HOWELL – On Jan. 1, Howell Township’s governing body gained three new faces. Sitting alongside Mayor Theresa Berger and newly-named Deputy Mayor Evelyn O’Donnell, these new members are planning on bringing fresh eyes and ideas to township management.
Pamela Richmond
Councilwoman Pamela Richmond is new to public office, but is certain her “common sense approach” will help her maneuver the world of local government. Despite this, Richmond has no shortage of experience with community involvement as a mother involved in the PTA and coach to her children’s sports teams.
“These experiences, plus my time as a working professional have afforded me invaluable experience in what it means to work with people, be a good team player, deal with complex issues and be a problem solver,” said Richmond.
As a resident, Richmond has identified what she considers the most pressing issues facing Howell. Calling them “paramount” to the community, she plans to work towards “holding the line on spending and taxes and doing everything we can every day to protect open space and slow residential development.”
An ideal shared by her counterparts, Richmond’s hope is to maintain smart financial management with a “business-like approach.”
As mentioned in her swearing in speech, Richmond also has a great respect for local police and EMS personnel and she plans on working with and for them to ensure they “have the resources they need to protect the township.”
Now one month into 2019, Richmond is pinning down some of her major points of focus including: keeping township finances “fiscally frugal,” improving upon township services to residents, preserving open space, and improving the way town meetings are run.
“I have seen my fair share of meetings this past year and it’s clear to me we need more order and focus and a return to how meetings used to be handled a few years back under prior mayors,” she added.
Richmond stated that her focus is on the best for Howell, “I will give this job 100 percent of everything I have to offer every day and will only be guided and influenced by what is best for the township.”
Thomas Russo
Like Richmond, Councilman Thomas Russo is putting an emphasis on financial responsibility.
Russo is new to elected office; however he does boast experience in public service, appointed to the Planning Board in 2016. Two of his three years spent on the board, he acted as Master Plan Subcommittee Chairman.
“As Chairman, I lead our subcommittee in the creation and adoption of the Parks, Recreation and Open Space element of our Master Plan, which highlighted the long range plan for the improvement and maintenance of our existing and future parkland,” said Russo.
Prior to this, Russo was named president of his law school class where he said learned important lessons in “leadership, time management and communication.”
Some of Russo’s major points of attack for 2019 include adopting a responsible 2019 budget while keeping taxes low but services high. Russo labeled taxes as one of the biggest issues facing the township currently.
“Although the council only controls 17 percent of our municipal taxes, we need to do everything we can to keep that portion under control,” he explained.
In addition to these, he wants to fight the proposed waste transfer site on Randolph Road, fight state-mandated affordable housing, and work to attract more young people into local government.
“It’s so important to invest in our town’s future and get the perspective of the young adults who will be faced with the same choice I had after college – move away or stay in Howell. We obviously want our young people to stay and raise their families here, as young families are vital to our vibrant community,” he said.
This is one plan that Russo has already put into action, noting that he has begun drafting proposals for ways to get the younger generation involved.
“Equally as important are our seniors, who are also an extremely important part of our community. I already met with many leaders of our senior community [last week], along with our Chief of Police, to discuss their concerns of traffic and public safety,” Russo told The Howell Times.
John Bonevich
Councilman John Bonevich is another newbie, stepping into his first experience in elected public office. However, Bonevich credits his experience as a business owner as preparation.
“I am new to public service but being a business owner you realize the importance of your team and to be open to the ideas of your teammates,” he explained. “Council needs to develop a team mentality. Think “we,” not “me.” Or “Howell First not ‘Party First.’ I think I will bring that to the table.”
One of the major issues Bonevich plans to hone in on for 2019 is trust. While he is grateful that the people of Howell have put their trust in him to be elected, he believes that the township generally has no trust in the council.
“I would like council to do a better job using social media and returning the monthly newsletter to inform the residents of current issues that face our town,” Bonevich said.
Also on his to-do list is forming more committees to better involve residents in local government, such as a Citizens Committee on Affordable Housing (CCAH). Bonevich explained that this would be a committee “composed of residents, members of council, members of our planning board as well as a few members of our school board.”
“I would like to make council seem more welcoming to residents by listening to concerns and engaging in more discussions. I believe we can do this by forming more resident committees,” he added.
In alignment with Richmond and Russo’s views, Bonevich cites financial stability and affordable housing as other significant issues in Howell. He also adds a lack of ratables due to empty storefronts to that list.
“We need to focus on those empty store fronts. With the addition of water and sewer on parts of Route 9, this will allow for a variety of business to fill those vacant storefronts that once had limited use…It’s important to maintain smart growth that will add value to the town and not lose the overall rural character,” he said.
Communication and understanding are the underlying factors that Bonevich plans to focus on. Not only does he want residents to be more involved in the town, but he himself is being proactive. Bonevich was recently accepted into the Howell Police Department’s Citizens Police Academy, which is designed to teach participants about the operation of the department and a working knowledge of law enforcement. “We are only [a few] days on the job, but I feel the biggest achievement for the council as a whole is that we got off on the right foot. After a tough campaign, we put it all behind us and are all focused on the task at hand – ensuring Howell remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family,” said Councilman Russo.
