Primary results caused candidacy withdrawal

In order to avoid any misconception regarding our filing of petitions to run for Township Committee as independent Republicans in the general election in November, we would like to communicate directly to you our rationale and reasons.

First, we would like to confirm for you that we fully support Nancy Grbelja and Gary Dorfman as the Republican candidates for Township Committee. We believe that given sufficient time and focus on the important issues and true facts, Millstone residents would clearly determine that Nancy and Gary are the best candidates for Township Committee and vote accordingly.

However, given the short primary campaign duration and traditional low voter turnout associated with primary elections, we were very concerned that the sheer volume of misinformation and campaign propaganda thrust upon residents by our opponents could mislead a sufficient number of voters into making a voting decision they would regret in November.

If our opponents won the primary election, Millstone residents could have been left without the ability to vote for a candidate in the general election in November who would maintain our current plan for dealing with the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) obligations that have been forced upon us by the state of New Jersey. Recognizing that our opponent's alternatives to the current COAH plan could undo much of the hard work that our friends and supporters have performed over the past six years to preserve open space, protect the environment and maintain our quality of life, we felt we needed to act quickly and submitted our petitions.

Thankfully, due to the efforts of many who took the time to discuss the issues and disseminate the true facts to the residents, Nancy and Gary have prevailed against our opponents in the primary election. Thus, we no longer see a need to remain as candidates in the general election in November and are withdrawing from that election.

We would like to thank all the residents who took time out of their busy schedules to come out and vote for Nancy and Gary in the primary election. In particular, we would like to recognize your efforts to understand the issues we face regarding COAH obligations and commend your ability to quickly discern the true facts from the volumes of misinformation.

The state mandates on COAH continue to be a huge threat to our community. We are confident that Nancy and Gary will continue the fight to reduce our COAH obligations to reasonable levels by diligently pursuing the township's lawsuit against the current COAH rules. Furthermore, we know they will continue to work with all interested parties to minimize the impacts of COAH on Millstone by developing and supporting a viable plan that is in the best interest of all Millstone residents.

We urge you to continue to stay informed on the very important COAH issue over the next few months and to come out again in November to support Nancy and Gary in the general election. We need your help and involvement to keep Millstone the great place it is today.

Thanks for your time and support.

Mike Novellino

Pat Butch

Millstone