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Uncontested Brick Primaries A Non-Event
By Catherine Snipe
BRICK - No surprises in Tuesday's primary election - and that's because Brick's races were uncontested. The Republican and Democratic slates for mayor and council, announced months ago, will remain unchanged come November.
Brick Township has four council seats up for grabs, as well as the mayor's seat, abandoned by former Mayor Joseph Scarpelli late last year.
Running for mayor on the Democratic ticket is current Mayor Daniel Kelly, who was appointed to the position in January, and on the Republican slate, Council President Stephen Acropolis, who challenged Scarpelli in 2005.
The candidates seek to serve out the rest of Scarpelli's term; the winner will serve until 2009.
The mayor's race comes thanks to Scarpelli's resignation. Kelly, formerly the planning board chairman, was appointed mayor in January as a result. Under the law, the township must hold a mayoral in election November.
When Acropolis ran for mayor two years ago, he lost by less than 200 votes. He currently heads the Republicanmajority Township Council.
Four of the seven council seats are also up for grabs in November.
The council's lone Democrat, Kathy Russell, will be joined by council hopefuls Paul Panuska, Anthony D'Elia, Michael Mauro and former Councilman Frederick Underwood, who opted not to run for reelection in 2005 but is stepping back in the race this year.
The Republican ticket has three incumbents: Council members Ruthanne Scaturro, Michael Thulen and Anthony Matthews. Brian DeLuca, who serves on the school board, is the fourth Republican candidate for township council.
The November election comes two Novembers after the previous mayoral race, which had Scarpelli winning an unprecedented fourth term as mayor. His opponent was Acropolis, who narrowly lost.
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