Oceanport Mayoral Candidates
Chaump says year in office gives her edge

Lucille Chaump Tecumseh Avenue Democrat

Oceanport Mayor Lucille Chaump has been serving in that office for just under a year and is seeking election in November for the opportunity to follow through with a platform she pledged to the community over three years ago.

Chaump, a registered Democrat, was sworn into office as mayor in November 2005, after being appointed by council to fill the unexpired term of the late Mayor Maria Gatta. She now is running to complete Gatta's one-year unexpired term.

"I ran for council in 2003 as a running mate with Mayor Gatta and I want to finish the term," Chaump said in an interview last week.

"When I ran for council, I ran on a platform with mayor [Gatta] and there are some things that I want to see through," she said, adding, "We have accomplished several things, but there is more work to be done."

Chaump said she has picked up where Gatta left off on the planning and decision making for the future of Fort Monmouth.

When Gatta became ill, Chaump filled in for her at meetings regarding Fort Monmouth, and in August Chaump became a member of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitaliza-tion Planning Auth-ority.

"I have been doing it and I have the experience," Chaump said.

If elected, her primary goal for Fort Monmouth is to open a dialogue and work to create transparency between government officials and borough residents on plans for the fort.

"[Oceanport] is not just my town," said Chaump. "There are 5,800 residents that live in Oceanport.

"Once those fences [at Fort Monmouth] come down, then 423 acres become Oceanport land," she said, adding, "I think we need to have some community input and integrate [Fort Monmouth] into what Oceanport already is."

Chaump said she also would like to stabilize, if not lower taxes in the borough.

"We are actively pursuing sharing services," Chaump said. "I also want to get the Board of Education to sit down and discuss shared services.

"The biggest part of our tax bill is the schools. I would like to work with [the board of education] and partner with them," she said. "We have to at least see whether or not it would be cost-saving."

One of the things that makes Oceanport what it is, Chaump explained, is that through the years, the borough has managed to maintain its small-community friendly feel.

And pursuing quality of life issues in the borough will help Oceanport remain as it is, Chaump said.

"The quality of life [in the borough] is important," Chaump said. "Preserving our neighborhoods and open space, protecting our environment and improving the town's water quality are things I would like to continue."

Chaump has been a resident of Oceanport for 26 years and is currently employed as an educator at St. John's Nursery School in Little Silver.

She has served as councilwoman for two years, and as her one-year anniversary as mayor is just around the corner, she said her experience is what Oceanport needs in a mayor.

"It's experience," Chaump said. "I have been mayor for a year and I have the experience of serving as mayor and on council and also being council president."

Chaump also has served 11 years on the Oceanport Board of Education, was a member of the PTA and has served on several borough committees.

As councilwoman and mayor, Chaump said she has seen several of the goals she set out to tackle accomplished, including updating the borough's Web site.

"I had said in January that I wanted to update our [borough] Web site," Chaump said. "We received a grant to put all our codes on the Internet.

"We just got another grant and are now in the process of hiring someone who will update the codes and revisions and make sure we are in compliance."

Chaump said she has continued to follow in Gatta's footsteps.

Gatta had pledged to extend the hours the mayor is available at borough hall, expand on the mayor's message in the borough newsletter and host town meetings in addition to the regularly scheduled public workshop and council meetings, according to Chaump.

Originally the mayor's hours were Thursday mornings at Borough Hall and Gatta extended that to Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon and Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m.

"I have continued that," Chaump said. "I have been very accessible, and that is important. I want to remain a public servant and I place Oceanport first."