Red Bank Candidate Profile: Cynthia Burnham

Red Bank voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Two seats on the Red Bank Borough Council are up for election.

Democratic incumbent Councilwomen Kathleen Horgan and Sharon Lee are being challenged by Republicans Cynthia Burnham and Sean Di Somma for the full-term, three-year seats.

Red Bank-Shrewsbury Patch asked each candidate to respond to the following questions.

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NAME: Cynthia Burnham

AGE: 58

OCCUPATION: Red Bank Regional High School substitute teacher; SOURCE counseling center treasurer and board member

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background and why you should be elected.

I am Cynthia "Cindy" Burnham. I am a 58-year-old single mom of three lovely daughters. I was raised in Colts Neck on the same farm that my mother grew up on. Red Bank was our town because Colts Neck had no town. My mom graduated RB  High School in 1955  and I lived in RB from 1979 to 1993 where I successfully restored three homes. I moved to Harrison Ave. in Fair Haven in 1994 but continued my civic work in Red Bank while maintaining a rental property which I have owned for 27 years. I have now down sized into my rental property and love living so close to town again. 

I graduated Kean University in 1979 with a teaching degree and have worked at RBRHS for 7 years where I am a substitute teacher and am the treasurer and board member at the SOURCE, a counseling center. 

It was in 1981, when I bought my first home on West St. for 34,900. that I developed a passion for community service in Red Bank and I quickly found myself committed to improving the quality of life for all Red Bankers, both young and old. Back in the 80's I was: 

* Elected to the BOE
* Started the RB Residents Assoc, which organized and held monthly meetings on hot topics* Created a monthly newsletter, developed & organized special events such as "Civic Pride Day" a free event that brought RB Residents together with business owners to beautify and clean-up downtown. Decorate Red Bank Day,  Neighborhood watch & Candidates Debate Night, which we held at the RB Middle School and had it monitored by the League of Women Voters and was appointed, by the Dems to RB Housing Study Commission and Eastside Park Renovation Committee.
* Rallied to get woman on the boards of Red Bank. 
* I also fought to stop a businesses from encroaching into the residential zone.

2. What do you think distinguishes you from other candidates? What do you bring to the table?

Today, I am better known for saving a small borough owned, waterfront lot from sale to a developer, MAPLE COVE. This was created without using any taxpayer or town money. It was all volunteer labor and donated money and now it is the only public access to the Navesink River in Red Bank, where you can hand launch a small craft, put your feet in the water or throw a ball for your dog into the water. RB refuses to take any responsibility for this park so I have had to haul a lawn mower down there to cut the lawn for the last 6 years. 

PADDLE THE NAVESINK DAY-, was a free event for the last three years, which I founded as a way to get people more interested in the river and to highlight all the recreational opportunities along our shore. It gave people an opportunity to try a kayak or paddle board in the river in a safe and controlled way. 

I was one of the Plaintiffs on the 51 Monmouth St. (the old police station & oldest building in town) law suit.  In 1998 the then mayor Ed McKenna, sold 51 Monmouth St to a non profit named Kids Bridge for $1. 10 years later, we find out that McKenna was the Vice President of this non profit, Kids Bridge.  When Kids Bridge lost it's non profit status with the IRS, the building should have REVERTED back to the Borough but McKenna gave it to the YMCA. The YMCA rented it to RBC for 7 years at 7K a month and then sold it to RBC for 2.1mill. 

MOHAWK POND - Last summer, I exposed 20 years of neglect at Mohawk Pond. (By Basie Park). This resulted in all broken benches being repaired by Red Bank DPW. 

MONTGOMERY TERRACE - This summer I was able to restore basketball hoops, nets and backboards to a basketball court at Montgomery Terrace. (the projects).They had been taken down 7 years ago because of some trouble.  RB wouldn't help with the purchase or help me install, so I did it by myself, using donated money and labor.  The kids love and so do the moms and dads!

RED BANK COMMUNITY GARDEN - I also am the founder and member of the RB Community Garden on Marion St.

3. What are the most pressing issues facing Red Bank today? How would you approach and resolve these issues?

The most pressing issues in Red Bank I feel is that RB is just plain out of control when it comes to spending. We need to stop spending, borrowing and bonding.. It's all about stringing small cost saving measures and finding larger ones, combining services within the municipality and with the surrounding municipalities and out sourcing various municipal services. The municipal tax rate and water sewer costs are out of control and these need to be looked at.

RB is 98% developed.  I want to keep the charm and character of RB, while being open to fiscally responsible & environmentally friendly growth, while always looking to strengthen our crumbling infrastructure. 

The miss use of taxpayer dollars is a huge problem in RB that people are so unaware of. We all want to trust our government and we want to believe that our government will do the right thing for us, but I don't find that to be true.  Buying 12,000 pay stations when the old meters are still being paid off, DEP denied RB a 550K grant for turf because RB is in violation of DEP regulations at the Maple Cove parking lot. 51 Monmouth St, the old police station. Taxpayers spent over half a million dollars to fix the clock tower then RB goes and gives this building away for $1. I could go on and on. It's very hard for the average person to stay up on everything and that's one of the reasons I am running for council. I want to be the peoples watch dog. I've been doing it for 25 years now. 

For the last 25 years, Red Bank has been represented by only one party.  I believe in the two party system, and furthermore, I believe on a local level that we must look not at party affiliation, but at who most possesses our values and is most likely to fight for the things we most believe in. 

I believe that my thirty years of involvement in so many aspects of Red Bank - protocol, procedures, people and issues makes me uniquely qualified for the job.

I need your support and I ask for your vote.  Thank you.