Township Council

The two hot topics of the past year or so failed to manifest themselves at the voting booth in the Nov. 3 election, an FR&A analysis of the results shows. Although they were the subjects of several heated Township Council meetings and endless debates on social media, the development of Middlebush and Catalpa parks failed to result in the threatened voter …

Township Councilman Phil Kramer handily won the mayor’s race, and his Democratic running mates swept the Township Council race in the Nov. 3 election. With all districts reporting, Kramer, currently a councilman from Ward 3, garnered 5,045 votes and his challenger, current Mayor Chris Kelly, received 3,208 votes. Kelly was appointed mayor by the council in January following the resignation …

An editorial analysis. A political flier put out last weekend by the Somerset County Republican Organization supporting the mayoral bid of Chris Kelly has ruffled the feathers of his Democratic rival. And probably with good reason. The flier, which features a cartoon of a man with a Pinocchio-like nose, criticizes Township Councilman Phil Kramer for what it calls his self-styling …

FR&A Editorial Analysis. Here’s a question: When is an election not an election? The question arises because of a campaign sign distributed by township Republicans in support of their mayoral and township council candidates. “Re-Elect Mayor Chris Kelly,” it reads. Re-elect? Kelly won an election? In the opinion of township Republican chairman Bob LaCorte, the answer is “yes.” “Since Chris was …

A political flier distributed by Township Councilman Rajiv Prasad (D-At Large) is causing consternation in Democratic Party circles here and in the county. The flier, copied on blue paper and delivered to homes in the township, asks voters to support the Democratic slates at the township, county and state level. Prasad is running for re-election to his council seat. The …

The Township Council on Oct. 27 honored one of their former colleagues for his service to the township. Former Councilman Brian Regan was given a plaque and a proclamation for his “dedication to this community and its residents and his desires and efforts to keep Franklin Township a home in which we all can be proud.” Regan resigned from the …

Update: The FR&A has obtained copies of police reports from the Oct. 4 and 11 noise complaints See below. The Pop Warner football league’s use of speakers at Middlebush Park was once again a topic of discussion at a Township Council meeting. Some council members at the Oct. 13 meeting expressed frustration over repeated noise complaints called in by the …

There are still a couple regulatory hurdles to overcome, but all indications are that the long-shuttered Kingston School will soon once again be a center of learning. Plans call for the school, located on Laurel Avenue in Kingston, to be leased by the Tuchman Foundation for 24 years. The foundation plans to sub-lease most of the space to a private school, …

Township Councilman Rajiv Prasad on Sept. 8 apologized for charging that opponents of a proposed park were motivated by racism, but the main targets of his attack maintained that he should resign his office. Prasad’s apology, delivered during the September council meeting, was primarily directed to Middlebush residents Brian and Gina Ulrich. Brian Ulrich is the creator of a social media site …

Mayor Chris Kelly ( R) has called for the resignation of a Township Councilman and the head of the township Democrats over a controversy concerning opposition to the proposed Catalpa Park. Kelly said that Councilman Rajiv Prasad (D-At Large) should resign because of comments he made at a July 27 meeting of the Human Relations Commission, in which he said …