Marc Leckstein

Thanks to all — Marc won and will be returning to the borough council in ’24 …

Although it’s a MonmouthBeachLife.com website, I’m really a Sea Bright resident (since 2016). And the upcoming November 7, 2023 municipal election in Sea Bright is an easy decision for me. I’m voting to return Marc Leckstein to our borough council.

Like the town, there’s much to admire about Marc — and respect. He’s more than a candidate. Marc already has an estimable record of public service, as a member of the borough council for nearly a decade (from 2012 to 2021).

A borough homeowner since Summer 2000, Marc — like many of us Sea Bright folk — has been tempered by the wrath of “Superstorm Sandy” in 2012. Above all, he understands that the Sea Bright way of life must be protected.

• Attitude …

I have found Marc to be a smart, serious and sensible borough resident — with a love for Sea Bright’s unique place at the beach and a passion for learning about its storied past. He performed honorably as a borough council member in the past — asked smart questions, explained policy issues clearly, and listened to counter opinions. I’ve seen it in practice.

Sea Bright’s perpetual advocate — Marc understands the nuances of both politics and law. He can fit them together and not be paralyzed. Surprisingly enough, that’s rare for most local politicians and lawyers. With his training and experience (1998 Dickenson School of Law and attorney for several local town planning/zoning boards), Marc has the savvy to quickly spot potential problems and steer things away from any unwanted consequences for borough and taxpayer.

The man is a “land-use” expert — willing to freely represent a town where the terrain is forever changing. That’s a huge advantage for any governing body. And a rare asset for a small town. Eager to serve — Marc is back for more. Voters can already credit him for his past political work on critical Sea Bright matters.

• Accomplishment …

Thanks to Marc’s collaboration Sea Bright has gone from having Monmouth County’s worst public facility profile to having its best. Marc was on council for this transformation. Call it coalition-building, call it luck, call it endurance, call it assistance. Whatever, Marc was “on the team” for this unprecedented creation in Sea Bright history.

With the fabulous new Beach Pavilion/Library ($4 million, opened ’19) and Police/Fire/EMS Municipal Complex ($7 million, opened ’20), Sea Bright has public buildings that are the pride of the county. They’re very important — these new Ocean Avenue facilities. To move forward properly Sea Bright needed them. As did borough employees and volunteers who were finally rewarded for decades of dedication and skill.

The structures are a pivot-point for the borough. From Sandy’s devastation — when many thought Sea Bright dead — to a new sense of community. They are a reflection on the borough’s past indifferent attention to town pride and huge hopes for the future. These big, bold and beautiful borough facilities — all situated near the Atlantic Ocean — are testament to Sea Bright’s unwillingness to cede territory without a fight. Voters should not underestimate the importance of this teamwork and Marc’s role in it all. That fact that it took so long to transpire and that Marc was a town leader when it did makes his return to the town’s governing body all the more necessary. Other things must be done.

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I don’t understand why a small town like Sea Bright — typically only about a thousand voters go to the polls — conducts partisan elections, but they do. Marc is a Democrat and I’m a Republican — both of the moderate variety. Poiltical party affiliation in a hometown must never go before doing what’s right for the community. Marc understands this. After all, he was first appointed to the Sea Bright Borough Council in February 2012 — unanimously with all Republicans. I believe that Sea Bright voters mistakenly removed Marc from council in November 2021. As a restored member in 2024 he’d hit the ground running for all Sea Bright citizens.

Sea Bright Shines — the borough’s all new municipal footprint, June 2021.

• Images of Sea Bright — HERE