From left to right, Council members Kristina Bonatakis, Ben Forest and Laura Jannone and new “Red Bank’s Ready” candidate Ben Yuro (Photo by Red Bank’s Ready)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
The slate of candidates who swept the 2023 elections for Red Bank mayor and borough council have announced a roster of three incumbents and one newcomer seeking the seats up for grabs in November.
In a press release sent out Tuesday morning, the “Red Bank’s Ready” team announced that council members Kristina Bonatakis, Ben Forest and Laura Jannone will seek re-election.
Zoning Board Member and West Side resident Ben Yuro will also be joining the slate as a council candidate. He is seeking to fill the seat currently held by council member David Cassidy who is not-seeking re-election.
Cassidy, who in recent years completed law school and took a new job with a law firm, recently told redbankgreen he has decided to step aside due to other commitments and time constraints.
The decision to reprise the banner on which they ran is another sign of a remarkable shift on a governing body that had been bitterly divided before the 2023 sweep. Since Mayor Billy Portman and the six-member council took office, a “no” vote on any resolution or ordinance has become as rare as a blue whale in the Navesink.
In the press release, the campaign touted the council’s accomplishments and said they would stick with the “Red Bank’s Ready” banner as a way to highlight their work as a team.
“The use of the “Red Bank’s Ready” banner reflects both a commitment to the collaborative, balanced ethos of the first campaign, and the history of delivering on the original platform,” the press release reads. “We are confident that Red Bank is ready for us to build on our early work as we chart a course to community flourishing. “
Bonatakis, Forest and Jannone took office amid a sweep of rival incumbents in the May 2023 election by a team led by Portman. The slate also included Deputy Mayor Kate Triggiano, who had wrested control of the local Democratic organization amid a bitter intra party fracture.
There is no official word yet on who, if anyone, might be challenging the four candidates for the seats. The deadline for candidates to file for candidacy in November is August 21 according to the NJ Secretary of State web site. (Note an earlier version of this story had the incorrect deadline for non partisan elections)
The May 2023 election was the borough’s first-ever nonpartisan election, brought about by a Charter Study and voter referendum in 2022.
Under the terms of the new charter, the new mayor and council members got four-year terms, though to initiate staggered elections, four council members were chosen by lottery to serve an initial two-year term.
The press release includes a short bio of each candidate, with the slate touting each one’s experience.
“Ben Yuro is raising his two young children on the west side, and has charmed several family members to join him as residents of Red Bank,” the section on Yuro reads. “He works in the finance and accounting industry, with experience managing and analyzing financial information for various types of investment vehicles. He is an active member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and an engaged community member, attending countless council and board meetings since 2020.”
The press release includes the quote from Yuro:
”I am grateful and honored to be joining such a talented and dedicated group of residents running for council. My work as a financial professional has honed my ability to analyze information efficiently, work against tight deadlines and be held accountable to the clients that I serve. These are skills I believe are essential for effective local governance and I look forward to utilizing them to greater serve my community. My family and I love living in Red Bank and my goal is to ensure it continues to be one of the most dynamic and forward-thinking towns in Monmouth County for years to come.”
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331 or yelling his name loudly as he walks by. Do you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you haven’t already. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.
