Current mayor fires back at former mayor's comments
I would like to respond to a letter from former Mayor Dan Newman regarding the Brick Township Web site.

In his letter, he says that the press release in question, "Petition Collectors Misleading Residents," asserts that the issue of the Brick Community Center is political.

This is not accurate. My comments in the press release about politics were solely in regards to the people collecting signatures, not the issue itself. The plan to buy the Ocean Ice Palace for the purpose of building a community center was certainly township news and suitable for inclusion on the Web site.

In the press release, which was posted on May 12, I stated my opinion that the petition effort was being driven by political motives. I find it hard to argue otherwise today, especially when you consider that the Brick Township Democratic Club was requesting volunteers to circulate the petition to "stop the purchase of the Ocean Ice Palace" on their Web site. The people collecting the signatures were almost exclusively members of the Brick Township Democrats or their recruits.

What disappointed me most throughout the petition effort is that the same people who were collecting signatures never once called for a referendum in the past on any government projects or spending. This includes the community center that was proposed almost 10 years ago. It was not until I took office that any of these people expressed an interest in having a referendum. I find that to be more than coincidental.

It should be noted that in that same press release, I expressed my concern that the owner of the property would not wait much longer. We now know that my concern was well founded.

What I find most offensive about Mr. Newman's letter, however, is his insinuation that I have acted unethically by posting the press release. Mr. Newman is one of the last people who should be raising questions about ethics. If Mr. Newman would like to compare track records in regards to serving the people of Brick Township in an ethical manner, I would welcome that comparison any day o the week.

Stephen C. Acropolis

Mayor Brick Township