Gopal, Doherty and Nelson make Gannett’s ‘Other” List
Brian Nelson. Asbury Park Press Photo
In addition to the list of twelve ‘rising stars’ that Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande made on Sunday, Gannett published a list of 15 ‘up and comers’ to keep an eye on that includes three Monmouth players.
Democrats Vin Gopal, the 27 year old county chairman and Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty, 39 made the list. Noticeably absent among Democrats were Marlboro Mayor Jonathon Hornik and Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long.
Gopal, from West Long Branch, ran for Assembly in the 11th District in 2011 before being elected county chairman in 2012. It remains to be seen if the Monmouth Democratic party will become more competitive under Gopal’s leadership, but there is no question that he is developing a statewide portfolio of influence with his early support of Barbara Buono for the 2013 gubernatorial nomination, his non-stop fundraising schedule for candidates statewide and savvy media presence. Gopal has ties to both Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Congressman Frank Pallone. How he navigates the anticipated 2014 battle between Booker and Pallone for the U.S. Senate nomination will be fascinating to watch. MMM predicts that he will be seen as a supporter of the winner and an ally of the loser.
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Posted: April 23rd, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County, Monmouth Rising Stars | Tags: Brian Nelson, Caroline Casagrande, Chris Smith, Dina Long, Frank Pallone, Jon Hornik, Matt Doherty, Monmouth Rising Stars, Sean Kean, Steve Corodemus, Vin Gopal | 5 Comments »
Doherty says he maintained the highest ethical standards. Charges Councilman Jim Bean with his own conflict
UPDATED
Belmar Councilman Jim Bean, a Republican, says that Mayor Matt Doherty, a Democrat, “kind of lied” when he told MMM that he recused himself from voting on the borough’s contract with AshBrit, the Florida company that was hired by the Christie administration for Superstorm Sandy cleanup.
We asked Doherty if he had recused himself from voting on the borough’s business with AshBrit because we had documentation that his wife, Maggie Moran, was acting as a sales agent for the company in its efforts to secure lucrative business in cleaning up municipalities impacted by Sandy. He said he did. But that was not the whole story, according to Bean, who said that the borough council’s vote to authorize payments to AshBrit occurred two weeks after Doherty signed the contract.
Bean sent along an email exchange between him and Doherty to back up his complaint:
Councilman Bean,
Because we are operating in a Declared State of Emergency, I have the authority to execute contracts and appropriate money as I deem necessary for the welfare and safety of the of the town during this emergency.
Please refer to Local Finance Notice 2012-29 from NJDCA if you have any further questions.
Matthew J. Doherty
From: Jim Bean
Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2012 12:45:08 -0500
To: Matt Doherty; Bill Young
Subject: info
Mayor, I am concerned with some of the contracts that I have heard have been signed. I was also informed that the generators provided by Broadco are now being replaced with yet another company. I would like to know what contacts were signed for how much and when also where the money is being appropriated from since no vote was held to provide you with these funds.
Please respond by email the best way possible to get me this information.
Jim Bean
Doherty repsonded by saying he never signed any contracts with AshBrit. Nor did he make the decision to hire the firm. Instead, he delegated that responsibility to the then Borough Administrator Bill Young. “I told Bill to choose whomever he wanted, but he would be held responsible for their performance. ” He provided MMM with a copy of the contract with AshBrit, signed by Young on behalf of Belmar.
Doherty said he did not vote on any AshBrit contracts or to pay any of their bills. He referred to Belmar’s website to back that up.
Bean has his own conflict regarding AshBrit, according to Doherty, “What I do find as ironic, is that Councilman Bean works for Stavola who did work for Ashbritt in Sea Bright, while Bean voted to give Ashbritt a contract in Belmar. That is a clear conflict of interest.”
Posted: February 6th, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Belmar, Hurricane Sandy, Matt Doherty | Tags: AshBrit, Belmar, Bill Young, Jim Bean, Maggie Moran, Matt Doherty | 4 Comments »
In the immediate aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, Governor Chris Christie and Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa warned New Jersey businesses, gas stations, hardware stores, food stores, hotels and other retailers who had electricity and were able to sell life sustaining products and services to a vulnerable public against price gouging. By the end of November, one month after Sandy hit, Chiesa’s office was investigating thousands of gouging complaints and had filed at least 10 civil rights lawsuits against hotels and gas stations.
In the November 28 release announcing the lawsuits, Christie said,
“The last thing people put out of their homes in a natural disaster should have to confront is price gouging from unscrupulous profiteers,” said Governor Christie. “It’s illegal, offensive and completely opposite the spirit of cooperation we saw just about everywhere else in our state in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. I encourage more of the same treatment from the Attorney General for any other instances of price gouging he discovers.”
A Star Ledger article posted Tuesday morning raises questions as to whether the State and 43 municipalities were gouged by the Florida contractor, AshBrit Environmental, that was awarded a $100 million no-bid contract to clean up state roads and waterways and allowing municipalities to hire the firm without going out to bid.
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Posted: January 31st, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Hurricane Sandy | Tags: Anthony Mercantante, AshBrit, Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa, Conti, Governor Chris Christie, Haley Barbour, Long Beach Township, M Public Affairs, Maggie Moran, Matt Doherty, Middletown, Mississippi, Point Pleasant, Randal Perkins, The New York Times, The Star Ledger, William Schroeder | 4 Comments »
By Art Gallagher
Monmouth County Democratic Charman Vin Gopal took issue with MoreMonmouthMusings’ assertion yesterday that Mayors Jon Hornik, Pat Menna and Matt Doherty were “noticeably absent” from the the Party’s announcement that they were endorsing State Senator Barbara Buono for the Democratic nomination for Governor.
“To suggest that our Mayors at at odds with the Party is not accurate,” said Gopal, ” I did not poll all 200 Democratic elected officials and chairs in Monmouth County to announce this endorsement. As our announcement made clear, the endorsement was made by the Party Executive Committee, most of the Municipal Chairs and members of our advisory committees.”
The names of those who joined Gopal in endorsing Buono can be found by clicking the link below.
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Posted: January 16th, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2013 Gubernatorial Politics, Barbara Buono, Monmouth Democrats, Vin Gopal | Tags: Barbara Buono, Jon Hormik, Matt Doherty, Pat Menna, Prop-Buono, Vin Gopal | 6 Comments »
Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal went all in for State Senator Barbara Buono as the Democratic candidate for Governor.
Following multiple news stories yesterday that the Monmouth Dems would “unofficially” endorse Buono pending the outcome of the party’s convention, Gopal released his endorsement today including the names of 75 Monmouth County Democratic Municipal Chairs, party leaders, elected officials and former elected officials.
“I am pleased that over 40 municipal leaders will join me in supporting the candidacy of Barbara Buono as the next Governor of New Jersey,” Gopal said. “She has the guts, the independence, the courage and the will to take on Chris Christie toe to toe on every single issue. As the 4th largest county in the state with over 100,000 registered Democrats, we look forward to aggressively supporting Senator Buono for Governor. This past election cycle, we defeated eight Republican incumbents here in Monmouth County and not a single Democrat was defeated anywhere in the county. We look forward to building on that this November with Barbara Buono at the top of the ticket.”
Notably missing from Gopal’s pro-Buono list are Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik, Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty and Red Bank Mayor Pat Menna, three of Monmouth County’s most prominent Democrats.
“Its January, said Hornik, “the filing deadline is not until April. While I am fond of Senator Buono, I would like to see who else is running. I don’t feel personally compelled to endorse anyone so early.
“I understand what the Chairman (Gopal) is doing. I have great respect for him, but it is too early for me to be endorsing a gubernatorial candidate.”
Menna was surprised by Gopal’s announcement when reached by MoreMonmouthMusings, “I haven’t seen the letter. It’s still early in the race. Some are still surprised that Booker (Newark Mayor Cory Booker) didn’t run and Codey (State Senator and former Acting Governor Richard Codey) is looking like he might run.”
Doherty, who is running for reelection in Belmar this fall has a new bff in Governor Christie. Christie and Doherty has been public in their admiration for the jobs they are doing in rebuilding post-Superstorm Sandy. “I don’t have any comment about that,” said the normally forthcoming Doherty when asked about Gopal’s efforts on behalf of Buono.
Posted: January 15th, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2013 Gubernatorial Politics, Barbara Buono, Monmouth Democrats, Vin Gopal | Tags: Barbara Buono, Jon Hornik, Matt Doherty, Monmouth Democrats, Pat Menna, Richard Codey, Vin Gopal | 2 Comments »
Sweeney wants to pay for beach safety and maintenance by getting rid of cops and dpw workers
Photo credit: www.SignsByTheSea.com
MMM has called Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) three times since he jumped on board with the Senator Mike Doherty (R-Warren) in sponsoring legislation that would ban shoreline municipalites from selling beach badges or imposing other user fees to pay for lifeguards, beach cleanup and policing, if those towns accept federal and state money to rebuild from the destruction of Hurricane Sandy. He hasn’t called back. Steve Sweeney is a kitten. Kitten, kitten, kitten!
Given that he won’t talk to us, we’ll have to judge Sweeney’s crusade for free sand in his ass by what others report he says. The Senate President invited himself to a meeting with the Asbury Park Press Editorial Board earlier this week to make his case for free beaches.
“You don’t charge me to breathe air, why are you charging me to sit on a beach?”
We should be grateful that the top elected Democrat in New Jersey hasn’t figured out how to tax breathing (yet). But really now, our Senate President thinks breathing air (as opposed to grapefruit juice?) is analogous to sitting on a beach? That is something we should be concerned about, especially since this guy is considering a run for governor.
Sweeney told the APP that Belmar and the other shore communities that impose beach user fees should cover those costs by consolidating police forces and departments of public works. He said he would “beat up mayors down the shore” to make it happen “because its not acceptable, you know, to charge beach fees.”
Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty took Sweeney’s first beating:
“I asked (Doherty), how many people live year-round in his town,” Sweeney said. “He’s got a one-square mile town, he’s got 5,800 people. Now, could we run a shared police department? I met his public works director today, could we run a shared public works office?”
“You guys know how I feel about shared services,” Sweeney told the APP. We don’t know if the APP knows how he feels, but MMM thinks Sweeney is thwarting shared services and other methods that municipalities could use to reduce the size and cost of local government. If Sweeney was serious about property tax reduction and more efficient local government he would have passed Governor Christie’s property tax tool kit.
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Posted: December 21st, 2012 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Beach Access, Belmar, Government Waste, Hurricane Sandy, Jersey Shore, Matt Doherty, Mike Doherty, NJ State Legislature, Property Tax Tool Kit, Property Taxes, Reform Agenda, Stephen Sweeney, Superstorm Sandy, Taxes | Tags: Asbury Park Press, Beach Access, Beach fees, Belmar, Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty, Jersey Shore, John Pedersen, Matt Doherty, Myrtle Beach, Senate President Steve Sweeney, Senator Mike Doherty, Steve "The Kitten Sweeney", Steve Sweeney | 6 Comments »
Belmar’s engineering firm, Birdsall Services Group, told the Mayor and Council of the Borough to expect their new boardwalk to cost $17 million. The winning bid came in at $6.6 million.
The winning bidder, Epic Construction of Piscataway is no fly by night. Mayor Matt Doherty says the borough checked them out thoroughly because they came in so much lower than expectations and lower than the other 22 bidders. The highest bid was $19 million, according to NJ.com.
Doherty told MMM that the borough benefited by getting the project out fast after the Hurricane Sandy, thereby attracting 23 bidders.
Posted: December 13th, 2012 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Belmar, Matt Doherty | Tags: Belmar Boardwak. Belmar, Matt Doherty | 4 Comments »
Senator Mike Doherty wants the Jersey Shore rebuilt with high-rise condos
State Senator Michael Doherty (R-Warren) would go a lot further than eliminating beach badges from the Jersey Shore if he had his way. Doherty says that the pre-Sandy Shore was a failed economic model reminiscent of the 1950’s Catskill Mountain bungalow communities and that our coast should be rebuilt in the image of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Ocean City, Maryland and Destin, Florida with high-rise condos with pools, free beaches and high end merchants.
- Photo Credit: Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Buerau. Click for larger view.
Doherty has proposed legislation that would prohibit coastal communities that accept state or federal funds to rebuild from selling beach badges or otherwise charging the public for access to the shore. The bill would also require municipalities to provide free restroom facilities from Memorial Day through Labor Day annually.
Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) has signed on as a prime co-sponsor of the bill. That means it is not likely to be buried in committee never to see that light of day.
“It is likely that state and federal taxpayers will provide hundreds of millions of dollars to repair and replenish New Jersey beaches that were washed away during Hurricane Sandy,” said Doherty. “Considering the massive public resources that will be directed at rebuilding many New Jersey beaches, it only seems fair to ensure that everyone have the opportunity to enjoy free access to the beaches they will support and help rebuild with their tax dollars.”
Sweeney said, “Where taxpayers are paying for beach restoration, they shouldn’t be taxed a second time just to walk on the sand. As New Jerseyans, we are all in the recovery and rebuilding process together. That means we should all be able to enjoy the reopening of our state’s greatest natural resource together, too.”
MMM called Doherty and Sweeney to ask how beach maintenance, life guards and police would be paid for under their plan. Sweeney hasn’t gotten back to us, but Doherty gave us an earful.
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Posted: December 6th, 2012 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Beach Access, Belmar, Economy, Hurricane Sandy, Jersey Shore, Matt Doherty, Mike Doherty, NJ State Legislature, Stephen Sweeney | Tags: Beach Access, Beach Badges, Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Sandy Recovery, Matt Doherty, Mike Doherty, Mrytle Beach, Steve Sweeney | 3 Comments »
Belmar: Today Belmar Mayor Matthew J. Doherty announced that the Borough of Belmar went out to bid for a new boardwalk to be built in time for summer 2013. This competitive bid includes a substantial bond, financial penalties for missing milestone dates, and financial incentives to complete the project ahead of schedule.
“Belmar has had a boardwalk every summer since 1875, and this summer will be no different. While we continue to help families and businesses in town clean up and recover, rebuilding the boardwalk in time for this summer is an important step towards bring our community back from the devastation Sandy caused.” Mayor Doherty stated.
Governor Chris Christie stated, “As much as any other town on the Jersey Shore, Belmar’s boardwalk is a huge part of its identity, it’s charm and its economic life. Most of us who’ve lived in New Jersey long enough have or will walk that boardwalk at one time or another. I am fully supportive and encouraging of Mayor Doherty’s efforts to rebuild, and we will continue to work with him and all affected municipalities to bring the proper aid to New Jersey.”
U.S. Congressman Frank Pallone expressed his support saying, “Sandy brought never before seen destruction to our homes, businesses, and natural treasures, but Sandy could not destroy our sense of community. Our Jersey Shore will be rebuilt – it is vital for our State’s economy, but more importantly the Jersey Shore is part of who we are as New Jerseyans. Mayor Doherty has been working tirelessly since before Sandy even made landfall, and the rebuilding of Belmar’s boardwalk is a tremendous step forward toward recovery. It will allow residents to walk the beautiful shoreline, for tourists to return to town, and for countless small businesses to reopen and contribute to our economy.”
New Jersey State Senator Robert Singer shared his support for the project stating,“I am very supportive of Belmar’s effort to rebuild their boardwalk in time for this summer. This is important for the town, the Jersey Shore, and our entire state. I will do whatever I can on a state level to help.”
Monmouth County Deputy Director, and Liaison for Tourism, Freeholder Thomas Arnone said,“Belmar’s boardwalk is not only important to their town, but all of Monmouth County. I will provide whatever assistance they need to be successful by this summer.”
The Belmar Council authorized the bid release at their November 21, 2012 council meeting. Bid documents can be downloaded at http://belmar.com/ or by contacting Colleen Connolly at (732)681-3700.
Posted: November 30th, 2012 | Author: admin | Filed under: Belmar, Hurricane Sandy, Matt Doherty, Monmouth County, Press Release, Tom Arnone | Tags: Belmar, Belmar Boardwalk, Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty, Chris Chrisite, Colleen Connolly, Frank Pallone, Matt Doherty, Press Release, Robert Singer, Tom Arone | 1 Comment »
Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty Photo Credit Mark Bonamo, NJ.com
Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty and his colleagues on the Borough Council are acting on their pledge to rebuild the town’s boardwalk by Memorial Day 2013.
NJ.com reports that the governing body introduced a $20 million bond ordinance last week to provide the initial funding of the reconstruction.
Doherty said that Belmar’s property taxpayers will not be on the hook for the cost of the new boardwalk, with FEMA and the borough’s beach utility, which is funded by beach badge fees, paying off the bonds.
“It’s our understanding is that FEMA will pick up 75 percent of the expense, based on the language coming from the White House,” said Doherty, 39. “The remaining amount will come from the beach utility itself. So if you don’t use the beach, you’re not paying for anything. And zero dollars are coming from residential property-tax payers, with no property-tax hike anticipated.”
Beach badge prices are expected to rise from $7 to $8 for daily passes and for $50 to $55 for seasonal passes.
The mayor, a Democrat, had kind words for Governor Christie, but not so kind words for another Doherty, State Senator Michael Doherty. The senator has proposed legislation that would eliminate a beach town’s ability to sell beach badges if state or federal funds are used to rebuild from Hurricane Sandy.
“I think Gov. Christie has done an outstanding job in his leadership, and one of the things he’s been very effective at is keeping politics out of anything related to the Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts,” Doherty, a Democrat, said. “I wish that Sen. Doherty would follow Gov. Christie’s lead as well. It’s nothing more than trying to score cheap political points after arguably the worst natural disaster that our state has ever experienced.”
The bond ordinance is expected to be passed at the December 3 meeting of Belmar’s council.
Promotion: Click for full view
