Dear Asbury Park Voters:

On November 3, we will be making a critical choice about the future direction of our city. As I have campaigned these past months, and talked to many of you, I have sensed what motivated me to run in the first place. We want and need change. My opponent has been in office for 13 years. During this time we have seen taxes quadruple, our boardwalk buildings crumble, developers take the upper hand, the West side and affordable housing ignored and our current city leaders just throw up their hands and tell us nothing can be done to make things better. And now that’s election time the same politicians and their powerful friends, make more promises that will not be kept to get our votes. Let’s not be fooled anymore.

I fought Madison Marquette because of their years of neglect of our boardwalk buildings. This led to the closure of venues in the convention hall and their attempt to demolish the casino building. Based upon their track record of negligence, they cannot be trusted to fix convention hall even with the tax credits. The city let them get away with that neglect for 20 years. What makes you think they’re going hold them accountable now to solve these problems. I will protect our interests against Madison Marquette. Don’t believe the lies you will hear otherwise.

Asbury Partners, the waterfront master developer, threatened to sue the City unless I recused myself from voting as a member of the planning board on one of their projects because I publicly spoke out against their decades long failure to honor their obligations for our boardwalk buildings. They shouldn’t even get a cup of coffee in Asbury Park anymore.

As a member of the planning board, I made the motion that led to the vote, forcing the applicant to come back to the table that saved Holy Spirit church from demolition as part of their new development project on 2nd Avenue. I am proud of that record.

The local political power brokers don’t want to see me elected mayor. They are working against me and are willing to lie and distort the facts to stop our agenda for change. Meanwhile my opponent has accepted political donations from those power brokers and vendors who hold city contracts.

She just wants to deflect attention away from her failed record. Don’t let them win! I will be accountable to you the voters, and to no one else.

I want us to control local spending, share services with other towns and the board of Education and work with them to collaborate on how we can provide a solid education to them without double digit taxes increases every year. We are pricing people out of living here. Something must be done!

I want to hold developers accountable and get THEM to pay for infrastructure related to their projects, look at how we can reign in the PILOTS that short change us and make them present architectural designs that enhance our community. I will establish an economic development commission to better plan future development so it works for us.

The neglect of the west side must be addressed. Let’s revitalize Main Street and beyond. Let’s create a West Side Arts District to embrace the rich history of these neighborhoods.

We need a proactive government that believes that problems can be solved if we are relentlessly committed to working with each other to solve them.

The status quo and business as usual are no longer acceptable. We can break free from the block voting and behind closed doors decision making and culture of intimidation and retaliation of city hall where disagreement is clearly not welcomed. My opponent is more interested in political control and dominance than solving problems.

I have made a home here for the last 22 years and I love Asbury Park. On November 3, we can turn the page and chart a new course to take back the city- for us - the people. With your help, together, we can do it.

-Dan Sciannameo-