Oceanport Mayoral Candidates
Future of fort, shared services on Kahle agenda

Ellynn Kahle Burnt Mill Circle Republican

Oceanport is evolving, according to mayoral candidate Council-woman Ellynn Kahle, who said last week that she is running for the office of mayor to be a part of "positive" decision-making for the future of the borough.

"It is an exciting time for Oceanport with all the changes that will be going on in the next couple of years," Kahle said in an interview last week. "I know a lot of the issues, and right now I have the most experience.

"I think the leadership and direction of the town needs a change," she said.

Kahle is challenging Mayor Lucille Chaump in the Nov. 7 election for the one-year unexpired term of the late Mayor Maria Gatta.

If elected, Kahle, who is serving her fourth year as councilwoman, said one of her primary goals is to follow through with plans for the future of Fort Monmouth.

"I think we really have to be proactive," she said. "I want to make sure we have a mixed-use plan for the fort and I want to preserve the small community feel that we already have in Oceanport.

Kahle said she would also like to see the borough explore shared services with other municipalities as one way to lower taxes.

"[As councilwoman], I have met with Fair Haven, Little Silver, Eatontown and Asbury Park, to see if we could share garbage and recycling services," Kahle said. "I found that we wouldn't be saving money. Sometimes it is not necessarily a good or bad thing, but we should be a part of the conversation and it is something that should be looked at.

"If we explored sharing services in other areas, then we would be able to reduce taxes," she said. "That is the way of the future."

Kahle continued that she has initiated dialogue about sharing dispatch and police services with Little Silver and Shrewsbury.

"We are going to be part of the conversation with the dispatchers and police and whatever other shared services are out there," Kahle said. "We owe this to our taxpayers to at least take a look at that."

Kahle has been an Oceanport resident for 15 years and as mayor, she would like to see borough government be more proactive.

"With the growth happening in Oceanport on Main Street and the housing complex at Old Wharf, we need to address traffic in the borough and our senior citizens now," she said.

Kahle, a registered nurse, was a member of the Board of Education for six years and said she has served on "virtually every borough committee, with the exception of Fort Monmouth."

"There is no representation on the Fort Monmouth committee from the Republican party," Kahle said.

In order for Oceanport to head in a positive direction for the future, Kahle said the council needs to start working as a team, regardless of party affiliations.

Currently, the party makeup of the council is split three to three, with Democratic Mayor Chaump breaking tie votes.

"We have to get over the Republican and Democratic disputes," Kahle said. "We need to start working together and share ideas and make changes for the borough.

"We need to change the communication with the council," she said. "I want council to work together. Oceanport has some tough and exciting issues that require us to work together."

Another change she said she would like to make as mayor is to create a more transparent government.

"I would like to see everyone involved in the conversation," Kahle said.

And in order to accomplish that goal, Kahle said she would like to see a user-friendly borough Web site that would be easy and accessible for residents.

"I want the council members to have mailboxes so the residents can get in touch with them," Kahle said. "Now, if a resident wants to talk to us, they have to call us at home or track down our private e-mail.

"I would also like our residents to be able to click on a certain committee [on the Web site] and let us know what is working and what is not working," she said. "It would be great if people could just click on a site and give us their ideas and feedback."

Kahle said as mayor she would continue with smart planning and the growth of Oceanport without losing sight of the borough's small-community feel.