Below is a letter to the Editor that appears in today’s edition of the Current of Galloway from GTRL President Jen Heller. Please visit ShoreNewsToday.com and leave a comment of support for Right Team for Galloway candidates Brian Tyrrell and Tony Coppola.
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To the Editor:
The Galloway Township Republican League would like to set the record straight on the reasons that we could not, in good conscience, support Keith Hartman for council on the same ticket as Brian Tyrrell and Tony Coppola Jr.
We chose the slogan “The Right Team for Galloway” for our council candidates because that’s exactly what they are. Brian and Tony are professionals with the integrity, maturity and values that we believe are consistent with the standards the voters of Galloway have set for our leaders.
Normally the “team” would have included a third candidate, and Mayor Keith Hartman should have been the third member of that team. While we believe the fact he is not a part of that team sends a clear message, we recognize that some have tried to portray the facts a little differently.
The politically expedient course would have been to run a united ticket that included Mr. Hartman. It was decided, however, that we could no longer condone his inappropriate behavior and the way he conducted township business without the involvement and knowledge of the other council members. We could no longer sit by while Mr. Hartman took credit for accomplishments that were the work of the entire council while pointing blame on others when things did not go as he planned. And we could not accept the disrespect he showed to the residents of Galloway by not bothering to attend council meetings.
We expect our leaders to behave in a professional manner and to exhibit integrity, maturity and strong character as they make decisions important to our hometown. And we believe our actions make it clear that we will not endorse individuals who have shown themselves unable to live up to those expectations.
On Election Day we ask you to remember that Brian Tyrrell and Tony Coppola are dedicated members of the community who have been involved in committees and township organizations long before their interest to serve on council. We ask you to vote for them because we believe they can and will exceed the standards we have set for our leaders.
Jen Heller, President
Galloway Township Republican League