Asbury Park Mayor’s First Rodeo

Asbury Park Mayor John Moor and his daughter Christa

Asbury Park Mayor John Moor is not a tuxedo guy.  He didn’t even wear one to his daughter’s wedding. Since taking office, many have suggested that Moor host a Mayor’s Ball to raise money for a worthy city cause. Rather than risk Dan Jacobson writing “Mayor Moor Has No Balls,” he’s having a rodeo to raise money for the city’s summer recreation program.

Moor told MoreMonmouthMusings that last summer 50 city children were turned away from the summer recreation program due to lack of funding. Moor found out about that too late to do something last year and vowed to do what ever it takes, except wearing a tuxedo, to make sure every Asbury Park child who wants to attend the summer recreation program can attend the summer recreation program.

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ASBURY PARK MAYOR JOHN MOOR ENDORSES HANLON FOR CLERK, CURLEY FOR FREEHOLDER

Asbury Park Mayor John Moor, Councilman Jesse Kendle, Freeholder Lillian Burry, Councilwoman Yvonne Clayton and County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon break ground at Springwood Ave Park, Oct 20, 2015.photo via facebook

Asbury Park, NJ- Mayor John Moor announced today that he is supporting Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon and Freeholder John P. Curley in the general election on November 3.

“John and Christine have both been great public officials and have served the citizens of Asbury Park with passion and integrity,” said Mayor Moor.

“Asbury Park has had legally contested elections in recent years.  I witnessed Hanlon’s honest and level headed efforts first hand as she dealt with those controversies as a member of the Board of Elections.  I have no doubt that Monmouth County elections, and all of the important functions of the Clerk’s Office will be conducted with fairness and integrity so long as Christine remains at the helm.”

“John Curley and all of the Monmouth County Freeholders have been very responsive to Asbury Park.  This summer when we had a health concern at Sunset Lake, Curley himself showed up with Health Department personnel,” Moor continued, “That kind of dedication and attention is what Freeholder Curley is all about”

“Asbury Park has a great relationship with Monmouth County. Hanlon and Curly personify excellence in public service.   They deserve to be elected on November 3.”

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“A-Team” sues to overturn Asbury Park elections

UPDATE: AsburyParkSun reports that if the Monmouth County Board of Elections decision to not count the disqualified Vote By Mail ballots is overturned, that a runoff election between Mayor John Moor and Remond Palmer could be triggered.

Asbury Park Mayor-elect John Moor told MMM that he was informed by City Attorney Fredrick Raffetto this afternoon that the City has been served with a lawsuit seeking to overturn the results of both the municipal and Board of Education elections that were held on November 4, 2014.  According to Moor’s recalculation, the plaintiffs are Remond Palmer, the “A-Team” candidate for mayor and Arva Council, an “A-Team” candidate for Board of Education.

Moor said that his understanding is that the plaintiffs are seeking to have the results of the election overturned and for the 353 Vote By Mail ballots disqualified by the Monmouth County Board of Election to be counted.

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2014 Predictions

Happy New Year MMM readers!  2014 has been a great year so far!

Here’s what we expect in the year ahead.

Senator Cory Booker will narrowly defeat Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick in the U.S. Senate election.  Bramnick will be the instant front runner for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in the 2016 special election.

Marlboro Mayor Jonathan Hornik will be a speaker at numerous Democratic Clubs throughout New Jersey and will establish himself as a major fundraiser for Democratic candidates on the municipal and county levels.  Hornik will proclaim that the only thing he is running for is reelection as Marlboro’s mayor in 2015.

The 11 incumbent New Jersey Congressmen running for reelection will win. The Republican nominee in the third congressional district seat currently held by Congressman Jon Runyon, who is not seeking a third term, will be elected.  Tommy DeSeno will write a column complaining about gerrymandered districts.

Senate President Steve Sweeney will keep picking on Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr. 

Governor Chris Christie will have more public appearances in Iowa, South Carolina, Texas and Florida, combined, than he will have Town Hall Meetings in New Jersey.

Anna Little will seek the Republican nomination for Congress in the 6th district, hoping for a third shot at Congressman Frank Pallone.  Little will lose at the Monmouth and Middlesex nominating conventions and wage a primary. The Bayshore Tea Party Group will sit out the 6th district primary, citing their commitment to Dr. Alieta Eck’s campaign in the 12th district.  Eck will be unopposed for the 12th district nomination to take on Congressman Rush Holt.

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Asbury Park Mayor Campbell Says She Wasn’t Trying To Embarrass Council Members

Asbury Park Mayor Myra Campbell said she wasn’t trying to embarrass her fellow council members at Tuesday evening’s National Night Out Celebration when she announced their names and asked that they come forward when they weren’t present.

“Everyone was invited, but attendance was not well coordinated,” Campbell said in on a phone call with MMM, “Susan Henderson (Deputy Mayor) told me she didn’t get her email about the event until after she got she home.”

“All the council members except John Loffredo, who was on vacation as I said, attended the event. When they arrived, I invited each of them to speak. Councilwoman Quinn and Henderson did speak. Councilman Moor did not.”

“We’re a council. Whenever we’re at public events, I will invite each member of the council to speak.”

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Asbury Park Mayor Myra Campbell Throws Council Members Under The Bus

Asbury Park Mayor Myra Campbell went out of way to embarrass her colleagues on the city’s governing body last evening during the National Night Out celebration.

While introducing Congressman Frank Pallone as a candidate for “State Senator” (Pallone is running for the Democratic nomination to succeed the late United States Senator Frank Lautenberg), Campbell went off script with a spiel about the importance of citizens knowing their governmental representatives.

“I represent you as mayor of Asbury Park and I want you to know your other representatives,” Campbell announced to the crowd of a few hundred, “If you are a member of the council, please step forward.

“Susan Henderson, Deputy Superintendent, uh, Deputy Mayor Susan Henderson.  I know John Loffredo is on vacation. Councilman John Moor, are you here.  Amy Quinn?

“I guess they’re not here.  They are your representatives.”

The council members were not scheduled to join the other dignitaries on stage for the kickoff of the event.

Councilwoman Amy Quinn was seen arriving to the celebration about 10 minutes after the formal remarks concluded.

Quinn told MMM that “unequivocally” Moor and Henderson attended after the formal remarks to kickoff the event.

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New Asbury Park Government Off To Rocky Start

John Lofreddo, left, Myra Campbell, center and Susan Henderson.
AsburyParkSun.com photo

The hope of a new beginning was replaced with anger today in Asbury Park when the new city council was sworn in.

John Moor, the top vote getter in the May 14 non-partisan election, was expected to be appointed mayor by his colleagues, as is the tradition.  He had the 3 votes he needed on the 5 person council by virtue of his own election and that of two of his running mates, Amy Quinn and Myra Campbell who ran on the One Asbury ticket in the non-partisan election.

Then sometime over the weekend, Campbell split with her running mates and made a deal with returning council members John Lofreddo and Susan Henderson, who ran for reelection on the Forward Asbury ticket, to get the mayoral title for herself.

The mayor’s office in Asbury Park is largely ceremonial in the city’s form of government.  The appointed City Manager, a full time employee appointed by the council, runs the day to day operations of the city. Asbury Park elects their entire council once every four years.

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If Asbury’s Election Goes Badly, I’ll Blame Loffredo and Quinn

By Tommy DeSeno

John Loffredo (Forward Asbury Park ticket) and Amy Quinn (One Asbury ticket) are the top guns in the Asbury Park City Council race. That’s not news for me; I’ve known it for years and have let them both know they should be together.

In fact, I thought it was a foregone conclusion that they would run together since it makes so much sense. Had I known they would overlook the obvious I would have lobbied them vigorously over the past 4 years to create a political marriage (or civil union, if that’s your preference).

Just look at the last election. Tickets make it easier for candidates to win, particularly weaker candidates, but Amy Quinn fell just short of being elected while running as an independent. That means she carries a great deal of support on her own, perhaps as much as any individual candidate running this year.

How Loffredo didn’t see the benefits of scooping up Quinn and all her support befuddles me. She was clearly the off-season prize; the league’s most valuable free agent. How Quinn didn’t see the benefits of picking up support from the team who won for the past dozen years amazed me more. It’s like she passed up an opportunity with the Yankees to start her own team. That hasn’t worked out well for the Mets, has it?

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