Future of fort, racetrack
Four candidates - an incumbent and three challengers - are vying for two seats up for election Nov. 6 on the Oceanport Borough Council. Although their political affiliations differ, all four agree that two issues are critical to the future of Oceanport: the future uses of Fort Monmouth's acreage and the viability of Monmouth Park racetrack.

Gerald Briscione

- Christine Varno Gerald Briscione Oceanport Councilman "Jay" Briscione is seeking re-election for a second term to follow through on several issues he has been addressing for the past four years.

"I believe I have the professional expertise, the experience and the work ethic to deal with the issues, which include the redevelopment of Fort Monmouth, Monmouth Park and the racing industry and an effort to stabilize taxes and secure grants," said Briscione, of Sagamore Avenue.

"We have had an effort to control spending and I have worked on a lot of grants to help save taxpayers money."

Briscione pointed out that he is involved in working on the reuse of the fort property ."My involvement with Fort Monmouth is one of the most important things I have done as councilman," he said. "I have been on the Fort Monmouth Reuse Committee. I think it is going to take the efforts of local government, the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Planning Authority, the planner and tremendous amounts of public participation.

Gerald R. Bertekap

"All of us would agree that we don't want to see tremendous redevelopment at that site," he continued. "The Army is going to get fair market value for the base so there is going to be some residential."

Briscione explained that he would like to see the current historic district on Fort Monmouth preserved as well as recreational uses, a medical campus with research facilities, an office and research area and a mixed-use residential component.

"We want to include affordable housing for young people who want to remain in town," he said. "This is a process that is not going to take place overnight.

"We are still very hopeful that this base will remain open, but if it is closed, we do need to work on a plan," he said. "You want a plan that would incorporate different types of housing and different types of commercial and retail uses, and a component of it should also be open space."

Joseph Irace

Another pressing issue he cited is Monmouth Park and the future of the horseracing industry in the state.

"The racing industry in the state is having issues with other tracks in other states that have slot machines," Briscione said. "It is hard to stay competitive. Monmouth Park is our biggest ratable. We want to make sure that the track is a viable racetrack.

"It is a tremendous amount of open space," he said, adding, "It is an economic engine for the county."

Democrat Briscione, a real estate appraiser and consultant, has served four years on council.

Gerald R. Bertekap Council candidate Gerald R. Bertekap believes his leadership experience with the borough's fire department will help unite the council if he is elected.

Fire chief for the past year and a member of the department for 10 years, Bertekap believes he can help end the divisiveness in borough government.

William McVitty

"I have been going to council meetings as fire chief and I have seen how council operates," said Bertekap, of Horse Neck Point Road.

"There is fighting and bickering. A lot of things weren't getting done. I can bring fresh leadership, the ability to work with others and a good business sense," he said. "I have been through all the ranks with the fire department, and when you get to the top, that is when you start to deal with Oceanport officials. That is when my eyes opened, and I saw that I didn't want the borough to continue to run the way it has been."

A Republican and small business owner, Bertekap said he wants the opportunity to address the many issues facing the borough, including the closure of Fort Monmouth.

"There are going to be quite a lot of changes," he said, adding that he objects to a plan being discussed by borough officials that calls for constructing 1,800 homes at the Fort Monmouth property that lies within Oceanport.

"We have 2,100 homes in Oceanport. That would be almost doubling the amount of homes in Oceanport. We are not losing homes there, we are losing jobs. It is the wrong direction," he said.

Bertekap said he would rather see a plan for the Fort Monmouth property that would support the needs of Oceanport.

"I would like to see a plan like what other towns have," he said. "Tinton Falls put together a plan with 200 homes and a small downtown center. Something like that would fit Oceanport's needs.

"We could keep the technical buildings there and keep jobs there. We want to see more business ratables there. I am in favor of some homes, but the plan has too many. I would be wholeheartedly in favor of a university there and preserving as much open space as possible."

Another issue facing the borough is escalating taxes, and Bertekap said he supports the borough doing more in shared services to cut spending.

"I think a lot of the tax problem comes from above [in Trenton]," Bertekap said. "A lot of it is not controlled by the borough. And a lot of the money goes toward the schools. I would like to do whatever we can to get school taxes down to lower taxes in the borough.

Joseph Irace After losing by a single vote in last year's municipal election, Joseph Irace is again seeking a seat on the borough council.

"I am not happy with what I see going on in Oceanport," said Irace, Osprey Lane. "I know I can make a difference. That is why I ran last year and that is why I am running this year."

Like the other candidates, Irace singled out the closure of Fort Monmouth as the biggest issue facing Oceanport "by far."

"That could be the number one and the number two issue facing Oceanport," Irace said. "The decision to close Fort Monmouth has a huge impact on the borough. The current leadership in the borough does not take an active role on this issue. They have handed this issue to a volunteer economic development committee. [The committee] is nine members and they are volunteers. They did a great job, a heck of a job. But as elected officials, how do you take the most important issue and hand it to volunteers?"

There are 419 acres at Fort Monmouth that lie within Oceanport, according to Irace, who said a current plan being discussed by the borough calls for constructing 1,800 homes at the site.

"That would almost double the size of the borough. The borough [currently] has 2,100 residents," he said.

"We don't have the infrastructure for 1,800 homes," he said. "It is the wrong plan at the wrong time for the wrong town.

"If elected … I will call to cease and desist on that plan. I would like to see anything other than homes there. We are not losing homes with the closure of Fort Monmouth, we are losing jobs."

Irace added that he would like to see the buildings preserved that are already located at the Fort Monmouth site. Additionally, he said he would support a plan that would include a university or an industrial park.

"Fort Monmouth remains the primary issue, everything else that comes up, the dayto day is something we can handle," he said.

Irace, a Republican, said that his experience as a portfolio manager would be an asset on council.

"I have management experience," he said. "I manage over $3 million. I am familiar with budgets. I have a strong finance background."

Another issue facing the borough is taxes, according to Irace.

"We obviously need to look into ways to reduce taxes. I can't sit here and say I am going to cut your taxes. Almost 95 percent of your budget is already there and you really only have control over about 5 percent.

"We need to concentrate on that 5 percent. We are tied into contracts and schools make up a large portion of taxes." One way to cut spending is shared services, Irace said.

William McVitty Council candidate William McVitty said he is running for election to bring a new face and fresh ideas to the council.

Currently serving on the Oceanport Board of Education, McVitty said that if elected, he would like to see the borough's governing body work collaboratively on the several issues facing the borough.

"I can bring the ability to collaborate and to work together," said McVitty, of Eatontown Boulevard. "I will work to make sure that council comes together on issues that are important to the borough.

"I want to see decisions made in the best interest of the residents."

McVitty, a Democrat and director of parts and service for an auto dealership, cited the same issues as the other council candidates as being important to Oceanport's future.

His top priority as a councilman, McVitty said, would be to support any plan that aims to keep Fort Monmouth open and remain as is.

"If that is not possible," he said, "going forward, I would support something that mirrors the ambiance of the town.

"The plan has to be carefully developed and take into consideration residential and open space. I would like to see residential, office space and a downtown mixed-use area with restaurants," he said.

McVitty said that the council also needs to continue to work with Monmouth Park, which accounts for 9 percent of Oceanport's tax revenues and pays some $1.6 million in taxes a year.

"We need to know what issues [the track] is facing and then come together to make sure we can help address them, while keeping the best interests of the residents of the town in mind," he said.

McVitty added that he wants to work to stabilize taxes and be fiscally responsible for borough residents.

"The biggest thing I would like to see accomplished as a council representative is to always be accountable to the residents," McVitty said.