By Tim O’Meilia
Saying that oceanside residents feel underrepresented, Manalapan Town Commissioner Donald Brennan called for a restructuring of the town’s court-approved voting districts and process.
But, as happened when he made the same plea in October, other commissioners disputed his contention and Brennan’s proposal died for lack of support at the Jan. 22 commission meeting.
In 2002, Point Manalapan residents went to federal court to overturn the town’s voting districts, which gave ocean residents twice the number of commission seats despite having half the population.
A federal judge threw out the system. Voters approved and the judge signed off on the current plan, which requires two seats to be held by ocean residents, two by point residents and two more and the mayor elected from anywhere in town. But all voters cast ballots for each seat.
Brennan proposed whittling the commission from seven to five, with two seats elected by ocean voters, two by point voters and the mayor by all voters.
“We have a seven-headed horse here — unwieldy,” he said. Returning to geographic districts “would instill a greater sense of equality to the legislative process.” He has said that ocean residents pay 70 percent of the town’s taxes yet can be outvoted easily by point residents.
“The judge made a point: Don’t put in place one dictatorship in place of another dictatorship,” Brennan said.
Mayor Basil Diamond, one of the leaders of the challenge 11 years ago, said the principle of one-man, one-vote applied to Brennan’s proposal would mean the districts would have to be changed periodically.
“We don’t want a system we have to re-apportion every year. It’s impractical and we’re too small for that,” he said.
“When everything can be controlled by one part of town, that flies in the face of one-man, one-vote,” Brennan said.
Brennan said that a certain sense of isolation develops on the ocean where mansions are closed off by walls and gates. A certain fatalism sets in, leading to little participation by ocean residents, he said.
“Our personal security is a big issue. The issues of concern are different from the rest of the community,” he said.
Diamond noted that four ocean residents sat on the commission a few years ago and Commissioner Bill Quigley said the commission responded to safety concerns by hiring two part-time officers to patrol the beaches in an ATV.
“I regret there are some people who feel they’re underrepresented. It’s not so in my mind,” Diamond said.
Oceanfront Commissioner Louis DiStefano said most ocean residents do not feel underrepresented.
“We have a system approved by the courts. I am not sure it makes a whole lot of sense to reopen the entire issue,” said Commissioner David Cheifetz.
In other business:
• Commissioners unanimously approved spending $1,200 for a landscaping plan for the Town Hall. The eventual project could cost $50,000 to $75,000 spread over several years. • Commissioners unanimously approved spending $4,500 on the design of a sewage interconnection with the town of Palm Beach, in case of an emergency.
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