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The plan is to outfit the township’s closed landfill with solar panels which would generate discounted electricity for interested residents and revenue for Berkeley. The landfill is located behind the Public Works building on Pinewald-Keswick Road in Bayville. In June of 2021, Hathaway Solar, LLC was chosen as the highest responsible bidder, so they won the contract to bring Berkeley into the statewide Community Solar Energy Pilot Program (CSP). The regulatory process might take another six months, Township Planner James Oris said. “Once all the pieces of the puzzle are solved, Hathaway will do public relations to get residents to sign on for a discount,” he said. According to Oris, Hathaway Solar will produce electricity through the solar panels which will feed into the region’s electric grid. Residents can opt in to the program to get the solar energy. The default is being opted out. If a resident chooses to join with Hathaway, they would only pay them for the cost of electricity. The cost of maintaining the wires and other infrastructure would still be Jersey Central Power and Light, Oris said. Despite this, you would only pay one bill. As the awarded bidder, Hathaway Solar will be responsible for all costs associated with the project, so taxpayers will not be charged with any related costs. The CSP was established in 2019 by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities after Governor Phil Murphy singed a bill in 2018 mandating the creation of the program. The new solar program is estimated to earn Berkeley $400,000 a year, Amato said. Additionally, Hathaway would pay for capping the landfill. The landfill is currently topped with dirt.

Men’s Club Meetings

BERKELEY – Due to the closure of building C for restorations, the Men’s Club Meetings will be held at the VFW located at 383 Veterans Boulevard, Bayville. Meeting dates are October 27 and November 17. The time will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Bill Holencsak is asking for volunteers to drive men to the meetings who may need a ride. Anyone wishing to volunteer, please call Bill Holenscak at 732-505-8321. They thank everyone for their patience while the Board continues to work on the restoration of the auditorium in building C.

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OPINIONS & COMMENTARY

Editorial

Could a ban on abortion really happen? Some say that it’s far-fetched, but some say it’s closer to reality than we ever believed. I mentioned in a previous editorial that this is a topic that will go back and forth forever. The Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision said that there is no federal right to an abortion granted by the Constitution. Some believe this allowed states to make the decision to legalize it or ban it. This is true, but that statement intentionally leaves out a very important detail: Federal laws overpower state laws. That means if Congress decides to ban abortion across the country, that would become the law of the land. If Congress decides to allow it across the country, that becomes law. A state couldn’t change that. In this election, our members of the House of Representatives are on the ballot. The readership of newspapers served by Micromedia Publications cover the 2nd and 4th Congressional districts. I felt it was appropriate to list the candidates’ opinions. I took these statements from their websites.

Jefferson Van Drew

(R-2nd): “The integrity of the Court and its decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade must be respected, and we must come together to reject the latest attempts by those who disagree with today’s decision to abolish or pack the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court made the right decision to return this issue to the states so they can create their own laws regarding abortion. Here in New Jersey, we must continue to speak out and fight against Governor Murphy’s radical policies that call for taxpayer funded partial birth abortions.”

Tim Alexander (Democrat challenger, 2nd Dis-

trict): “It is a sad day in America. This decision by an extremist faction of justices is unconscionable. The outright rejection of precedent and disregard for the Fourth and Ninth Amendments’ protection of unenumerated rights is appalling. It is not the place of our government to interfere with anyone’s control over their body. This decision will cost women their lives. Congress must take immediate action to protect women’s reproductive rights, and to stave off future attacks on our other rights that are now vulnerable.”

Chris Smith (R-4th):

“For decades - right up to this very moment - abortion advocates have gone to extraordinary lengths to ignore, trivialize, and cover up the battered baby victim,” said Rep. Smith. “Today, at long last, Justice Alito writing for the majority of the U.S. Supreme Court has reversed Roe (and Casey) and has returned the power to lawmakers to significantly regulate or even prohibit abortion.”

Matt Jenkins (Democrat challenger, 4th District):

“The GOP is looking to control and subjugate half the population. It is time to codify Roe into federal law for the safety of all women across this country. We are all equal under the law. Equality is only achieved through the freedom to control our own bodies, lives, and futures. Birth control is health care. Affordable access to birth control is a right, not a privilege. Healthcare is a decision between a patient and their doctor. The government has no business in the exam room.”

In addition to these above statements, I would encourage you to look into what some of this language really means. What is a “partial birth abortion,” for example? It’s a political term - not a medical term - dating back 40 years. It would take chapters to explain it here. You also need to look into the details of any potential ban. Most allow abortions in case of rape or incest. Some bans allow it if the pregnancy could hurt or kill the mother. For example, Smith proposed a bill that would ban abortion after 20 weeks, because that’s when he said a fetus can feel pain. Abortion would still be allowed under this bill in the case of rape, incest, or danger to the mother (although there’s some further requirements defining rape). If we continue with the idea that states make the decision regarding access, it’s generally believed that New Jersey is so blue, abortion will be legal here forever. However, Gov. Phil Murphy only won by a slim margin in 2021, indicating that the state is getting redder (or maybe that Murphy is just unlikable). Regardless, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that our next governor

National Abortion Legality Is On The Ballot

is a Republican. I get the feeling that a lot of Republicans in New Jersey don’t vote in gubernatorial polls because they figure their vote won’t matter. The 2021 GOP candidate, Jack Ciattarelli, polled better the farther right his rhetoric was. So, if 2025’s GOP candidate is an ultra conservative candidate, they could excite enough of the red-blooded New Jerseyans and bring them to the polls. State lawmakers are overwhelmingly Dem, but again, that could change. My point is that abortion is on the ballot even if it’s not expressly spoken. The midterm elections tend to be based on how popular the president is, but abortion rights might be the undercurrent that changes things.

Chris Lundy News Editor

Letters To The Editor

Can “Lakewood Charlie” Ever Tell The Truth?

My opponent, the former mayor of Lakewood, tells you #1 Barnegat is overdeveloped. False: Barnegat is still 40% open space. #2 Taxes are up every year. Barnegat has had the lowest increase in municipal taxes (average $25 a year a house PER YEAR) LOWER than any nearby town. Recent developments have saved the average homeowner $$ hundreds in property taxes a year. #3Roads Most major roads in Barnegat are COUNTY roads, however Barnegat has a list of small roads that will be addressed. West Bay Avenue from Sandpiper to Route 9 is scheduled to be repaved very shortly by the County. #4 Water Pressure Work has just been completed on an additional water pressure link and a new water tower is planned. #5 Big lie: the town picks the commercial developments. The town cannot pick what stores come to town; my opponent knows that. #6 The town told residents not to read Barnegat social media WOW!! Members of the committee have asked residents at a Town Hall meeting, that if they have a township question call us. “We are here to answer your questions. You may not get correct answers on Facebook.”

Don’t Trust Kathy Eagan

Anyone who’s been paying any amount of attention to the Toms River School Board in recent years knows not to trust Kathy Eagan. She was embroiled in the costly and embarrassing superintendent hiring fiasco. She was one of the main reasons we had to spend money trying to find a candidate who was literally right under our noses. Council member Dan Rodrick called Eagan to try to get her to influence the rest of the committee picking a superintendent. Gee, why do you think she was picked as a mole? Maybe because he knows she has no scruples and will do whatever she is asked to do by another politician? It’s obvious to anyone who watches the board meetings that Eagan does nothing but sit around and vote the way her political bosses tell her to. Eagan’s campaign is being run by former board member Christopher Raimann, who is still trying to manipulate the board. When he was on the board, he was accused of leaking sensitive documents. And now he is giving Eagan orders. She’s also getting marching orders from board member Lisa Contessa, who just got a free county job for her patronage. That’s why I’m voting for Daynne Glover. She’s a parent of two kids in the district and has no political aspirations. She’s not a politician. She has no donations from deep pocketed people so she owes no favors. She has no conflicts so she can actually vote on everything, unlike Eagan who has to abstain on important votes because she’s conflicted. You can’t trust Eagan because you don’t know who her bosses are. Glover has no bosses, and only cares about her kids and everyone else’s kids.

Jeffrey Chambers Toms River

We Welcome Letters To The Editor!

The Berkeley Times welcomes all points of view for publication and provides this page as an open forum for residents to express themselves regarding politics, government, current events and local concerns. All letters are printed as space allows unless deemed offensive by the editorial staff, and provided they are signed and include address & phone number for verification. Letters may not be printed if we cannot verify them. Names will not be withheld from publication. While most letters are printed as submitted, we reserve the right to edit or reject letters. The weekly deadline is 5 p.m. Thursday. Mail typed letters to: PO Box 521, Lakehurst, NJ 08733, fax 732-657-7388 or e-mail news@jerseyshoreonline.com. Letters may be limited to one per month per writer at the editor’s discretion. The opinions expressed in the Letters To The Editor section do not necessarily reflect those of the staff, management or sponsors of Micromedia Publications/ Jersey Shore Online. Letters to the Editor are the OPINION of the writer and the content is not checked for accuracy.

Correspondence & Commentary From Your Local, County, State & Federal Officials

Financial Information For Berkeley Township Residents

From The Desk Of The Mayor

- By Berkeley Mayor Carmen F. Amato, Jr.

New Property Tax Relief Program

The Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters - ANCHOR Program - replaces the Homestead Benefit Property Tax Credit. This is good news for Berkeley Taxpayers. We have been rallying for an INCREASE in the State’s property tax programs for years. The Council and I feel these vital property programs need to keep up with inflation and increases in the cost of living for our families and seniors of fixed incomes. If you recall, in May of 2020 the New Jersey State Treasurer had announced that it had frozen funding for both the Homestead Benefit Property Tax Credit and the Property Tax Reimbursement - PTR (Senior Freeze) in that fiscal year’s budget. As I noted, Berkeley Township has the most residents in the entire State of New Jersey that qualify for both of the these property tax relief programs. Over 13,000 Berkeley property taxpayers qualify, for both programs. As Mayor, along with the Township Council, WE IMMEDIATELY voiced our STRONG OPPOSITION to this plan and without hesitation, took up the fight to ensure these vital property tax relief programs were funded. As your Mayor and Secretary of the Ocean County Mayor’s Association, I encouraged all 33 towns in Ocean County to send letters and adopt resolutions encouraging the Governor and State officials to fund these vital property tax relief programs. In Berkeley, we adopted 3 such resolutions in support of full funding. I personally communicated with Governor Murphy as to the importance of not only funding these programs, but to provide additional property tax relief to our residents, especially our seniors on fixed incomes. We were pleased that the final 2021 budget included funding for both the Senior Freeze and Homestead Benefit Property Tax Credit Programs. Now, the new ANCHOR Program replaces the Homestead Benefit Property Tax Credit Program. Instead of receiving a property tax credit on your tax bill, you will be receiving a check from the State Treasury, for homeowners who qualify. In order to qualify, you need to be a New Jersey resident and owned and occupied a home in New Jersey that was your principal residence (main home) on October 1, 2019. If you were not a homeowner on October 1, 2019, you are not eligible for this program, even if you owned a home for part of the year. Income requirements along with benefits are as follows: If your 2019 New Jersey gross income (Line 29) was $150,000 or less you will be receiving a $1,500 check. If your 2019 gross income was $150,001 up to $250,000 you will be receiving a check for $1,000. The Treasury expects to mail checks in May of 2023. IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS PROGRAM you will NEED TO FILE AN APPLICATION WITH THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. The State has mailed ANCHOR applications to eligible homeowners last month. If you haven’t received an ANCHOR application call: 1-888-238-1233.

Senior Freeze Deadline Is Approaching

The Property Tax Reimbursement (PTR) Program reimburses eligible senior citizens or disabled persons for property tax increases. Eligible residents must file a Property Tax Reimbursement Application (Form PTR-1 or PTR-2). The application deadline is October 31, 2022. PTR-1 forms are available at Town Hall or if you have any questions call the Property Tax Reimbursement Hotline at 1-800-882-6597. It is truly an honor to serve as your Mayor. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email me at: mayor@berkeleytownship.org or by phone: 732-244-7400 ext.: 1203.