Tobin will run for second council term
Three seats are up for election on May 8
BY LINDA DeNICOLA
Staff Writer

Tinton Falls

TINTON FALLS - That old adage, "Never say never" is one that Council President Brendan Tobin knows first-hand.

Last week, he announced in an e-mail that he is going to run again for re-election to his seat on the Borough Council.

Tobin had said on a number of occasions that he would not seek re-election, but all that changed when nobody took him seriously and he received many requests to remain on the Council.

Tobin said last week that seven people have picked up packets for the May 2007 Borough Council elections.

"Three of those are Gary Baldwin, Duane Morrill and me," he said. "We are running on one ticket under Gary's banner from when he ran in the 2005 election, 'Ethics in Government.'"

Three out of five Council seats are up for grabs this year. Besides Tobin, the other two seats belong to Councilwoman Kim Barrett and Councilman Jim Allen. Allen, who is filling an unexpired term that ends in May, has said that he does not plan to run, but he too could change his mind.

The Tinton Falls form of government falls under the Faulkner Act. The mayor is the chief executive officer and is elected for a four-year term. In addition, the five Council seats are for staggered four-year terms. The elections are held in May, instead of November.

Tobin explained that he had received numerous e-mails, calls and comments from residents, business owners and borough employees to reconsider his decision not to run for re-election.

"Even the mayor asked me to reconsider. I was more than a little shocked and humbled by this," he said, adding that he talked it over with his wife, Laura, and she said she would back the idea if I had a good, strong team."

Tobin explained that he spoke with several people about running on a ticket with him.

"I made it clear that I didn't want to be there alone. I'd done the lone wolf thing when I ran four years ago and broke up the way things had been for years. Back then, I couldn't find two other people to run with me since nobody had won against the established team in a decade or more," he said.

He said he wanted to be sure that his running mates think about the borough as a whole and are not motivated by their own neighborhood interests.

"I'm lucky enough to find a few to work with. I've had the pleasure of working with Duane and Gary on a number of issues over the years, so I'm pleased that we can work together," he said.

Morrill is a fire commissioner whose three-year term ends in March. Baldwin serves on the Council at Seabrook Village where he lives with his wife. He is also a member of the Tinton Falls Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Election Day is May 8. Anyone who is not registered to vote, can contact the Borough Clerk at (732) 542-3400 ext. 95 or the county Board of Elections at (732) 431-7150 to register.