Asbury Park Council Election Preview

ASBURY PARK - Staying-the-course and change are both of the ballot in the Asbury Park Council election.

Seven have filed to run for three council seats including Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn, Councilwoman Yvonne Clayton, Councilwoman Eileen Chapman, Kerry Butch, Felicia Simmons, Robert McKeon and Arthur Schlosssbach.

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Quinn, Chapman and Clayton have formed a team called "Asbury Together," noting on their website that the Rev. David J. Parreott, Jr. expressed support for them.

“A lot of people said they’d work to revitalize the Springwood Avenue corridor, but this team of people actually brought together the parties needed to make it happen. It makes me so proud to look at our beautiful park and new construction of affordable housing at Boston Way and the Renaissance,” he said on the website.

Clayton said: “We promised to prioritize revitalization of the Springwood Avenue neighborhood and then worked tirelessly to deliver. Actions speak louder than words.”

Small business owner Kathy Kelly, on the website, said the Asbury Together team "does an amazing job of walking that tightrope. They study the issues affecting our city, listen and engage, make the hard decisions with transparency, try their best to bring all concerned to the table, and tweak when need be.”

Quinn said the ban on plastic bags was met with some strong opposition, but "it was the right thing to do for the ocean and environment."

"Our regulation of short term-rentals met with resistance in certain quarters, but it was the right thing to do for the preservation of affordable housing," she said. "We adopted some of the most progressive affordable housing ordinances in the state.”

Chapman added, “We stood with the residents over reconstruction of the boardwalk, and then facilitated working with the waterfront developer to make the plan better. And we’ve also demonstrated that we will challenge the state when the livelihood of Asbury Park is at stake.”

Schlosssbach said he believes the mayor and council are doing a "OK job," but because of their backgrounds, there is a need to have a person with strong business experience.

"There are over 300 small business in Asbury Park and I am that person with over 40-year small business experience," he said. "The need to get the streets fixed. There are so many streets and avenues that are like driving in a war zone."

He also would like to establish a business improvement district.

Since the change to this year's election was announced by Gov. Phil Murphy, there have been many questions about how the process will work.

"Every vote should be safe. Every vote should be secure. Every vote should be count," Murphy said of the process.

Since the change to this year's election was announced by Gov. Phil Murphy because of the coronavirus, there have been many questions about how the process will work.

Every the ballot sent through the mail had to be postmarked by Nov. 3. It must be received by your county's election boards by 8 p.m. on Nov. 10.

"Every vote should be safe. Every vote should be secure. Every vote should be counted," Murphy said of the process.

See our full election coverage for New Jersey on our topic page.