BARNEGAT – In Barnegat Township, incumbent Albert Bille is facing off against newcomer Peg Houle for a three-year term in this year’s upcoming election. As we near the Nov. 5 Election Day, the candidates identify taxes, safety, and the revitalization of downtown 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.
Albert Bille
Republican incumbent Albert Bille is hoping to make 2020 his tenth year behind the dais.
Bille has served nine years on the Barnegat Township Committee, wearing many hats during that time. He has served as mayor, deputy mayor, planning board member, zoning board member, and as liaison to Barnegat’s Recreation Department, Chamber of Commerce and the Barnegat Food Pantry.
Outside the realm of public office, Bille spent 36 years working in the Postal Service, “30 years as a Postmaster in various towns,” he said. Bille is now retired.
Getting down to the issues, Bille identified Barnegat’s three most pressing matters as taxes, safety, and the need for a new police and municipal headquarters.
“I will not vote for any Township tax increase higher than 1%,” promised Bille. “The last two years township tax increases have been less than 1%. Remember only 30% of your taxes go to the Township.”
By state law, towns collect all property tax, and then dole it out to the school district and county and other entities.
Safety issues can be folded into that of the police department and their CRU, or Crime Reduction Unit.
“I will continue to support our outstanding police force that has kept us with the lowest crime rate in southern Ocean County,” he added.
Looking toward the future, Bille expressed excitement over the upcoming groundbreaking of the new Town Hall and Police Department, noting that it will be “the pride of Barnegat.”
“Please understand, the Township Committee waited until all the new developments started contributing to our taxes and we paid off our Township debt so the cost would not burden our taxpayers,” said Bille on the timeline of the project.
In January 2018, township officials approved an ordinance that would allow for the township to bond for $15 million in order to construct a new town hall and police headquarters, Jersey Shore Online reported at the time.
[adrotate banner="278"]The new building will be located at the east end of the township parking lot and will be about 22,000 square feet; 8,000 of that to be designated for the police station, according to Township Administrator Martin Lisella.
Peg Houle
Democratic candidate Peg Houle is hoping to make her mark on the township during this, her first campaign for public office.
Despite being a newcomer, Houle brings plenty of professional experience to the table as a retired teacher and a former Fortune 500 manager for several companies.
“My career path has included several leadership positions that required strategic planning, project oversight and employee management. I have been responsible for multimillion dollar budgets, including allocating and managing a $50 million dollar trade plan to the sales force at Dannon,” said Houle.
In addition, she has quite a bit of community service experience under her belt.
“Community service has always been important to me and I have dedicated myself to serving children, families and animals,” she added.
Houle has served as a family mentor in Morris County, a Committee Chair for the Boy Scouts of America troop in Madison, a block captain on the Barnegat Neighborhood Watch, and she volunteers weekly at the Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter.
While taxes and safety issues are on the minds of most, Houle is also focusing in on bringing some life back to the downtown Barnegat area as well as advocating for more transparency between the community and local government.
“Barnegat has seen its population explode over the past 20 years with the building of numerous senior communities, yet the downtown area has declined, restaurants struggle to succeed, storefronts remain empty and families have no entertainment options close by,” Houle told Jersey Shore Online. “I believe that our downtown can be a vital, thriving place for all residents to enjoy, regardless of age. It can be the hub that drives community pride, community involvement and a destination for enjoyment.”
In order to achieve this goal, she noted that she would take advantage of opportunities such as The Main Street New Jersey Grant Program, which provides grant funding for neighborhood preservation and downtown renewal projects.
In terms of transparency, Houle wants more meetings, workshops, and town halls. Right now, the Barnegat Township Committee meets once per month on an alternating schedule of 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. meetings.
“The current process simply does not allow for the engagement of the residents in the decisions being made with their tax dollars. Transparency and communication are critical in developing trust between Barnegat residents and their elected officials,” Houle added.
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.
