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The charter study commission is holding a public forum on Saturday and encouraging members of the public to attend.

The charter study commission is an elected five-member board that is currently scrutinizing the city’s form of government. Following their nine-month study period, they can suggest a variety of changes, ranging from staggering elections to a switch from Asbury Park’s current city manager form of government.

Since last December, the commission has been at work doing research and interviewing experts on city government as well as city, county and state officials. They meet each Monday at 7 p.m.

At Saturday’s forum, charter study members will explain their function to attendees, and will listen to questions from the public. Two speakers, Ernest Cote and Paul Matacera, Esq., will also be on hand to speak and to answer residents’ questions.

Cote is the former mayor of Holmdel and has sat on the Asbury Park budget advisory committee. He is a certified municipal finance officer for the state of New Jersey.

Matacera is a partner at MBI Gluck Shaw, a past president of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, and the former mayor of North Brunswick.

The forum will take place on Saturday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to noon in city council chambers. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. and bagels and coffee will be available. A light lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m.

The members of the city’s charter study commission are chairperson Pam Lamberton, Rita Marano, Duanne Small, Michelle Maguire and Randy Thompson.

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