Andrew Lucas Resigns From Manalapan Township Committee

Andrew Lucas resigned his position on the Manalapan Committee today.  His term was due to expire at the end of this year.  He was not seeking reelection.

His two line resignation letter simply said he was resigning effective immediately and appreciated the opportunity to serve.

Mayor Susan Cohen and Committeeman Ryan Green both said they had no idea why Lucas resigned.  Lucas has not returned a call for comment.

Once a rising star in the Monmouth GOP, Lucas was a nominee for Freeholder in 2006, losing to Barbara McMarrow of Freehold Township, then a Democrat. McMarrow has since become a Republican and is a member of the Freehold Township Committee.

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Manalapan Governing Body To Appoint Planning Board Chairman To Township Committe Vacancy

John “Jack” McNaboe will be appointed tonight to fill the vacancy on the Manalapan Township Committee created by Don Holland’s resignation, according to the township’s GOP Chairman Steve McEnery.

McNaboe currently serves as chair of the township Planning Board and as a member of the Emergency Management Subcommittee.

The new committeeman will defend the seat in the November general election.  If victorious, he is expected to run for a full term in 2014.

McNaboe will be joined by Deputy Mayor Jordan Maskowitz and Mary Ann Musich as Republicans seeking to maintain 5-0 controll of the governing body in November.  Maskowitz is seeking his second term.  Musich was nominated last Saturday to run for Andrew Lucas’ seat. Lucas chose not to run again, giving up a grandfathered pension eligibility and health benefits, after selling the development rights to his farm to the State Farmland Preservation Program for $1.152 million.

Musich currently serves as a Commissioner on the Western Monmouth Utilities Authority (WMUA), a post she has held since 2012.  Prior to serving on the WMUA, Mrs. Musich spent more than 15 years on the Manalapan Township Zoning Board of Adjustment, where she also served as Chairperson.  Outside of her experience in Manalapan, Mrs. Musich is retired from a 20 year career in municipal government, having worked for the East Brunswick Sewage Authority.

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Lucas takes the money and doesn’t run

Manalapan GOP Chairman Steve McEnery told MoreMonmouthMusings that Andrew Lucas has chosen not to seek reelection to the Manalapan Township Committee, citing the demands of raising two young children and of building a new house on the farmland to which he just sold the development rights to the taxpayers for $1.152 million.

Lucas is completing his third three year term on the committee.  He was a GOP nominee for freeholder in 2006.

The Manalapan GOP Committee is meeting Saturday morning March 9 to choose the replacement for Committeeman Don Holland who resigned on Monday and an additional candidate to run for Lucas’ seat in the fall.  Committeeman Jordan Maskowitz is seeking reelection.

With three seats now open in November, the 5-0 Republican control of the Manalapan Commitee is now at stake in November.

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Manalapan Committeeman Don Holland Resigns

Manalaplan Committeeman Don Holland resigned effective yesterday, according to a report in the Manalapan Patch.

Patch cites a press release from Manalpan GOP Chairman Steve McEnery which stated Holland resigned for health reasons.  Holland could not be reached this evening.

On December 6, 2012 Holland submitted and later retracted his resignation, according to documentation obtained by MMM and an interview with Holland.

Holland and Mayor Susan Cohen, the Monmouth GOP Vice Chair, are the two Manalapan Committee members who voted to approve the funds to purchase Andrew Lucas’ farm development rights last week.

Holland was first elected to the Township Committee as a Democrat.  He switched parties and was reelected as a Republican in 2011.  His term is scheduled to expire in December of 2014.

The Manalapan Republican Committee will submit 3 candidates to fill the vacancy within 30 days.  The four remaining Committee members will chose one of those three candidates to serve until the November election.  The voters will elect a candidate to complete the term.

The Manalpan Township Committee was 5-0 Republican prior to Holland’s resignation.  With this vacancy, partisan control of the committee is at play, as the new Committee Member will have to defend the seat and run with incumbents Andrew Lucas and Jordan Maskowitz in November, assuming the incumbents both seek reelection.

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Lucas Farm Purchase Stalled in Manalapan

Manalapan Township Committeeman Andrew Lucas’ $1.152 million sale of the development rights to a farm in owns in the Township was not approved by his colleagues on the committee this evening.  The motion to approve the Township’s $187,000 contribution to the the purchased failed on a 2-2 vote.

Committeeman Ryan Green first moved to table the purchase due to incomplete documentation.  Committeeman Jordan Maskowitz voted with Green to table the purchase.   Mayor Susan Cohen and Committeeman Donald Holland voted against tabling.   Cohen and Holland then voted to approve the purchase. Green and Maskowitz voted no.  Lucas the fifth member of the committee recused himself from voting on the purchase of his own property.

Green told MMM that Lucas left the dais when the matter came up and left the building.  Lucas did not return for the remainder of the Township Committee meeting.

Green said he has not decided how he would vote when and if the documentation for the sale is completed.

Monmouth County’s portion of the purchase is on the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting of the Board of Chosen Freeholders.  The Freeholders will not proceed without Manalapan’s portion of the purchase being approved, according to Freeholder Director Tom Arnone.

Lucas, Manalapan’s former mayor and a former GOP candidate for freeholder, purchased the farm which had been slated for development in March of 2010 for an undisclosed amount. Soon thereafter he started the process of selling the development rights, for $1.152 million, through funding through the State, County and Township. Lucas participated on Township Committee discussions of his application.

The purchase approved by the Freeholder Board in May of 2011 was held up by an ethics complaint filed by former Manalapan Mayor George Spodak.  The State Agriculture Development Committee conditioned its funding on an satisfactory ethics review of the transaction.  Local Finance Board Chairman Thomas Neff wrote Lucas in September of last year to inform him that his application had been approved because he consulted with the Manalapan Township Attorney about his application.  Neff’s letter also said that the Board would use Lucas’s case to provide clear guidance to future office holders to recuse themselves from applications that they have an interest in.

Arnone and Freeholder John Curley have announced that they oppose the purchase of the Lucas farm.  Freeholder Lillian Burry supports the purchase. Deputy Director Serena DiMaso and Freeholder Gary Rich have not announced how they would vote on the purchase should it make it out of Manalapan.

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Manalapan Township Committeeman Leaves Democratic Party

Don Holland will seek GOP nomination for reelection

Press Release

Manalapan Township Committeeman Don Holland announced that he has left the Democratic Party and plans to seek the Republican nomination  to run for re-election in 2011.  Mr. Holland cites major differences with the Democratic Party as his reason for making the change.

“I don’t view this as leaving the Democratic Party, I view this as joining a team that more closely reflects the values of serving the best interest of Manalapan.  This has not been an easy decision, but my loyalty to the residents of Manalapan is what motivates me,” Mr. Holland stated.

Mr. Holland is proud of his record of accomplishment on the Manalapan Township Committee, where he has served since January 2009.

“The decisions I make are always based on what’s best for our residents.  I don’t believe in the petty bickering or partisan politics that permeates the Manalapan Democratic Party.  I want to focus all of my energy on making Manalapan an even better place to live, and the members of the Republican Party share that mindset,” said Mr. Holland.

The Republicans currently serving on the Township Committee include Mayor Andrew Lucas, Deputy Mayor Ryan Green, and Committeeman Jordan Maskowitz.

“I’ve had the pleasure of serving with Mr. Holland on the Township Committee these past few years and he has been great to work with,” said Mayor Lucas.  “Mr. Holland has put aside the silly partisan bickering and has always been a gentleman and a problem solver. He truly has served Manalapan well and we’re thrilled that he wants to continue his service to Manalapan and its residents.”

As a member of the Township Committee, Mr. Holland has actively participated in developing the municipal budget, and has worked on many initiatives that provided residents with no municipal tax increase last year. He first got involved with local public service by founding and chairing the Manalapan Agricultural Advisory Committee and the Farmland Preservation Committee which is responsible for preserving over 1200 acres in Manalapan. He personally has worked on every application.

Prior to serving on the Township Committee, Mr. Holland served as chairman of the Planning Board, he served on the Zoning Board of Adjustment and the Environmental Commission.

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