'Lies and corrupt behavior will not be tolerated'

As a relatively new resident in Millstone (two years), I have come to learn just how ugly politics in our town can be. But what is even more disturbing than local politics is how some elected officials in our town appear to have no regard or respect for their office, the truth or the residents they were elected to serve. In a recent response to John Pfefferkorn's letter in the Examiner, Elias Abilheira stated that during Pfefferkorn's term "our open space program went bankrupt." At face value this is a very disturbing statement, given the fact that Millstone is an environmentally concerned town. If his statement were true, we would be unable to preserve lands to protect them from development.

However, as seems to be the case with numerous statements made by Mr. Abilheira, his accusation was false and grossly inaccurate.

According to information received from Millstone Township via an Open Public Records Act request, the township officially stated, "In response to your OPRA request form of 6/6/06 please be advised that there was no bankruptcy filing for the open space program." Let me repeat that. There was no bankruptcy filing for the open space program. So why then would an elected official make such a false and misleading statement? The answer is troubling, indeed. It seems that Abilheira will go to any length to attempt to discredit anyone who questions his actions and those of his running mate Nancy Grbelja or draw attention to their increasingly questionable dealings.

Let us not forget that as mayor of Millstone, Elias (according to an Examiner article) represented a developer client in front of the township Zoning Board. He tried to explain his unethical actions by saying he was explaining the ordinance to the board. Really? An attorney, who happens to be the township mayor, representing a developer client in front of a zoning board to "explain" an ordinance? Anyone want to buy a bridge?

In his letter, Elias also said that township funds were earning .5 percent to 1 percent, insinuating that this was due to actions taken by Mr. Pfefferkorn. As an elected official, Elias Abilheira should know that no elected official can invest the township's monies. By law this must be handled by the township's chief financial officer. In addition, from November 2002 to June of 2003 the federal funds rate ranged between 1.25 percent and 1 percent, so investments earning .5 to 1 percent were earning average or above average returns. This is just another example of Elias Abilheira's inability to make accurate and truthful statements.

In the fall of 2005 when Elias Abilheira was our mayor, and for the first time in the history of Millstone, the township administrator's office was raided by investigators from the prosecutor's office, escorted by New Jersey State Troopers. The investigators confiscated numerous records from that office. While the investigation is still ongoing, one has to wonder what prompted the prosecutor's office to execute a search warrant and confiscate records from our township offices.

And Abilheira is not alone in making false and misleading statements. At a May 3 Township Committee meeting, when asked about a $6,000 annual car allowance given to the township administrator, Nancy Grbelja stated that it was part of a negotiated contract. OK, if it was part of a contract, then like it or not, we must honor the contractual agreement, right?

Not so fast. As part of the same Open Public Records Act request, a copy of this employment contract was requested. The response from the township was, "The township does not have a written contract for [Township Administrator] or for that matter any employee. So why then was a $6,000 car allowance given to the township administrator? But more importantly, why did Nancy Grbelja lie to the public about it?

The information I have provided is accurate. They are facts that were verified by Millstone Township officials themselves.

I do not know why Abilheira and Grbelja have chosen to create numerous fabrications and make false and misleading statements. But, given the fact that they are both up for re-election this year, we should prepare ourselves for an onslaught of this type of behavior.

I suggest that when this occurs, we send a clear message. Lies and corrupt behavior will not be tolerated in Millstone. On Election Day, let's send this message loud and clear by ensuring that those who willfully, regularly and shamelessly deceive us from within our own government be politically dispatched to wherever those like them reside in the political afterlife.

On Election Day, vote for anyone but Grbelja and Abilheira. They have forfeited their right to ask for our support because they have openly deceived us and violated our trust.

Tom Ridgway

Millstone