Politics & Government

Gov. Christie Holding Town Hall Meeting in Howell on Wednesday

Event to be held at old Southard School

On Wednesday afternoon Gov. Chris Christie will be holding a Town Hall meeting at the old Southard School, which is now the home to the .

At the meeting, Christie will take questions from local residents with doors opening at 2:15 p.m. and the meeting is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.

Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis and, according to a press release from the governor's office, those in attendance are encouraged to bring their family, friends, and neighbors to the forum. 

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Township Manager Helene Schlegel said she was looking forward to the governor coming to town. "We are excited and honored that he has chosen Howell to do one of his town hall meetings giving the residents an opportunity to interact with their governor in an informal setting," she said. 

Councilman Robert Nicastro said he was glad that the governor was coming to Howell. "I'm excited and happy that the Governor is coming to Howell to spread his Jersey Comeback initiatives," he said. "Many of the initiatives are having a positive impact on helping us stabilize costs that we weren't able to in the past because of the legislation that was in place."

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Nicastro also said the meeting will give township residents a chance to get their messages to Christie. "We know first hand Howell residents are not shy and will let the governor know the good and the bad," he said.

Deputy Mayor William Gotto said after doing some research he could not find a time that a sitting governor had come to Howell for a meeting like Wednesday's. "It's always a big deal anytime you get the recognition from a governor coming to your town to talk about local issues," he said. 

Gotto said when the governor had first started doing these town hall meetings,  representatives from the township had inquired about holding one in Howell. With such a large population, he said, it made sense to have one of these meetings here in town. 

He also said that the old is a good example of the initiatives the town has taken to save money and best utilize their resources. "It's a symbol of some of the things he's driven," Gotto said. 

Governor Christie has held similar meetings not only across the state but also in the local area appearing in towns like , Lakewood and . 

Those interested in attending are encouraged to call the governor's office at 609-777-2500. The township has also set up a link to RSVP through their website


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