Holmdel committeeman gives up seat, quits re-election run
HOLMDEL - Deputy Mayor Prakash Santhana resigned from his position on the Township Committee Friday, citing changing restrictions in his finance job at the professional services firm Deloitte that would keep him from “continuing in my current committee role and from seeking reelection to the Township Committee this fall.”
Santhana was elected as an independent in 2019 alongside former committee member Cathy Weber, who resigned in June to pursue a job at Dartmouth College. The 2019 election, which unseated former Mayor Eric Hinds, a Republican, was decided by a single vote. Santhana’s seat is up for election this year.
The five-person Township Committee is now down to three members. Holmdel’s yearly elections elect members to three-year terms. The three remaining township committee members are all Republicans, with Mayor Gregory Buontempo having won a bitter Republican primary in 2020.
Friday’s special meeting was intended to fill the positions of township administrator and chief of police, which are both currently filled on an acting basis. Neither position was filled after committee members DJ Luccarelli and Rocco Impreveduto did not show up despite agreeing to the special meeting on Tuesday’s regular township meeting.
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“I’m pretty upset,” Santhana said. “This is an important meeting, some very important stuff to cover. Especially in light of false and misleading allegations spread about one of our candidates in our local fake news media. This is an atrocious, outrageous and it should not happen and people should be here to address this immediately and put this to bed. It’s unfortunate that we don’t have a quorum today.”
In this November election, candidates Kimberley LaMountain and Brian Foster are running on the Republican ticket while candidates Rajesh Mohan and Julie Roth are running under the independent banner.
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Despite the no-show, Santhana praised the diversity of political affiliations on the Township Committee.
“This is truly an example of a well-meaning group of individuals with different political leanings working together for the benefit of the people of Holmdel,” Santhana said. “Despite our apparent differences, we all truly care about Holmdel and our quality of life.”
He cited the committee’s work on creating “significant savings in our debt cost,” building a new firehouse and working on “the town’s largest road repaving and infrastructure program, all while keeping taxes flat.”
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He thanked the township’s employees and professionals “for their quality work and candid feedback that allowed us on the committee to make the right decision.”
He implored residents to stay engaged in local politics.
“While we have seen our fair share of tribal politics in our town. The power to change it rests with each and every one of us,” he said. “We as residents must demand more truth, civility, compromise and tolerance in our leaders. We also must stay involved and learn about the candidates for both the township and the (Board of Education). And vote for those who will put residents of the town and children’s education first and not subscribe to extreme ideologies, innuendos, false propagandas, spread by outside forces. So, I hope you’ll stay involved and if my circumstances were to change in the future, I would look forward to an opportunity to serve you again.”
Buontempo said, “It’s going to be tough without you. I’m going to wish you the best as you move forward.”
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OliviaLiuis a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at oliu@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ elections: Holmdel committeeman resigns, quits re-election
