ASBURY PARK PRESS :: MONMOUTH EDITION

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WEDNESDAY 11.04.15

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Unexpected victory for Democrats in legislative election

UPSET IN ASSEMBLY

DOUG HOOD/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Monmouth tax board

mum on vote ahead
of meeting today
SUSANNE CERVENKA @SCERVENKA

FREEHOLD - Monmouth County Tax Board

members wont say if theyll vote to suspend the
countys besieged property tax pilot program a
day after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said
they were the only officials with the power to do
so.
The tax board meets this morning, but their
agenda states that it will consider preliminary tax
lists. Tax assessment cards are to be mailed to
Monmouth County property owners by Nov. 15.
The agenda made no mention of the Assessment Demonstration Program, which changed
the way the county places values on properties
for taxation. Tax commissioner Wayne Pomanowski declined to comment while commissioner
Cliff Moore deferred to Tax Board president
James Stuart, who did not return a message seeking comment.
See BOARD, Page 7A

Monmouth County Democrats Joann Downey and Eric Houghtaling celebrate a victory in the 11th District race, according to
unofficial results.

2015 ELECTION RESULTS

Dems score major upset Democrats able to

in 11th District race;
defeat incumbent GOP
GOP keeps county
for committee seats
SUSANNE CERVENKA @SCERVENKA

ERIK LARSEN @ERIK_LARSEN

Democrats Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey appear to have pulled off an upset in the District 11 Assembly race where 165 votes separated them from the Republican incumbents.
But officials in the Monmouth County Clerk's Office
could not explain a last-minute drop in the online vote
tallies that eliminated more than 1,000 votes for some
races and potentially changed the outcome for the referendum on the Belmar pavilion.
Officials weren't aware of the discrepancy until the
Asbury Park Press questioned the altered vote tallies.
Bertha C. Sumick, special deputy county clerk, said she
would have IT staff address the issue first thing in the
morning.
Houghtaling was the top vote-getter in the District 11
race with 13,727 votes, followed by 13,452 votes for

LITTLE EGG HARBOR Perhaps the biggest political upset in Ocean County on Tuesday was in the election for Township Committee, where Democrats defeated the Republican incumbents, including Mayor
Arthur Midgley.
Democratic candidates David Schlick and Lisa Stevens defeated Midgley and Committeeman Edward
Nuttall.
Schlick and Stevens won with 2,107 and 2,074 votes,
respectively, to Midgley and Nuttall, with 1,614 and
1,551 votes, respectively, according to unofficial results
from the Ocean County Clerks Office.
The race in Little Egg Harbor was not a closely
watched contest and even Stevens had complained that
she and Schlick could not get money or organizational
support from the Ocean County Democratic Party,

See RACE, Page 7A

See UPSET, Page 7A

INSIDE
Town-by-town results chart, PAGES 4A-6A
Local race results, PAGES 3A, 7A-13A

ON THE WEB
For complete results, analysis and more, visit APP.com

IRS audit rate falls to lowest in a decade. PAGE 1B

ADVICE
CLASSIFIED
COMICS
LOCAL
OBITUARIES

5D
1E
4D
3A
15A

OPINION
SPORTS
TABLE
WEATHER
YOUR MONEY

LITTLE EGG HARBOR

18A
1C
1D
10C
14A

VOLUME 136
NUMBER 264
SINCE 1879