New Mayor Coming to Bradley Beach: Post Current Mayor’s Debacle
The small shore community of Bradley Beach is gearing up for a competitive election this November to replace the current Mayor, Larry Fox. Elected in 2020, Fox’s administration has since been mired in scandals and lawsuits.
These controversies led Mayor Fox to announce in August that he would not seek re-election this year. Councilman Al Gubitosi and resident Bill Psiuk are both vying for the mayoral position. Additionally, there will be a special election for a Council seat previously held by Meredith DeMarco, who was elected in 2022 as the top vote-getter but resigned just nine months later to become Business Administrator, a position appointed by Mayor Fox, with a salary of over $120,000 plus benefits.
Shana Greenblatt and Don Warnet are both seeking to fill the unexpired Council term.
Mayor Fox has publicly endorsed Don Warnet for Council and has been working closely with Bill Psiuk for Mayor, according to sources. Recently, Fox took to Facebook to criticize Mayoral Candidate Al Gubitosi and his running mate Greenblatt for “misrepresenting his financial record and the state of our (Bradley Beach) community.”
Al Gubitosi has been a vocal opponent of Mayor Fox and his administration during his tenure as a Councilman. He led calls for disciplinary action against retired Chief Leonard Guida after body camera footage showed Guida initiating a fight with a police sergeant during a motor vehicle incident last November. Following this, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago released a report detailing several incidents involving Guida, including a racial profiling case where Guida violated the civil rights of a Black man.
“Chief Guida has been an active hindrance to the very law enforcement agency he was entrusted to lead,” Santiago stated. “The picture painted by the report is not pretty.”
Many Council members, including Gubitosi, believe that Guida should have faced punishment rather than being allowed to retire with full benefits.
The election between Mayor Fox’s team, led by Psiuk for Mayor, and Gubitosi’s team is shaping up to be an intriguing contest, filled with discussions on redevelopment of town-owned property, administrative concerns, and tax increases.
Editor’s Note:
Allies of Mayor Fox note that he announced his decision to not pursue reelection because of an illness in the family. In addition, within two hours of the infamous incident involving the police chief, the town relieved the chief of duty, never to again work in Bradley Beach. While he knows Bill Psiuk, the mayor has not been working closely with him. Finally, Mayor Fox has issued no formal endorsement of a candidate in the developing contest.
This letter to the editor at the Coast Star from an attorney tells you all the facts you need to know about upcoming Bradley Beach election . Al has been a divisive bully, leading the charge to thwart, distort and undermine Mayor Fox at every turn. This went on for 4 years. Id add that Al was the council appointed liason to the police department but feigned ignorance of any problems until the county prosecutor weighed in. Please consider these facts before you write your next column.
VOTE FOR PSIUK AND WARNET IN BRADLEY
On November 5, Bradley Beach voters will be asked whether a change in the form of municipal government should be considered.
I intend to vote “No,” because I believe that the current form of government has served Bradley Beach well since it was implemented over 30 years ago. Rather, I believe that the problems we have experienced over the past few years require a change in the individuals occupying elected office. That’s why I intend to vote for Bill Psiuk for mayor and Don Warnet for council.
I cannot vote for Al Gubitosi for mayor based on his track record in five years on the council. Mr. Gubitosi states that he is a law school graduate, yet he voted for two ordinances challenging the mayor’s power to make appointments that the Superior Court held were illegal under state law and therefore were “null and void.” Similarly, Mr.
Gubitosi voted in favor of efforts to discipline retired police chief Lenny Guida, only to be told by the court that it is not possible to
“discipline” a retired police chief. Mr. Gubi-tosi also is a defendant in a lawsuit by a former business administrator alleging that Mr.
Gubitosi harassed her. Mr. Gubitosi has been defended in all of these lawsuits at taxpayers’ expense.
Mr. Gubitosi claims that his expertise as a CPA and auditor will permit him to stop financial mismanagement that has resulted in tax increases. However, as a member of the council Mr. Gubitosi has voted to approve the budgets proposed by the current administration that resulted in tax increases. In the current budget cycle, Mr. Gubitosi and his colleagues on the council refused to introduce the administration’s budget for months, delaying consideration of the budget at a public hearing. Facing daily fines for violating an order of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs to introduce the budget by July 19, the council finally voted to introduce the budget on August 28. Why was this action not taken months ago, so that the administration could be required to present and defend the budget at a public hearing and the embarrassment of the council’s intransigence could have been avoided?
As a member of the council in January 2020, Mr. Gubitosi voted to acquire the former Methodist Church at 319 LaReine Ave-nue. In 2022, voters overwhelmingly rejected a plan to convert the building into a community center and Mr. Gubitosi pledged to follow the will of the people as expressed in that referendum. Nearly five years following acquisition of the property, the council still has not managed to sell the property and add it to the tax roll, while incurring very substantial maintenance costs for a building that will be demolished.
The will of the people was again ignored when Mr. Gubitosi and his colleagues on the council voted to fill the council seat vacated by Meredith DeMarco without even considering Mayor Fox’s nomination of Debbie Bruynell, who had lost to Mr. Gubitosi by only eight votes in the last council election.
Mr. Gubitosi and his colleagues appear to be more interested in protecting their power than in respecting the voters of Bradley Beach.
In June, the Bradley Food Pantry was forced to move after 42 years of service in Bradley Beach in response to objections by neighbors, including Mr. Gubitosi. Unlike Mayor Fox and Council President DeNoble, Mr. Gubitosi did nothing to assist the pantry in finding a new home.
Mr. Gubitosi’s five years on the council give me no confidence that electing him and his running mate, Shana Greenblatt, will bring about the change we need in Bradley Beach. My hope is that electing individuals like Bill Psiuk and Don Warnet, who are willing to put the interests of the people of Bradley Beach ahead of personal ambition, will create a government that can get things done and end the constant negative publicity that continues to embarrass us as residents.
ROBERT M. MACALLISTER
Fifth Avenue, Bradley Beach
Go to “Beth Kepler” on YouTube for the truth. A plethora of videos, showing the REALITY of the situation—not crafted political campaign spin. The residents are over the criminality and corruption that has had a stronghold on our community for decades. Al Gubitosi is a man of principle, morals, ethics, character and integrity—all of which, will be a breath of fresh air for Bradley Beach. Only 35 days until Election Day, thank God!
Mr. McAllister. You are extremely uninformed and don’t provide any facts. Until you can prove them, will I appreciate your substance.
You can visit mybbblog.com for many facts. Showing Covid money unaccounted for and our 2022 audit summarizing material misstatements (fraud). And plenty more.
Feel free to bring me your proofs to back up your opinions.
Thanks
The reason the previous mayor is not running is a family matter, not “controversies” as stated above. He publicly state that fact Psiuk and Warnet seem to be clear voices that should be heard. Having a Counsel made up completely of one mind/one voice would not serve us, the residents, well. There are two sides to every conversation. It does appear this group represented by the other candidates is being quarterbacked by a non elected advisor with an agenda all their own I appreciate the letter to the editor quoted above.
How can you see four council people as one voice and stay blind to a mayor of unilateral power who hasn’t given us Covid money records, has material misstatements in an audit and highest tax hikes in decades and maybe ever?
Pointing fingers in the wrong direction is because you can’t even make excuses for the behavior of Fox.
And let’s get back to the main issue here, Larry Fox held the guida prosecutor report and also supports Psuik and Warnet. There is no new voice here. It’s a farce. May be ok guys, but running dishonest campaigns. Same ole Fox story. NO PROOFS. SO POINT FINGERS AND NAME CALL. stop the division already!
If there were issues that you suggest the State of New Jersey would not approve the budget and would have an auditor directed to be in place. There are laws in place regarding personnel matters that it appears Mayor Fox adhered to. Regarding “divisions” the demeanor of multiple persons in town seem to be highlighting that much more than Mayor Fox. As to anyone running a “dishonest” campaign that does not seem to be the case. Your disposition seems to lean toward a very mercurial response. Not something that would advocate for correcting issues.
Interesting how I share my name because I am for full transparency as are GUBITOSI AND GREENBLATT.
Not a surprise that you would back a campaign and current administration of no transparency since you also won’t share your name.
Kindly speaking the facts here. Healthy debate if you will.
I am curious about the the “Division “ comment. It seems that they have a question about this auditor Mayor Fox stand behind? We have always questioned his ability and integrity. Now it seems that the State of NJ does as well.
Need a say another poor choice
They want it both ways, when it suits them. On one hand, they claim the Council is divided (which, it’s not) and that is the rout of all the problems over the past four years; and, then they argue ‘having a Council made up of one mind would not serve the residents well’?! Which is it? I encourage anyone interested in learning the truth, to go to my YouTube channel “Beth Kepler” and watch a few samples for yourself, and see what a true leader looks like in Councilman Al Gubitosi, as opposed to the corrupt Mayor, Larry Fox—who is backing both William Psiuk and Don Warnet.