In Your Opinion: Seamon Is An Easy Choice For BOE

By Skip Schaefer, Somerset.

I’ve been a Franklin resident for 28 years and have been going to Board of Education meetings for the last dozen. Witnessed plenty of BOE budget vote rejections that had to be scaled down to be approved. Same with building referendums. However, last December’s “One Less Move” building referendum vote for $85 million passed relatively easily.

In attending BOE meetings since that vote I noticed that the attitudes of BOE members and even then-Interim Superintendent Lee Seitz could be described as pleasantly surprised, relieved, more confident, certainly grateful to the public, and maybe even a little giddy. As George Peppard of the “A-Team” on TV in the 80s used to say, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

And who was the BOE leader who was most instrumental in developing not only the “One Less Move” referendum but also the overall Long Range Facilities Plan that led to it? Current board member Richard Seamon. Using his engineering background and skills, his dedication to both the town and the school district, his attention to quality and detail, his financial acumen, his honesty and integrity, his ability to stay above the fray of board politics when other members were unable to, and his ability to foster the teamwork necessary among board members, architects, attorneys, planners and designers, and the public, Rich led the effort to write the long range plan and keep it on target until it came to fruition with last December’s vote. I truly believe the public’s trust in passing this referendum was due in largest part to their confidence in Rich and his personal integrity.

Passing the referendum was the easy part, Franklin. Now it’s implementation time and there is no better person to lead that effort than Rich Seamon. Please vote for his election to the Franklin Township BOE on November 3rd and don’t be surprised when Rich helps complete the plan under budget.

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