MANCHESTER – Tomorrow is Election Day 2019. In Manchester Township, incumbent Robert Hudak is facing off against challenger Bill Peck for a three-year term on the Manchester Township Council.
As we near the big day, the candidates identify overdevelopment, local business, and veteran services as some of their main focal points.
For this newspaper’s election coverage, both candidates were asked the same questions regarding employment, experience in public office, and plans for the town. Below are the answers provided by each candidate, lightly edited for narrative flow.
Robert Hudak
Hudak is the newest member of the Manchester Township Council, having been unanimously appointed in May following former councilman Charles Frattini’s resignation.
Experience: Hudak earned his Master’s degree in Public Administration. His prior professional experience includes Director of Planning and Zoning for Cranford Township and Deputy Director of IGA for the New York City Department of Buildings.
Hudak currently serves as Director of Planning and Environmental Protection for Monroe Township, in addition to his duties in Manchester.
“I oversee all land-use activities and the [Monroe] Township’s open space preservation program. I am a licensed professional land use planner and work for both public and private clients,” Hudak told Jersey Shore Online.
“I have also been involved professionally with the American Planning Association, the New Jersey Association of Planning and Zoning Officials, and the International City/County Management Association,” he added.
He teaches courses on planning and zoning at Rutgers University’s Center for Government Services as well.
Although new to the governing body, Hudak has previously served (and continues to serve) as a member of the Manchester Township Planning Board, boasting “over two decades of experience working in both state and municipal government.”
Hudak also noted that
he is quite connected within the local community.
“I have been involved in the community
as a coach in Little League and travel baseball, competitive dance, Cub Scouts,
and with St. Luke’s as a lector,” he said.
Hudak’s three
children attend Manchester’s Ridgeway School.
Issues:
When it comes down to the issues, Hudak told Jersey Shore Online that his major concerns lie in the realm of
overdevelopment, shared services, and attracting business to town.
Hudak believes the solution to the overdevelopment problem exists in open space; something which is also easier on the taxpayer.
“It is important that we maintain our quality of life in Manchester Township. One of the best ways of limiting development is by purchasing open space,” Hudak explained. “By using existing open space funds, we can purchase large parcels of property and preserve them forever without increasing taxes.”
Another money-saver on Hudak’s to-do list: shared services. Manchester Township has already begun incorporating shared service agreements into the mix, having recently introduced an ordinance that would consolidate the courts in Manchester and Lakehurst.
“Lakehurst will pay Manchester to take over its court system. This will benefit both communities without any additional cost to Manchester Township taxpayers,” said Hudak. “I will continue to look for opportunities to provide shared services and reduce the cost of government.”
On the commercial front, Hudak believes that it is imperative that Manchester attract some new businesses to the area, along Routes 37 and 70 and in Whiting, with the help of resident input.
“Having worked in the industry, I successfully encourage businesses to relocate and I want to use my experience here in my hometown…We need to update our zoning requirements to allow businesses the opportunity to utilize our existing commercial structures. We also need to include residents in discussion groups to get their thoughts and ideas of what types of business they would like to see in our community,” said Hudak.
Future Plans: Looking toward the future, Hudak wants to expand various representative groups and outreach programs and services so that more residents are included. This includes programs such as the Coordinating Council, which represents the many local senior villages in town, as well as veterans’ services.
Hudak’s overarching message for voters: “My goal is to continue the progress and make Manchester the best Manchester it can be!”
[adrotate banner="278"]Bill Peck
Running opposite Hudak is Bill Peck, bearing the slogan “A Veteran To Serve Manchester.”
Experience: Peck has served the last 17 years as a Combat Survivor Evader Locator Program Manager, Aircraft Wiring Support Equipment Weapons System Manager and In-Service Engineer at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division.
On the political front, Peck serves on both the Ocean County Republican Committee and the Manchester Veteran’s Advisory Board, the latter of which he has been a member for the last six years.
“I am a member of the Manchester Regular Republican Club and I have served many terms as President and First Vice President,” Peck told Jersey Shore Online. He has also served as a “member and former Vice President of the Pine Lake Tax Payer Improvement Association, Inc. [and] former member of the Manchester Township High School Music Boosters and Pit Crew.”
Issues: Peck identified local veterans’ services as his main priority, in addition to funding for local schools, social services, and infrastructure.
“Manchester has a large veterans population and we need to do more to address their needs. These veterans have answered the call to serve our country and they deserve our respect and support,” said Peck. “I will work to improve the dissemination of veteran benefit information [as well as] be an advocate for our veterans to our federal, state and local governments to improve our veteran’s care and services.”
Future Plans: In addition to serving some of the older residents of the town better, Peck also wants to bring local government into the future by implementing a cable channel for town meetings.
“I have seen these public channels in many communities and I believe it would be great for our residents to be informed on what’s going on at town hall without having to leave their home,” he explained.
As it is, the average Manchester Council meeting has a rather small showing of regulars, so a cable channel would allow for that information to reach a much wider audience.
Election Day will take place on Nov. 5, 2019. To find out where your polling location is, visit voter.njsvrs.com/PublicAccess/servlet/com.saber.publicaccess.control.PublicAccessNavigationServlet?USERPROCESS=PollingPlace.
