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RED BANK: OKESON Q&A

kate-okeson-091821-2-500x332-4406246On the ballot November 2: charter study commission candidate Kate Okeson. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

election-2021-candidates-9167964Red Bank voters will have 11 candidates to choose from when they elect a five-member charter study commission November 2.

Here’s what candidate Kate Okeson had to say in response to a questionnaire sent to all contenders by redbankgreen.

Kate Okeson

Age: 46

Address: 8 Chapin Ave
Length of residence in town: 13 years
Is Red Bank’s present form of government problematic? Please explain your answer:
I don’t think “Is Red Bank’s present form of government problematic?” is the right question. I think we should be asking “How and how well does the present form of government serve its residents?” The specter in your broad question has to do with the partisan nature of our municipality, and I think it’s disingenuous to answer the question without knowing who we are, our values and who we serve.
What would you bring to the table as a commission member?
I am driven by concerns of equity, and in all my commitments have used my personal and professional skills of research and engagement to bring stakeholders to the table. I am adept at engaging with others on tough subjects and working towards common ground.
Here are redbankgreen‘s Q&As with the other charter study commission candidates:

***** ELECTION GUIDE ***** 

• The election of the five-member charter study commission is on the ballot along with a referendum on whether the five-member commission should be formed to review Red Bank’s 113-year-old form of government.

Here’s the specific wording of the public question:

Shall a charter commission be elected to study the charter of the Borough of Red Bank and to consider a new charter or improvements in the present charter and to make recommendations thereon?

If the referendum passes, the commission’s eventual recommendation to the council could lead to change in the form of government used by Red Bank since 1908.

If the referendum fails, the election of the commissioners would be moot. Voters may choose candidates even if they vote ‘no’ on the question about the charter study.

• Find the Red Bank ballot here.

• For information on the various ways to cast your vote, check out this article. It includes information on mail-in ballots and early, in-person voting, which begins October 23.

Information about election-related deadlines is here.

• Monmouth County election offices (300 Halls Mill Road, Freehold Township) will offer extended hours to allow voters to apply for and drop off vote-by-mail ballots. The offices will be open on Friday, October 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, October 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• In-person, election day voting will take place at the polling stations shown below. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Note that in-person, election day voting for residents of the 1st and 8th districts will take place at borough hall (90 Monmouth Street).

red-bank-voting-district-map-2021-500x320-6021294

• Finally, here’s a video on using Monmouth County’s new digital voting machines, which employ touchscreen technology familiar to users of smartphones and tablets:

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