MANCHESTER – Things are changing rapidly in the township. The community recently saw the swearing in of a new mayor, Robert Hudak, following the resignation of Kenneth Palmer. There is also a new police chief, Robert Dolan, following the resignation of Lisa Parker.
Hudak will face a challenge to keep the mayor’s seat when he faces Robert Arace, 27, who recently announced he’d be running to fill the last year of Palmer’s term.
Palmer resigned on June 25 after being appointed to serve as Superior Court judge in Ocean County. Palmer was elected as mayor in November 2014 and won re-election in November 2018. Hudak, 44, was recently appointed by the Manchester Township Council to serve through the end of this year.
Arace is a Monmouth University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He works as a principal consultant specializing in marketing and analytics and works with Fortune 500 companies regarding business strategies.
He currently serves on the Township Zoning Board of Adjustment as a second alternate member. Arace and his wife previously lived in Beachwood. He told The Manchester Times that he wanted to address bringing new ratables and amenities to the township while also keeping taxes down. He issued a press release announcing his run for office which said he hoped to maintain “the quality of life that residents enjoy.”
“With great schools, Pinelands, and close proximity to amenities in surrounding towns, Manchester boasts a unique lifestyle – one that attracted my wife and me to raise our family and care for our community,” Arace added.
The candidate added that he had been observing his neighbors around the community and their needs such as trash removal and advocating for Manchester’s many senior residents.
Arace noted in his release that “our senior residents have worked hard their entire lives, raised their families, and deserve to enjoy their golden years in a town that takes care of them. He vowed “to be a true public servant” and “looks forward to earning the support of the voters in Manchester.”
