Steve Massell Plans to Put Taxpayers First in Run for Middletown Township Committee

As a father of four born and raised in Middletown, Steve Massell was compelled to run for Township Committee this year out of a growing concern over the disastrous impact that policies dictated by Jon Corzine are having on Middletown. Rather than complaining while watching tax bills increase, Massell decided to get involved.

“Trenton takes millions more from Middletown taxpayers each year while sending less money back and requiring Middletown, by decree, to provide low income housing and other unfunded mandates,” said Massell. “This is simply unacceptable — Middletown cannot maintain the quality of life we all enjoy while certain local elected officials embrace these policies.”

When pressed for details, Massell explained that his opponent, Democrat Pat Short has regularly voted in line with Jon Corzine. Earlier this year, Short did vote against Resolutions condemning Corzine’s State budget and the expansion of COAH — the Council On Affordable Housing — which, Massell added: “requires Middletown to provide obscene amounts of low income housing at immense taxpayer expense.”

“I am not suggesting that Pat Short is a bad person, in fact, while I didn’t vote for him, I had high hopes that he would do what he promised three years ago and help us lower property taxes,” explained Massell. “Instead, Pat Short has towed the Democrat party line with Jon Corzine and Middletown taxpayers simply cannot afford another term for either one of them.”

In addition to his fight for lower taxes and against State-mandated low incoming housing, Massell suggested that there are many other local issues that are of significant concern that need to be addressed.

“Middletown is one of the largest and most diverse communities in the State and each section of town faces different challenges that need to be addressed by the Township Committee,” Massell says. “For years, Lincroft residents have had to contend with unsafe and overcrowded roadways in a predominately residential area of town, and residents in the Bayshore have endured years of flooding that was supposed to be addressed by the federal government, but has not been despite decades of false assurances from Congressman Pallone.”

In both of these instances, Massell believes that local governments in suburban communities like Middletown are being forced to take a more active approach while politicians in Washington and Trenton redistribute billions to inner cities that have been devastated by decades of high taxes and corruption that drove out the businesses and residents that once contributed to their tax base.

Having worked in the private sector his entire life, Steve Massell believes that it is time for him to give something back to the community he grew up in. Steve already serves on the Middletown Planning Board and wishes to expand this public service to promote smart growth policies, such as preserving Middletown’s remaining open spaces and continuing implementation of the Green Initiative to help reduce taxes and traffic when on the Township Committee.

You can find out more about Steve Massell’s campaign for Middletown Township Committee at www.middletown2009.com