COMMUNITY MAGAZINE May 2008

54 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE The New Deal? For residents of Deal New Jersey, Election Day, Tuesday, May 13th 2008 marks a historic and crucial occasion. Historic because it will be only the second time in over 60 years that an election in the Borough of Deal will be contested. But it’s crucial because the outcome is likely to determine the character of the local government for the next four years. Deal uses a system of government defined by the Walsh Act in which three commissioners are each elected for four-year concurrent terms. The commissioners also serve as department heads in addition to their legislative functions. The three commissioners elect one among them to serve as mayor, however the mayor is only responsible for his departments – Public Affairs and Public Safety – and serves as the chair of the commission. This coming election, four candidates are vying to fill the three commissioner positions. Incumbents, Mayor Harry Franco and Commissioner Dorothy O’Donnell have teamed with Mr. Morris Ades in their campaign for reelection. The group is being challenged by Deal resident Patrick Burgdorf, who is running on his own. Deal residents familiar with the candidates feel that a victory by Burgdorf will signifi- cantly reduce the community’s influence in the borough. The Franco, O’Donnell, Ades team has launched a campaign to garner the vote and support of community members. The team hopes that a large turnout by the Sephardic community would have a direct and positive impact in further strengthening the community’s position in Deal. The community’s vote, “will reaffirm our commitment to continue to maintain Deal’s high standards, to improve the quality of life we now enjoy, and to focus on the needs and requirements of our Community,” Mayor Franco wrote in a letter to Sephardic residents. The team is also highlighting the considerable accomplishments they have achieved in recent years including: over $3 million obtained in grants from federal, state, and county agencies for capital improve- ments; maintaining one of lowest tax rates in the state; construction of a new state of the art police headquarters; initiation of a highly specialized law enforcement training for Deal police officers; and replacement and repair of various roads, utilities and public facilities. “It has been an honor and a privilege to have served in this office, it’s really quite humbling,” said Mayor Franco of his tenure in Deal’s municipal government. Having served as mayor of Deal for the past 13 years after first being elected commissioner 28 years ago, Mayor Franco is easily the most senior candidate on the ballot. Commissioner Dorothy O’Donnell, who currently heads up the Revenue and Finance departments, was first woman ever to serve as commissioner in Deal and has a long history of dedicated service to the borough, having been first elected in 1994. Joining the campaign of the two incumbents is Mr. Morris Ades, who is himself no stranger to the municipal affairs of Deal, having served with honor and dignity as Chairman of the Planning Board since 1980. Of the registered voters in Deal only about half are from the Sephardic community, so election of the Franco, O’Donnell, Ades team is by no means a foregone conclusion. Election Day is May 13th, 2008. Polls open at 6:00 am until 8:00 pm at the Deal School. CM Without the community’s vote, the local government of Deal, New Jersey could be in for drastic changes. By: Jack Cohen