side is challenged they will become their party's nominees and run in the November general election.