Hamilton

"The benefits of of these cameras is that they have a deterrent effect as well as a crime-solving advantage. Most of the bad guys seem to know they're there and decide to get out of town."

Gilmore Rallies Behind Township’s Students and Parents Seeks Commissioner’s Intervention to Reverse County Superintendent’s Decision to Postpone Hamilton’s High School Graduations Mayor Waiting on Commissioner’s Decision

(Hamilton, New Jersey)  “This is a terrible lesson in bureaucracy,� said Hamilton Mayor Glen D.

Yesterday, upon learning that Hamilton Mayor Glen Gilmore was cutting seven temporary jobs from the Public Works department, Hamilton Republican mayoral candidate John Bencivengo expressed his outrage and called the job cuts “unforgivable.�

In the wake of Mayor Gilmore's State of the Township Address Hamilton GOP mayoral candidate John Bencivengo expressed his view that the speech was "all fluff and no stuff. The Mayor certainly talks the talk, but he never walks the walk," he continued.

"It's certainly amazing how the Mayor can stand before a group of people and continue to rewrite history," commented Bencivengo. "Just look at some of the claims he made and it's easy to see that they are based in fantasy."

Mayor Gilmore stated in his address that the Hamilton Police Department remains the "best equipped" officers anywhere in the country. "That's hogwash," Bencivengo said. "The police were in dire need of new cars this year and the Mayor purposefully left out any funding for such a purchase, as well as a quarter million dollars in essential overtime, in his budget. How does he expect Hamilton's officers to do their jobs when he doesn't give them the necessary tools," he added. "Thankfully, the Republican majority on the Council was able to find some money to purchase five new cars for our police department and add back the necessary overtime that Gilmore took away so that they can continue to keep Hamilton safe."

Bencivengo also took exception to the Mayor's claims that he presented the Council with a "lean" budget that even it was unable to find cuts in. "That's nonsense," he said. "The Mayor presented a budget that illegally included $5.7 million as revenue, when the money really belonged to our schools. Thankfully the Council found this 'error' before it cost Hamilton taxpayers down the road," added Bencivengo. "Although the Mayor claims that he presented a budget that contained no tax increase, his $5.7 million gimmick reflected an enormous tax increase. His budget wasn't lean, it was illegal," he continued.

The mayoral hopeful further expressed his disagreement with the Mayor's speech when the Mayor expressed his views on the transit development. "The Mayor commented that the transit development, like the Hamilton Marketplace, would be a great benefit for all of Hamilton. However, the two projects cannot be compared," stated Bencivengo. "The Hamilton Marketplace is successful because it is a purely commercial ratable. I, along with the Council majority I believe that the transit development could also be successful, but it needs to be commercial in nature," he added. "As of now, it is nothing more than a massive housing development that will stress our roads, schools, and our pocketbooks."

Bencivengo also took exception to the Mayor's call for the Council to sit down with NJ Transit to find "common ground" on the transit development. "Where has the Mayor been over the past year," Bencivengo asked. "Several times the Council has expressed its willingness to sit down and work out a compromise on the transit development and every time the Mayor has vetoed any such compromise effort. As Dave, Dennis, Tom, and Kelly have stated before, they are more than willing to sit down with NJ Transit and any other interested parties to work out a deal on the transit development, and they, along with myself, hope that the Mayor will finally come to the negotiating table as well. However, if anything is going to get done, the Mayor's current attitude of 'It's either my way or the highway' is going to have to change," Bencivengo concluded.

"I have decided to step down as Chairman of the Hamilton Republican Committee in order to devote 100% of my time pursuing my party’s endorsement of my candidacy for the office of Mayor," said John Bencivengo.

In the interim, Vice Chairwoman, Tracy Higgins, will assume responsibility as Chairperson until a new chair is elected at our party’s convention in June.

It has been an honor to lead the Hamilton Republican Committee’s resurgence and I am especially proud of the results of the last two elections in which four members of our party have been elected to the Council. They continue to put forth a consistent and concerted effort to give honest and efficient government back to the citizens of our great community.

Republican mayoral candidate John Bencivengo today offered a plan to revive the Transit Village concept. “I am joining the Council in their efforts to save the transit village and recommend that they establish a open forum made up of representatives from various affected groups from Hamilton to meet and create a plan that can be presented to the people of Hamilton in a series of public meetings,� Bencivengo offered. “My business and government experience suggests that if this type of process had been done from the beginning, this project would be well on its way,� he continued. “The present mayor should have been more forthright in putting together an acceptable plan of action for the area around the train station. He should have allowed all of the interested parties to have a voice in the planning to reach a plan that would be workable for the entire area. Any final plan for the area should balance the needs of the private sector with the quality of life of our citizens. At a minimum, an economic impact study and a traffic study should be completed before allowing a developer to forge a plan and then impose it on the citizens of our great town,� Bencivengo added.

John Bencivengo, Hamilton Township Republican Chairman and long time entrepreneur, has announced his intentions to seek the nomination as the Republican candidate for mayor in this year’s mayoral election.

Bencivengo is credited for stabilizing a failing Republican Organization from the effects of losing the mayor’s office in 1999 after twenty four years with a Republican in the municipal building. The last two local elections saw the Hamilton GOP win four council seats with Bencivengo heading up the Republican political organization. Bencivengo lived in Hamilton most of his adult life and was former Executive Director of the Hamilton Partnership, a private/public partnership created to provide a better forum for area business and industry to air their concerns and work more effectively with government and the people.

Bencivengo has been actively involved in Republican politics over the last twenty years. “I’ve always had a strong desire to serve in government. As an economic adviser to Mayor Jack Rafferty during the 90’s, I witnessed first hand what major goals government can attain with solid governmental leadership. I see nothing but a bright future for the Township of Hamilton; Hamilton’s potential is unlimited. I believe I have the ability to provide the much needed leadership for Hamilton to fulfill her great potential. Hamilton should be second to none as a place to live, work and raise a family, concluded Bencivengo.�

Bencivengo says he plans to implement a constructive campaign effort. He has the experience in local government, the energy and the enthusiastic commitment of a dedicated, diverse campaign team that will promote his positions in a positive and beneficial manner.

GOVERNOR CORZINE ORDERS FLAGS TO FLY AT HALF-STAFF TO HONOR U.S. ARMY PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ERIC R. WILKUS

TRENTON – In honor of U.S. Army Private First Class Eric R. Wilkus, Governor Jon S. Corzine signed the following Executive Order calling for the United States and New Jersey flags to fly at half-staff on Friday, January 5, 2007.

GREENSTEIN CALLS FOR RESIGNATION
OF HAMILTON SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER
Assemblywoman Says Inappropriate Web Site
'Fatally Compromised' Tozzi's Credibility

(MONROE TWP.) -- Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein today called on Hamilton Township Board of Education member Chris Tozzi to resign following revelations that he operated a freely accessible personal Web page at the popular Internet site MySpace.com that included offensive language, adult humor, and photographs of women in various stages of undress.