MOUNT OLIVE (11/09/05) – It was a knock-down, drag out campaign to the very last day with charges and counter charges concerning tasteless campaign literature, negative lawn signs, alleged out of control taxes and a controversial proposal involving a town wide 100 per cent tax reassessment program.

But the Republican incumbents, Rob Greenbaum and Steve Rattner, who nearly all the vitriol was directed at, survived with the other three Republican candidates, Councilman Ray Perkins and newcomers Russ Tepper and John Biondi, making it a sweep for the GOP.

The Republicans actually picked up a seat, that of Lee Mund, a Democrat who was appointed last year by the Democratic County Committee to fill the unexpired term of Democratic Councilman Bob Elms, who resigned in his first year because he had to move from the area. Mund decided earlier this year he too was resigning as of December 31 leaving the two year unexpired term vacant. That seat was won by Biondi.

Tepper was named to the ticket to take the place of Councilman Bernie Guenther who decided not to seek re-election.

It’s been reported but not confirmed that the Republicans may have picked up a sixth Council seat, that of Councilwoman Colleen Labow, who switched her party affiliation last week from Democrat to Republican. She and the only other Democratic Councilman Jim Buell, had been at odds with the mayor since they all were elected two years ago and were among the main players earlier this year in a failed effort to recall him.

The animosity between Buell, Labow and the Mayor, and even the Republican Council members has subsided noticeably in the past few months.

Greenbaum and Perkins won their second four year seats; Rattner has served four terms and will start his fifth. Tepper, a member of the Board of Adjustment, was elected for the first time as was Biondi, who has been active in many municipal activities for more than 25 years, won the two year unexpired term.

Perkins, who has always stayed above the fray in the on-going clashes between the other Council members, Republican and Democrat, and Mayor Richard DeLaRoche, led the ticket with 3,282 votes, followed by Greenbaum with 3,189; Tepper, 3,176 and Rattner, 3,165. Biondi got the second highest number of votes behind Perkins, for the two year term, 3,273.

Democrat John Mania led the Democrats with 2,723 votes followed by Ruth Spae with 2,417; Robert E. Doyle Jr., 2,415 and Paul Stefiniw, 2,404. Anthony White, who ran for the two year unexpired term had the second highest number of votes, 2,574.

The make up of the governing body is now a Democratic mayor and five of the seven Council members, Republican. If the rumor concerning Labow is correct, she will be the sixth Republican member of the Council and Buell will be the only Democrat.

The only other candidate in the race, Ed Dennerlein, an Independent, also waged a campaign without rancor, his main theme being the need for more thought out planning by the governing body. He also was challenging Greenbaum’s assertion that Mount Olive was being ordered to conduct a town wide reassessment next year. He also called for an end to the political bitterness that exists between the mayor and Council members.