Allentown fortunate to have Mayor Fierstein

By every measure, Mayor Stu Fierstein is providing an exceptional level of service to the residents of Allentown.

Most recently, he pulled off a hat trick by securing three different state grants that will help us stave off what would have been a disastrous property tax increase. These grants, which are all firsts for our community, were not easy to obtain.

As he has proven so adept at doing, Mayor Fierstein pulled together all the borough's resources — fellow officials, employees and residents — in order to convince different offices and departments across state government of the merits of our case. By managing these successes, Stu protected taxpayers from nearly insurmountable bills, including a grant to cover the borough's obligation of $270,000 toward the bridge reconstruction.

But delivering in the face of long odds is becoming a matter of course for Mayor Fierstein. On the bridge, the mayor has been extremely effective in his ongoing negotiations with the county engineer. As a direct result of his determination, our community will not be cut in half during construction, and Main Street will remain open with the construction of a temporary bridge. While this solution is not without pain and inconvenience, it is far and away the only practical way to conduct such a major construction project squarely in the middle of our community. The mayor and council deserve our gratitude for conceiving this idea and for convincing the county of its necessity.

In support of our new middle school, Mayor Fierstein relentlessly pursued the permitting that will allow us to tie into the borough's wastewater treatment plant. This achievement saves taxpayers in Allentown and Upper Freehold millions of dollars in construction costs, as well as ongoing operation and maintenance. This, too, was an uphill battle waged across several different regulatory agencies. Breaking this logjam was one of the key milestones that allowed the construction of this long overdue project to move forward, at long last.

Mayor Fierstein has not allowed any obstacle to stand in the way of this intense period of major progress for Allentown. He has staved off what could have been a disaster when the operator of our water and wastewater treatment facilities decided not to continue its service in the middle of a critical permit renewal process. Not only did Stu keep the renewal moving forward, but he managed a seamless transition in service at the same time.

Last but not least, Mayor Fierstein was an indispensable partner in driving the preservation of open space along Breza Road through to completion. In the face of significant opposition, Stu never wavered in championing a cause that will be enjoyed for generations to come. He ensured the borough's financial commitment, as well as the commitments of every party.

It must be noted that there are countless others who also deserve credit for many of these accomplishments, including the members of Borough Council, Upper Freehold Township Committee and the Board of Education, as well as the committee members and neighbors Stu has been so successful enlisting. In particular, the incredible, unlikely preservation of Breza Road (and our entire community in the process) would not have been possible without Steve Fleischacker, Kathy Haake and the Trust for Public Land, and Green Acres, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Gov. Corzine's administration.

I consider myself a pretty critical observer of government, and can say unequivocally that Stu Fierstein is delivering a level of performance and success that is rarely seen. We will undoubtedly look back upon this period as an incredibly productive and important time in the history of Allentown. We are very fortunate to have Stu as our mayor during this time, and all I can say, on behalf of a grateful community, is thanks.
Micah Rasmussen
Allentown