LACEY – Two incumbent Republicans faced two Democrat challengers in this year’s committee race but it was a referendum question that was on the minds of many this Election Day.
The local question read, “Shall the Township of Lacey permit recreational cannabis operations (cultivation, processing, wholesale, distribution, retail and delivery service) within the township?” Voters answered that question with a resounding no at a margin of around 1,000 votes.
The question on Nov. 2. Drew 12,036 votes as of Election night. The question received 4,371 yes votes to 5,013 no votes. This year’s referendum question and the issue of a cannabis industry in the township proved a touchy topic even within the all-GOP governing body.
Mayor Peter Curatolo was a strong opponent to having marijuana sold in the community noting that while the township and the rest of the state may have voted to legalize recreational marijuana, that didn’t mean that the town needed to approve having it sold there. He was joined by Deputy Mayor Nicholas Juliano and Committeeman Steven Kennis in that belief as they also opposed having marijuana operations in the community.
That sentiment was echoed by the Board of Education who passed a resolution supporting a weed sale ban and Police Chief Michael DiBella also voiced his concern that such operations would bring more crime and the need for police overtime that would far exceed the amount of tax dollars that such industry would provide Lacey Township.
Regular Committee meeting attendees like Regina Discenza were also opposed to such a plan and she even brought a book to two meetings that said illustrated how current cannabis was of a higher strength then in past years and that it could present a health danger.
Heather Scanlon, who is the coordinator of the Lacey Municipal Alliance also opposed the referendum question and came to several committee meetings to share the view of the Alliance on that subject.
Others came out to meetings in support of having a weed industry in Lacey saying it would provide jobs and bring in revenue to the community.
Republican incumbents Committeemen Mark Dykoff and Timothy McDonald who won new three year-terms in office and who will take the oath of office in January proposed the referendum question several months ago.
Dykoff received 7,128 votes, McDonald 7,262 votes while challengers Stuart Feldman and William Stemmle received 2,097 and 2,278 votes respectively.
Each of the candidates favored the referendum question. Democrats Feldman and Stemmle noted that it would provide economic benefits for the township and that residents had spoken out on the issue with their vote on last year’s state referendum question which led to the state’s legalizing recreational marijuana.
Lacey also had a Board of Education race with three candidates vying for two, three-year terms. Incumbent Harold “Skip” Peters was the top vote getter with 4,960. Salvatore Armato received 4,170 votes while Amanda Buron picked up 2,704 votes. Each of the candidates expressed their displeasure over Governor Phil Murphy’s mask mandate executive order feeling that school districts should have been empowered to determine of their school district should mandate a mask policy.
Armato and Buron were involved in anti-mask protests at August and September meetings of the Board of Education. Peters was one of two Board members who did not vote to accept the school district’s safety plan that included accepting the governor’s mask mandate.
