Lakewood has grown into a huge town, yet it is still governed like a small village run by a handful of insiders. Our taxes are through the roof, yet the town looks like a mess and feels like a perpetual construction zone. Roads are blocked without notice, utility work is repeated on the same streets, and projects start before the law allows. Rules are ignored, residents are disrupted, and there is no accountability.
For years the same small group of askanim are controlling township decisions. With no term limits, politics in Lakewood has turned into a career. They raise their own salaries, consolidate power, and protect their interests. Meanwhile, ordinary families — the ones stuck in traffic, juggling carpools, and paying ever-higher property taxes — are left voiceless.
Developments continue to be approved with no regard for local residents, traffic flow, or infrastructure. Families suffer the consequences. Children are sitting on buses for over an hour each way on rides that should take 15 minutes. Parents are forced to adjust work schedules and carpools around chaos that could have been avoided with responsible planning and true representation.
We can learn from the chassidishe communities in town. They have only been here a short time, yet they mobilized quickly and already secured specialized services for their neighborhoods. Why? Because they organized, spoke up, and demanded to be heard. Every community in Lakewood deserves that same level of representation.
If we want change, we need two things: district-based representation so every neighborhood has a real voice, and term limits so no one can turn politics into a lifetime career. Leadership is supposed to be about service, not self-interest.
Lakewood deserves better. Our families, our neighborhoods, and our children’s futures depend on it.
Now is the time to act. Talk to your neighbors. Ask hard questions. Stop voting the same people back in. Demand district representation and term limits. Together we can change the system and finally bring accountability to Lakewood.
Signed,
F.A.
The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Lakewood Alerts. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.
As your community rapidly expands into all 5 surrounding towns, have you and your leadership not also thought of respecting what we non-Jews collectively share? I respect that the Orthodox want to remain insular and not interact with the non-Jewish world to follow your Torah way of life. As a non-Jew is it too much to ask your community to not overdevelop neighboring towns beyond what the infrastructure and ecology can handle? We also want the towns to remain well kept and to have drive able roads. I am sure that the Orthodox members hope Jackson, Howell, Toms River, Brick and Manchester not become the mess that Lakewood is. Thank you for reading my reply.
Very true sadly nothing will change
Completely agree, however I don’t know if we can do district based representation. Unfortunately, this town has a lot of sheep who don’t think for themselves and just vote whomever they’re told to without thinking that these are the same people who have caused all the issues to this town. The people are the problem. They need to become more informed if we want the change that Lakewood needs.
The system is working just fine the way it is. Stop tinkering with something that’s not broken
You have a screw loose in your head. A community that can’t sustain itself without taxpayer support has no right governing itself. As a taxpayer I object to supporting those that don’t work and have their hands out.