Trutkoff and Reiter Will Not Seek Township Council Re-election

Citing their desire to spend more time with family, two incumbents whose terms expire this year will not seek re-election.

Warren Reiter, who has served since 2008, and Frederick Trutkoff, a member since 2004, made their decision this week not to run. His term also expiring in 2012, Sam Fusaro, a council appointee who replaced Kenneth Vanderziel when he retired in 2011, is expected to run.

Trutkoff, who resides in the Renaissance Community and serves as the governing body's planning board representative, said that he wants to spend more time with his ailing wife.

"I'm devoting a lot of my time to be with her and to care for her," he said. "I need to spend time with my wife."

Reiter, who lives in Whiting and is a member of the finance committee, said that he and his wife would like more time to spend together and with family. 

"As you get older, you get to appreciate that more," he said. 

Both members said that they enjoyed their time spent serving the township.

"I was very happy to do it for the four years," Reiter said. "I'd do it all over again if I could push back the clock."

"It will have been eight and a half years and I'm happy," Trutkoff said. "I like the people. We have a great council. I'm going to miss working with people."

Though residents from many municipalities throughout the state — including Lakehurst— voted in primary elections earlier in June, that process is unnecessary in Manchester since the government has operated without political affiliations since 1990 following a corruption scandal.

Manchester residents voted last November . With that change, the New Jersey Division of Elections states that Sept. 4 is the deadline for nonpartisan candidates to file to be voted on in the November general election. The terms of Manchester's elected officials set to expire in July 2012 were extended six months to accommodate the election date change.

Clerk Sabina Skibo said that she will verify the signatures submitted by each prospective candidate and will have the determination of candidacy completed by Saturday, Sept. 8.

Fusaro, who lives in Holly Oaks, returned to the council in December of 2011 to replace Vanderziel. He previously served from 1990 to 2006.