The JACKSON Times Vol. 23 - No. 1
In This Week’s Edition
250 BREAKING NEWS @
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Community News Pages 8-10
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Multi-Cultural Committee Works To Bring Hope And Understanding By Bob Vosseller JACKSON – The mission of the township’s Multicultural Committee is to celebrate diversity and to contribute to the production of a well informed and supportive community through hands-on involvement, and they are now well into their third year working toward that goal. Photo by Bob Vosseller The committee was Members of the Jackson Township Multi-Cultural Comestablished as a condition mittee gather during a recent meeting where upcoming of a religious bias lawsuit activities were discussed and planned out. The committee settlement between the is in need of additional members and would welcome township and Departvolunteer support from the community. ment of Justice. However, members agreed that the formation and purpose of the township police department in August group shouldn’t have had to come from and Jackson Day which will be held on a legal action but simply an action to August 23. The Committee is also trying to reach its bring together the community’s diverse population which ranges from Hispanic, membership number of 34. Members have African-American, Orthodox Russian been meeting regularly to plan and host Christians, Lithuanians, Orthodox Jewish community events that connect residents from various religious, non-religious, and populations and many others. The Jackson Times recently attended cultural backgrounds. Members are also seeking to develop and a meeting of that committee which is busy planning its presence at events like implement a public education campaign National Night Out, sponsored by the (Multi-Cultural - See Page 4)
Petition Calls To Block Data Centers
By Bob Vosseller PLUMSTED – The township is one of the latest communities within Ocean County to express their opposition toward having data centers being built in their municipality. The Township Committee was expected to possibly introduce an ordinance prohibiting data centers during their committee meeting. There are no applications for a data center before a township land use board, but a lot of towns are doing this proactively. Change.Org Media Relations Outreach Specialist Taylor Caradonna-Morris of Grand Rapids, Michigan notified The Jackson Times last week
that “160 people have signed a petition in just a few days urging Plumsted Township officials to prohibit data centers in all local zoning districts.” The petition asks the governing body of Plumsted to amend its zoning code to explicitly ban data centers, arguing they would add significant environmental, noise, and infrastructure burdens while bringing few local jobs or community benefits. The ban is focused on protecting the township’s rural character and residents’ quality of life. Morris said municipalities across New Jersey are “being courted by data‑center developers with promises of ratables, even as residents question the impact on local power grids, utility bills, and land use. For a rural municipality like Plumsted, decisions made now about zoning could set a long‑term (Data Centers - See Page 7)
July 4, 2026
Candidates Racing Toward November Election
By Bob Vosseller JACKSON – While the township has a non-partisan form of government that doesn’t mean that political partisanship doesn’t play a role in the community’s campaign season. The Jackson Township Republican organization recently announced its endorsement of interim Mayor Jennifer Kuhn for election and selected Township Council candidates Brian McCarron who serves on the Board of Education and John “Pojo” Pejoski, setting up a contested race this fall. They will face opposition from Elliott Shem-Tov who is running against Kuhn for the mayoral spot, Chris Pollak who won an unexpired council seat last November and is seeking a full term and Amanda Trombetta seeking a council spot in the November 3 election. Councilman Ken Bressi was appointed twice to fill a council seat but is not currently a candidate in this fall’s council election. The endorsement of Kuhn and selection of Pejoski and McCarron completes the process of who would run against the Shem-Tov, Pollak and Trom-
betta team which has been campaigning for months. It also follows the presumption that Kuhn would be filing her paperwork to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission to run as mayor which she did on June 9. While the township has a Democrat organization, no candidates have emerged thus far to run in this year’s race. Petitions must be filed with the Municipal Clerk’s Office no later than Thursday, August 20, at 4:30 p.m. Each office carries a four year term that would start on January 1, 2027 and end on December 31, 2030. Kuhn has served as the township’s mayor since October 2025 after being appointed by the majority of the all-Republican Township Council following the resignation of former Mayor Michael Reina who had one more year to serve in his term. Kuhn had been serving as council president. Her filing marks a transition from an interim mayor to a candidate for the office. A statement by the Jackson GOP following their screening (Candidates - See Page 7)
Bipartisan Bill Could Make Housing Affordable By Stephanie Faughnan JERSEY SHORE - An interview scheduled with United States Senator Andy Kim about the passage of a major bipartisan housing package took on added significance after President Donald Trump canceled plans to sign the legislation just hours before the ceremony was expected to take place. Trump had been expected to sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on June 24, but canceled the ceremony, later saying he would not sign the measure until Congress passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
The legislation passed the Senate on June 22 by an overwhelming 85-5 vote and cleared the House the following day by a 358-32 margin. Both New Jersey senators, Democrats Kim and Cory Booker, supported the measure, as did the Republican congressmen who represent this area, Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew. Kim, who serves on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, helped shape portions of the package through his committee work. In discussing the legislation, he highlighted several provisions he said could have particular (Bipartisan Bill - See Page 16)
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