Times, they are a changin’, or not

I

t’s Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. Do you know where your Borough Council is?

If every Red Banker reading this could answer that question, then this editorial would be a moot point.

Councilwoman Jen Beck is pushing for moving the council’s meetings to a later time so that more people can attend. Her argument is that most people aren’t home from work in time to make the 5:30 p.m. gathering.

Borough Council members have weighed in on both sides of the issue, some favoring the early time and others times like 7:30 p.m.

Mayor Edward J. McKenna Jr. seems to favor the status quo.

McKenna, who has been mayor for about 10 years, said he has changed the time before. Either way, it doesn’t seem to matter, he said, nobody shows up.

Resident input, it seems, is what’s lacking. Does anyone care what time the meetings are?

Municipal government body meetings across the county, and maybe the state, are notorious for poor attendance. More often than not, reporters and local officials outnumber the audience. The only time meetings do fill up are when residents are hot about an issue that directly affects them. Even then, when residents pack a room — as they have been doing in Fair Haven for skateboard issues and Rumson for the Tredwell House hearings — when the agenda moves past the issue of their interest, they leave.

Let’s face it, people are busy. They’ve got a lot to do — other personal meetings to attend, families to take care of, dogs to walk.

Plus one more factor is central to this issue — people are apathetic when it comes to government.

Disagree? Perhaps you live in Red Bank and are actually interested in attending a council meeting. Does the ridiculous meeting time keep you from going? If it does, tell the council, call the administrator, write a letter, e-mail The Hub, something.

If not, let’s put this issue to bed and with it, hopefully, our council members (and our reporters) at a reasonable time, too.