Victorious Neptune City Council candidates Glen Kocsis , Pamela Renee, and John Pietrunti . photo via facebook
Neptune City Democrats sustained their election victory in a recount requested by the borough’s Republican candidates which was conducted on Monday at the Monmouth County Board of Elections in Freehold.
Neptune City Councilman Brian Sullivan, Freeholder Director Tom Arnone, candidate Robert Burr, candidate Michaela O’Brien and Sheriff Shaun Golden at a pre-election rally at Kelly’s in Neptune City
With all the votes finally counted the election for control of the Neptune City Council favors the Democrats by a very thin margin. The Republicans are calling for a recount.
Devon Harley, 30, of Neptune City faces two federal charges of possession an Glock 26 9mm which had been altered to shoot automatically while being a convicted felon, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito .
The rules, policies, and procedures of good-governance have almost all been thrown to the wayside in Neptune City under the current majority. An alarming trend which started January 1st as policies have been created without cooperation, special committees formed without proper resolutions, the intentionally keeping of information from other elected officials, and threatening of borough employees.
This is just a fraction of what has been occurring these past months in Neptune City and calls to rectify the issues have fallen on deaf ears, no matter how hard I have tried. Yet, what transpired at the September 9th Workshop and Council meetings was the final straw and residents have a right to not only know, but be concerned.
Neptune City Councilman Richard Pryor, center, celebrates his reelection with Neptune City and Monmouth GOP leaders. Click photo for larger view
The streets of Neptune City were reminiscent of Newark, Jersey City or Chicago on election day Tuesday as out of town canvassers worked the town to get Democrats to come out and vote in a Special Election for a Council seat that was vacated as a result of a tie vote last November.
The State Democratic Party emailed Democrat activists statewide, imploring them to knock on doors and make phone calls in Neptune City, “because it is the home of Monmouth County Freeholder Director and Republican Leader Tom Arnone, who previously served as mayor.” U.S. Senator Cory Booker made a robocall for the Democrat candidate. An estimated 30 out of towners were bused in on Tuesday to to find Democratic votes to drag to the polls.
Neptune City Councilman Richard Pryor has lodged a contest of the November 3 general election in Monmouth County Superior Court.
Pryor, a Republican, was leading his race for reelection by one vote following the counting of provisional ballots on November 9. In the November 24 recount, Democrat Michael Skudera picked up three votes while Pryor picked up one. Skudera now leads Pryor by one vote, 602-601.
At issue in the contest, which was filed by Jason N. Sena, Esq of the Manalapan law firm Cutolo Mandel, LLC, is one of the two provisional votes that was disqualified by the Board of Election on November 9.
