Republican Committee Members Reject Transparency and Accountability

In every election cycle, the League of Women Voters organizes a candidate forum as a service to the voters of Middletown. This is to ensure that voters can see what the candidates stand for, how they plan to legislate, and what they will do for the well-being of their constituency.

Jeremy Seideman and Shawn Wallach, as the Democrat candidates for Township Committee, accepted the invitation to participate in this forum. They said “we felt it was our obligation to the people of Middletown to showcase and discuss the positive changes we will bring to the Township Committee.”

Seideman and Wallach want to:

• Ensure your tax dollars are accounted for, are not wasted, and returned to our neighborhoods through investment in infrastructure

• Commit to Shared Services to ease the burden on the school district while investing in the Town’s children by working to improve education

• Bring new voices to the table so that the township is not run by a single-party Committee who believes they have no duty to listen to the voters

• Protect the character of Middletown by supporting community-first development

One of the cornerstones of the democratic process is that candidates are given the opportunity to present the merits of their candidacies in a public and non-partisan forum. Candidates are going to be making policy that will impact their constituency and, naturally, the constituency deserves the opportunity to ask their questions before the election. By refusing to participate, the incumbents have shown that they do not want to be questioned, do not want to share their plans, and just want you to accept the status quo. After so many years of “rubber-stamp rule,” they take the voters for granted. Their campaign strategy – or lack thereof – is evidence of this, as they have put up plenty of signs but are rarely, if ever, connecting with their constituents outside of their official duties. In a clear effort to blur the line between public service and political campaigning, one of the candidates was even seen knocking on doors to support his preferred slate of, supposedly apolitical, Board of Education candidates—while wearing his official Township Committee shirt. It’s another example of how the ruling party treats public office like it’s theirs to use, and not ours, working at our service. Middletown doesn’t need more of the same—it needs leaders who listen, show up, and put residents first.

You deserve better.

Jeremy Seideman and Shawn Wallach are candidates for Middletown Township Committee

Housing Crisis in Middletown

For too many years, Middletown’s leadership has treated New Jersey’s housing requirements as an inconvenience, rather than their decades-old duty pursuant to the New Jersey Constitution. This has proven to be a short-sighted strategy that is now coming back to bite us. Years of reckless planning and repeated court losses have increasingly stripped the Township of control over key zoning decisions in affordable housing matters, placing that power squarely in the hands of the courts.

New Jersey’s affordable housing obligation stems from the New Jersey Supreme Court’s “Mount Laurel” decisions. In 1975, the Court ruled that municipalities could not use zoning to exclude low- and moderate-income families. In 1983, the Court reaffirmed and expanded this principle by requiring all towns to provide a realistic opportunity for affordable housing. Then, in 1985, the New Jersey Legislature passed the Fair Housing Act, signed into law by Republican Governor Thomas Kean. That Act created the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) to oversee municipal compliance with these constitutional requirements. In other words, the requirements our town leadership is defying are rooted in bipartisan legislation and are grounded in the State Constitution. Municipalities have been under this obligation for nearly half a century, regardless of which party held the Governor’s office.

Instead of planning proactively and transparently, though, our leadership has spent years in court fighting, and losing. Each lawsuit is a waste of taxpayer dollars, delays compliance, and, as is clear from the latest appellate loss, further undermines Middletown’s standing to argue against development. In that latest defeat, an appellate court sided with a developer who wants to build over 900 units on the former Circus Liquors property, right in the heart of Route 35. Following established legal precedent, the Court reaffirmed that, because Middletown has failed to meet its constitutional housing obligation, it cannot use its powers to block projects that could help meet that obligation.

This isn’t about whether this development plan is ideal. Reasonable people can disagree about traffic, density, or site suitability; we do not believe the Township needs more car-centric townhomes along Route 35. However, none of that matters if the Township is flagrantly violating the law and losing control over development. Legal precedent is clear and has been for years – when a town refuses to create realistic opportunities for affordable housing, the courts step in. The courts do not care if the town’s preference is commercial development or open space. They are only concerned with constitutional compliance. On this matter, our failing leadership squandered any leverage they may have had.

Yes, the Township could ultimately prevail in their current case, but at what cost? The truth is, we wouldn’t be in this situation if Middletown had followed the law and made long-term plans like other towns. Instead, our leaders have spent years fighting losing battles and wasting taxpayer dollars on lawsuits, while towns like Holmdel, Colts Neck, and Wall entered into proactive settlement agreements to meet fair housing requirements, thereby limiting legal challenges from developers.

Middletown needs leadership that complies with established legal precedent and focuses its energy – and our money – on making much needed improvements to our schools, roads, and parks. Housing in Middletown needs to be attainable for young families starting out. They are the ones who will be involved in our schools for years to come, shopping in our stores, and enjoying our town.

If you have just read this and thought, “This is the first I am hearing about this issue,” you have identified the problem. This case has been in the courts for two years, while Middletown has been litigating affordable housing issues for over a decade. Middletown deserves transparency.

You deserve better.

Jeremy Seideman and Shawn Wallach are candidates for Middletown Township Committee

“Taxpayers First?” Really?

Middletown Republicans are again campaigning under the slogan “Taxpayers First.” It’s a slogan they recycle year after year, as if repeating it will make it true. But Middletown residents know better, just by opening our property tax bills.

If your taxes didn’t go up this year, you undoubtedly know families whose did. That is not “Taxpayers First.” It’s homeowners and families struggling to keep up while the same insiders congratulate themselves on what they consider “sound fiscal management.” However, we know the truth, because we’re the ones writing the checks.

And while we’re paying more, we’re also paying for waste. Middletown Republicans have dumped hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars into litigation that has no realistic chance of succeeding. Hard-earned taxpayer money that could have been invested in our communities, our roads, or our schools has instead disappeared into legal battles against developers and the state that amount to political theater.

Look at the state of our infrastructure. Our neighborhood streets are riddled with potholes, intersections remain unsafe, and uncontrolled development continues year after year. When the local government won’t prioritize the basics like safe streets, passable sidewalks, and well-maintained roads, then taxpayers are not first. They’re last in line.

The situation with our schools may be the clearest example of how hollow the “Taxpayers First” slogan has become. Schools don’t just educate our children, they anchor our neighborhoods. Even if your own kids have long since graduated, the strength of our schools defines the strength, stability, and value of Middletown. It’s no secret that the Republicans control the Board of Education, they are out campaigning for their chosen slate. The Board was ready to close the Leonardo, Navesink, and Bayshore schools just to plug a self-inflicted budget gap, with no real plan for the children who would be displaced. And where was the Township Committee?  Nowhere. The mayor dangled a promise of shared services, which would have eased the burden on both the district and taxpayers, only to rescind the offer because the Board didn’t vote the way he wanted them to. This isn’t taxpayers first – it’s partisan politics creeping into our schools, where it doesn’t belong.

It’s time for Middletown residents to ask a simple question: What has “Taxpayers First” actually done for you? We were prepared to ask this on voters’ behalf at the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum, where all candidates for the Township Committee were invited to speak. But Rick Hibell and Kevin Settembrino ignored the invitation, and the forum was cancelled. Apparently, “Taxpayers First” doesn’t extend to showing up and answering to taxpayers.     

Vote for Jeremy Seideman and Shawn Wallach for Township Committee, and replace the rubber stamps on the Township Committee with real independent voices. It's time to retire “Taxpayers First,” because You Deserve Better.

Jeremy Seideman and Shawn Wallach are candidates for Middletown Township Committee

This Is Not an Off-Year

Middletown, and the whole of Monmouth County, for that matter, is often seen as a Republican stronghold. However, as Oscar Wilde said, “the truth is rarely pure and never simple.” Monmouth County is about as “purple” as you can get. In Middletown alone, we have roughly twice as many unaffiliated voters as either registered Democrats or Republicans. What this means is no one has a lock on power here. Your vote can make the difference, but you need to vote.

The problem, though, is that far too many of us stay home. In the last local election, thousands of registered voters across Middletown sat it out. Across New Jersey, the turnout in so-called “off- years” can dip below 40%. This means that the decisions that shape our taxes, our schools, and our communities are being made by less than half the people who could be voting.

But here’s the thing – there are no off-year elections. 2025 is no exception. This election is not a placeholder until the mid-terms. This is the election that will set the tone for everything to come. If you don’t like what you see in Washington – whether it’s the assault on free speech, military in the streets, or the dismantling of government agencies that keep us alive – don’t wait for someone else to fix it. This is your chance to do something about it.

And how can you do something? By voting. When historically Republican-leaning towns like Middletown elect Democrats, it sends a message that cannot be ignored. It says we are not happy. It says that if Congress forgets its role as a co-equal branch of government, voters will remind them. It says that if a politician doesn’t do their job and represent all of their constituents, they won’t have their job after the midterms. This is the power you have. And we can promise you: that message will be heard.

So, on November 4th—or sooner if you choose to vote early—vote. Remind your friends to vote. If someone needs a ride to the polls, offer to take them. If they have questions about the candidates, reach out, we will be there and we are more than happy to answer. The only way our voices are silenced is if we silence ourselves.

This is not an off-year. This is your year. Remember to vote!

Jeremy Seideman and Shawn Wallach are the Democratic candidates for Middletown Township Committee

Keep Politics Out of Our Schools

By: Shawn Wallach and Jeremy Seideman

New Jersey has historically treated local Boards of Education as nonpartisan and independent bodies for a reason. Candidates do not run as part of a political party. This is because our children’s education should never depend on party politics, personal allegiances, or the color of someone's political lawn sign. School boards are supposed to focus on classrooms, not campaigns; on curriculum and community, not control. When political power creeps into those decisions, the losers are always the students and families who just want their schools to work. Those in power forget -- this town belongs to all of us, not just to those who hold the titles.

For years there have been rumors of political influence in our Board of Education. Now, though, we no longer have to guess which candidates the town leadership supports. Members of Middletown’s all-Republican Township Committee were recently shown on social media canvassing for their preferred slate of Board of Education candidates. This confirms and reinforces the open secret that the so-called “nonpartisan” Board has become closely aligned with the Committee itself. While there is nothing illegal about their actions, there is a reason school boards are meant to be apolitical. Our children’s education should not depend on party allegiance. If nothing else, we should welcome the revelation, because it is time for the Township Committee to accept at least part of the blame for our current school crisis.

Now is the time to send a message to the Committee and their hand-picked Board candidates: Middletown residents have had enough. We have tried it their way for over forty years, and the results speak for themselves: taxes keep going up, schools are on the brink of closure to cover years of fiscal mismanagement, and a “my way or the highway” approach to shared services decisions has left our district struggling.

One Committee member was even seen canvassing in an official township jacket, complete with the municipal insignia and the title “Deputy Mayor.” This may seem minor, but it raises a serious concern about public ethics. New Jersey’s Local Government Ethics Law makes clear that public officials may not use the power or symbols of their office to secure an advantage for themselves or others. There is a difference between the benefit of incumbency and the abuse of incumbency. Wearing a taxpayer-funded uniform while campaigning for a slate of Board of Education candidates blurs that line and sends the wrong message that the Township Committee itself is endorsing particular candidates in an election meant to be nonpartisan.

Middletown deserves leaders who respect the boundaries between governing and campaigning and who understand that ethical lines exist for a reason. If we accept this kind of behavior from those in office, those boundaries will keep shifting until they disappear altogether. 

Let us send a message, at the ballot box and in our conversations with friends and neighbors, that we expect better. Our schools, our taxes, and our town’s integrity depend on it.

Jeremy Seideman and Shawn Wallach are candidates for Middletown Township Committee