MANCHESTER – Manchester has six candidates vying for two council seats this November.
Seeking the mayor’s spot is incumbent Mayor Robert Hudak, Robert Arace and Ken Seda. They are each running with a slogan as part of their respective tickets. Hudak’s is “Manchester First-Continued Good Government” while Arace is running as “The Right Choice for Manchester.”
Both are Republicans while Seda, running under the slogan of “Manchester Deserves Better” is a Democrat. The township’s form of government is non-partisan so their party affiliation won’t be on the ballots. The mayoral candidates were discussed in a previous article.
Running for the two seats that feature four-year terms are Joan Brush who is serving as council president this year and Timothy Poss who are on Hudak’s team. Joseph T. Hankins, who ran with Arace last year is running with him again along with Roxanne Conniff who served as their campaign manager last year. Seda is running with Gloria E. Adkinson and Karen Sugden.
Timothy Poss told The Manchester Times that he is a lifelong resident of 35 years. “I was born and raised here. I am a police officer (sergeant) in Pemberton Borough and operate a small family landscaping business in town that services many of our township residents.”
“I believe in Manchester and take great pride in community service. I want to make a positive impact in the community that I grew up in. I want to help all the residents of Manchester have a high quality of life here in town. Maintain the quality-of-life issues at hand here in Manchester and be able to maintain the low tax rate,” Poss said.
He feels the Township’s most pressing issue is “overdevelopment and the need to preserve land here in town. Mayor Hudak and Council President Brush have an outstanding record of preserving open space and I would look to continue prioritizing adding open space to our inventory in Manchester.”
“Over 300 acres in the last year have been preserved under my running mates and I would love to keep that momentum going. I bring public and private sector budgeting experience. I have prepared the police budget for my current employer. I have experience running a successful property maintenance company in our community,” Poss said.
Regarding the Township’s Master Plan revision, “we should always be consistently evaluating the master plan to improve the outlook of our town. This affects many facets of zoning, planning, and other long-term goals that will keep our towns rural appeal but to make sure that residents have access to the goods and services they need.”
As to the issue of bringing in needed business to the community Poss said he feels “we are doing a good job here in Manchester with bringing businesses to town. Remember businesses do cost and data analysis for areas of development. I would love an Aldi or Lidl to come out to whiting but they have not been willing to commit to building a store here. We have small mom and pop businesses in town such as KC Marketplace in Whiting that do a lot for the community that we should continue to support.”
Joan Brush has lived in Manchester Township for 48 years and currently resides in Pine Lake Park. “I retired as a member of the Manchester School District after 27 years which I enjoyed serving such a big part in the lives of many of our residents and their children. Since my retirement from the school system, I have been a local realtor with Crossroads Realty in town.”
Brush said she chose to run for reelection “to continue our track record of providing good government and being responsive to residents. I enjoy working with Mayor Hudak and the progress our Council has made in our first year together.
“Throughout the year, we found that Manchester had been mismanaged for many decades and had kicked the can down the road on many infrastructure improvements and budgetary issues. Under Mayor Hudak and our council, our township is in a much better place than before and we’re taking many of these issues head on,” she added.
“I think preserving our town’s identity is our most pressing issue. As a resident here for 48 years and a realtor, I’ve seen firsthand the stranglehold that overdevelopment has caused in surrounding towns. I enjoyed raising my sons in a small-town setting and now enjoy spending time with my grandchildren at many of our township parks,” the candidate added.
Brush said, “Manchester is a desirable location to live, work, and retire due to our beautiful scenery here and that it is close to many stores and services that residents desire. As Council President, I take pride in that and would like to see it remain that way.”
“I’ve also volunteered much of my time in many township based and local organizations such as Kevin’s Kids, Manchester Municipal Alliance, PAL, Little League and soccer,” Brush said.
She believes the township needs to continue “our progress in open space purchases and be diligent in our land planning and zoning to ensure that our town preserves its character. To date, our council has authorized the purchase of – or worked with the county – to preserve over 300 acres of open space to prevent hundreds of homes and apartments from being built.”
“We are continuing to look for these opportunities. Over 50% of our town is already preserved land and as Council President, I want to maintain our quality rural feel of life. The township is currently in the works of updating our master plan and our redevelopment studies earlier than required as we strive to increase economic growth without disrupting the town’s character.
“I believe we have made significant strides in bringing in and maintaining business that are already here in our community. There are currently three new stores and a sit-down restaurant that are approved to go into Whiting Commons soon. We have met with the owners of some of the other plazas as well to see how the township could be of help to them,” Brush added.
“Unfortunately, through the pandemic, everybody was hit hard and that includes the many mom and pop shops that couldn’t survive economic conditions. While the township doesn’t decide what businesses want to be located here, one of my top priorities moving forward is fostering our local economic growth to attract more commercial business,” Brush said.
Roxanne Conniff was born and raised in Manchester and has lived here for 33 years. “My husband is also a Manchester native who grew up in Whiting.”
The candidate worked in the Executive Branch for the state of New Jersey for more than five years working with local elected officials, helping them solve township issues and working on state-level initiatives. “Currently, I work in business development for a mid-sized technology firm,” she said.
Conniff said, “this year, I’m excited to watch my niece go off to kindergarten at the same elementary school my sister and I attended. Manchester is a hidden gem in Ocean County and we must continue to protect it; we can only do that with the right leadership guiding us. Sensible economic development, updating the infrastructure of our roads and utilities, and keeping our taxes stable while bringing in township amenities and community events – this is what Manchester needs, this is what our residents want and no one knows that better than our team.”
“I’m concerned about the direction our town is headed and afraid to see my hometown fall into the wrong hands. I’m running to ensure this town is continued to be run by good, honest people who put the residents of Manchester first. I plan to bring my experience working with local communities and elected officials around the state to the Council dais and work with our community to preserve the quality of life here,” Conniff added.
Regarding the most pressing issue facing the community currently, the candidate said, “undoubtedly over development and political crony-ism. Manchester residents raise their families and retire here for our rural characteristics and quiet surroundings.
“Lately, it seems that there’s a storage facility or dollar store being built on every lot left in town, not to mention the drainage issues caused by building on undersized lots in Pine Lake Park. We need a team that will make common sense decisions on our town’s Master Plan and develop economic policies to improve the quality of life here in Manchester,” she added.
“We’ve seen a lot of political hires in Town Hall lately from the Mayor’s Confidential Aide to the Business Administrator, to our Township Attorneys. Not only were they all hired as political favors, but they’ve received increases in pay, as well. Our team promises to hire solely based on merit – not political favors to those who put our town last. It’s no secret Manchester has been used as a stepping stone in the mayor’s political career and hasn’t put our residents’ best interest at the forefront,” she added.
She said, “any future development in Manchester must be done with common sense. It is the job of our local leaders to protect the integrity of our town and that includes maintaining its rural character. There are numerous vacant storefronts in town and it is my belief that we must put in the work and advocacy needed to fill those vacancies before cutting down more trees in our Pinelands town.”
Conniff said the township’s Master Plan was “in desperate need of review and it should be done so with limited influence from interested parties such as township planners who rely on continued building to keep their jobs. A comprehensive, common-sense and transparent approach to our Master Plan is needed with input from our residents on the direction and future of our town.”
“Part of my responsibilities while working at the state executive office was to work with our Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno and the State Economic Development Authority to help New Jersey and local towns like Manchester attract more businesses in a sensible manner,” she added.
Conniff said, “I feel there is a tremendous amount of work our township leaders could be doing to help attract the right businesses and fill vacant storefronts by being proactive in reaching out to businesses our residents want and need and developing our own research to show why Manchester is the right place to bring their business. We should be looking to support our local businesses and attract new ones to town.”
“Pilot and other grant programs are available to local towns for these initiatives and Manchester should consider taking advantage of state funding. Rob, Joe and I would work with the Manchester Township Environmental Commission to determine what the best options are for our town,” she added.
Karen Sugden has lived in Manchester for 10 years and is currently working as a business financial administrator for a large, publicly-traded sales and marketing company.
“Quite frankly, I’m tired of empty promises, excuses and nothing getting done in Manchester/Whiting and I want to change that. Manchester deserves better. There are serious issues that need to be addressed, such as the lack of adequate cell phone service, the increased number of traffic accidents, rent control especially for our large senior citizen population, and bringing in good, clean ratables to keep taxes down,” she said.
“There are several pressing issues in the township but after speaking to many residents, they are concerned for their safety and not being able to call for an ambulance due to the lack of a solid cell phone signal. Rent control came in second when I spoke with neighbors and friends who live here in Manchester,” she added.
As to her experience she noted, “over the years, I have worked as a paralegal, a licensed realtor, customer service representative, and was an operations manager for a company that did business in the U.S. and internationally. I also worked as an intern for U.S. Congressman Rush Holt some years ago. It was very rewarding.”
Sugden said, “I have always gotten great pleasure from helping people resolve issues and I truly care about our community. I have also worked for a superior court judge and served on the Board of Trustees for Brookdale Community College. There is a common thread running through most of the positions I’ve held: that is, helping people and resolving issues.”
She expressed her views concerning future development in the township saying, “open spaces should be preserved and maintained to protect our quality of life, while encouraging businesses to locate in Manchester to provide needed services and reduce the tax burden on residents. We need to limit high-density residential development, which can lead to increased traffic and higher taxes.”
Concerning the updating of the Township’s Master Plan Sugden said, “the Township Master Plan is over 10 years old, and out of date, and does not take into account the problems and issues of Manchester today. I believe the first step is the appointment of a Master Plan Advisory Committee so that residents have an opportunity to contribute to the plan. Areas in dire need of updating include open space preservation, traffic flow, zoning to encourage desirable business ratables and limits on overly dense development.”
As to bringing in needed business to the community the candidate said, “there are plenty of empty storefronts that should have good, clean ratables to help keep taxes down. In speaking with residents, many said they would love to have a supermarket like ShopRite move into Whiting, stating that Stop & Shop is overpriced and that they have to drive a long distance to get to ShopRite.
“They would also like to see a good restaurant. Mayor Hudak recently said he has been working on bringing in Starbucks. When I mentioned that to some of the residents, most laughed and said they can’t afford to pay $6 or $7 for a cup of coffee,” she added.
Gloria Adkinson has lived in Manchester for 12 years and is a retired public school teacher.
“I chose to run for council to offer solutions. bring new ideas, and to answer a calling to give back to my community. The most pressing issue in the township is traffic and infrastructure. Transportation, taxes and cell phone reception are also major issues,” she said.
“Experiences that I bring to the council come from leadership positions I have held in various community and civic organizations. I am on the executive board of the local NAACP, serve on the board of directors for the Greenwood Cemetery Association in Lakewood, was a director for the Ocean County and NJ State Women’s Bowling Associations, and was on several committees in Lakewood Township and on the executive board for the Ocean County Retired Association,” she added. “I have also served on the NJEA and NJREA Government Relations Committees, responsible for meeting with and sharing concerns with both the national and state legislators.
“Future developments in the Township should be geared towards commercial operations and businesses that improve our quality of life, and on services that are lacking in specific areas of the township. We need to be aware of dense residential developments that will cause more traffic, require more services, and costs us all more in taxes,” Adkinson said.
This follows into the updating of the Township’s Master Plan. She said that through zoning the town can restrict high-density housing. “We need to seek input from members of the community, and make sure our plan both preserves open space and are welcoming businesses that would contribute to our quality of life.”
She added, “there should be an ongoing and continuous plan to bring in new businesses to the community. They should be the kind that pays taxes versus those that are tax exempt. Mayor Hudak talks about encouraging new business, and appointed a committee, but doesn’t appear to have actually accomplished anything. I would particularly encourage businesses to open in now vacant storefronts.
“This could be done by waiving inspection fees to make it more cost effective for the business owner. A similar program in Brick has been very effective,” she added.
In closing Adkinson said, “I pledge to listen, to be open minded, and to be accessible to everyone. I recognize that the needs of our community are different, and that change may be necessary to move us forward. My concerns have to do with the lack of diversity in our schools, municipality, and in some of our programs. We need to make our governing body represent all the residents in Manchester.”
Joseph Hankins has lived in Manchester for 53 years and is the Vice President of the New Jersey State Fireman’s Association.
He is running again this year as, “I want to help maintain and improve services where possible while keeping the tax base as low as possible.” He feels the township’s most pressing issue is “emergency services, transportation, and our water supply.”
“Having served 25 years as a police officer in the township, and volunteering as a firefighter for over 45 years, I believe I have seen and have a good understanding of the needs of the residents, and I am able to identify issues and provide cost effective solutions,” Hankins said.
As to future development in the township the candidate said he believes, “we are developed enough; I would like to see some of the current vacant buildings occupied and would work with those property owners to see if they can supply the business needs of the community.”
Regarding the updating of the Township’s Master Plan, Hankins said “the Master plan should include a five- and 10-year outlook and should always be updated to meet the current needs of the residents.”
When asked if he feels whether enough is being done concerning bringing in needed business to the community, Hankins said, “I would have to say no, as I have been speaking to the residents. There is a calling for transportation. As some of our residents no longer feel safe driving there is limited or no bus service available to them. Ladies’ hair salons, places to go out to eat in town. These are all things I have heard residents want.
“I do know residents have concerns about the lack of lighting in some communities. I have read the JCP&L municipal lighting booklet and working to convert the current streetlights in some of those communities to the LED technology would improve the lighting output and reduce the cost by almost $5 a month per fixture,” he said.
Hankins said, “I would like the residents to know I will work for them as I have for many years. I would like to see the township meetings live streamed and recorded so residents can view them in their own home. I believe there are improvements that can be made to enhance the current services and quality of life for Manchester residents.”
Editor’s Note: Photos of Karen Sugden and Gloria Adkinson were not provided to Micromedia Publications at press time.
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