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The Asbury Park Homeowner’s Association Sunday meeting at The Complex became the last public opportunity for candidates and the public to speak about the issues ahead of Tuesday’s election and the municipal ballot questions.

President Jordan Modell opened the discussion with a summation of each of the municipal ballot questions.

Regarding the question to shift to a three ward system, discussions unveiled that the lines would be drawn by four members of the Monmouth County Board of Elections and City Clerk Cindy Dye; based on the city’s population in the 2010 census.

Ward petitioner Tracy Rogers said the matter was put forth to create equal representation for the African-American and Hispanic communities on City boards and committees.

“I’m not trying to divide the city,” he said. “The point is to get people who are underserved to get to a level of equity.”

After resident Rita Marano said ward systems are typically found in large communities, Mayor John Moor said, there are zero cities in Monmouth County with ward system governance.

“Toms River is the only Ocean County community with a ward system but they are 45 square miles from the beach to pines,” he said.

Resident Arthur Schlossbach said back in the early 1970s, the City overturned the ward system because it created political [party] bosses.

“This town, in the 1980s had five people on its beaches,” he said.

But Council member hopeful Felicia Simmons, 39, who is challenging incumbent Jesse Kendle for the open seat said the Springwood Avenue has looked the same way for the entirety of her life.

Councilwoman Yvonne Clayton, a city native, said when she and the Asbury Together team ran in 2014, they made the Springwood redevelopment area their priority. She said the ward system would create competition in the 1.4 square mile community.

“What we want is a community where everyone works together for the betterment of the entire city,” she said.

With respect to shifting to a partisan governance, question two on the ballot, Mayor John Moor that former Republican governing body member Thomas S Smith, who was from the southwest, would not have been elected to office or moved on to becoming mayor and then an assemblyman.

“[Asbury Park] Democratic Committee Chairman Joe Grillo and Republican Chair Louise Murray have both come out publicly against this,” Moor said. “Even two of the five petitioners, 40 percent, are against this petition.

Simmons said, while she was initially hesitant to support the measure, it would aesthetically help voters understand who they are voting for in challenged races.

“Anyone can still run at large,” she said.

Marano said with 4,000 registered Democrats, 4,000 registered undeclared voters, and 700 Republicans on the voter registration list, partisan governance would make it harder for a Republican to serve on the City Council.

Councilwoman Eileen Chapman said data shows cities and towns similar in size to Asbury Park are moving away from partisan elections. She also said half of the newly registered voters are independent, lending to them being precluded from the primary process.

“We should elect people on their service not political affiliation,” she said.

North Beach resident Nita Congress said when she first from DC, it was odd not see the party affiliation next to a candidate’s name but she appreciates having to get to know them based on issues and not party affiliation.

The ballot question conversation ended with the short term rental initiative.

Members of the over 120 gathered during the morning meeting wanted to know how the proposed changes differed from what was put in place one year ago.

Beth McEntee said she and her family live next door to a two-family home they own and rent; with one unit, used prior to the new guidelines, as a short term rental to help cover costs to allow a reduced rental market rate for their long-term annual renter. They spent hundreds obtaining certificates of occupancy prior to the change, which now precludes them from the less than 30 day rental option.

Others voiced concerned about how relaxing the short term rental guidelines will affect a neighborhood’s cadence and the effects on the rental stock.

“What we found was that the price of rentals dropped a little and it opened up 30 percent more year round rentals,” Chapman said of data collected since the new guidelines went into place a year ago.  

Meeting members also discussed displeasure about being limited to renting only one room in their owner occupied homes.  

“This was a first step,” said Clayton, who sat on the ad hoc short rental committee. “If that is an issue then we can tweak the law but if this passes we can’t do anything for the next three years.”

For more about the municipal ballot questions, click here for the League of Women Voters analysis.

The polls are open from 6 am to 8 pm Nov. 6. Click on the photo above right to find polling district and venue.

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