EDITORIAL: BROWN, BANKS, DIFOLCO SKIP CANDIDATES FORUM

INCUMBENTS COMMUNICATION WITH VOTERS DEVOLVE TO CARTOONISH, DEVIOUS MAILERS

A years-long, unresolved complaint from residents about the Brown/Banks government is its failure to provide basic information: from the Township web page, its failure to respond to resident complaints [See Traffic Safety: We’ll Get Back To You”], and even its failure to provide audible Council meetings as is the standard practice in other towns via public address systems [see Letter to Editor].

The incumbent candidate slate of Brown, Banks and DiFolco [DiFolco was in office 2012 – 2020] seems to have doubled down on their bad communication style and dubious claims this year.  

For example, despite Mount Holly voters overwhelmingly commanding the end of partisan politics in local races, Brown/Banks/DiFolco mailers feature their Democratic party affiliation as the sole theme [they are allegedly the “Real Democrats”].  And that mailer is not even true to its own partisan message, since former Mayor DiFolco has switched party affiliation multiple times.   What does that tell us about the approach of this team with regard to truth and respecting the will of the voters?

But perhaps worst of all, and despite multiple efforts to get them to participate, Brown/Banks/DiFolco were No-Shows at the October 15, 2024 “Meet the Candidates Night” held at the Quaker Meeting House on High Street.  That gathering, which attracted more than 50 residents, featured the other two candidate slates answering questions for 2 hours.  But apparently, the incumbents had better things to do.

Mount Holly deserves better.