An open letter to Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider

Tuesday, May 8th was a sad day in Long Branch, as the citizens of my town elected a new mayor. As I write this, I harken back to the first time I ever had Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider on the air with me. It was in 1992 and it was at the now defunct Oldies 107.1, the local Long Branch radio station where I was a disc jockey. Through my years at that radio station the mayor would come on the air every once in a while to talk about snow emergencies or important local news, and even once he appeared in the studio to do a live on air wedding. An attorney by trade, Adam Schneider loved nothing more than being the mayor of the town he loves so much.

Adam Schneider is the type of guy who would show up to your christening if you invited him and if he had the time, I invited him to weddings and bar mitzvahs in my family and he always showed his face, not as a mayor but as a friend.

You’d see him on one of his long runs up and down the streets of Long Branch or just bump into him in the 7-Eleven and he’d always know your name and ask about your family. And that wasn’t just me. That was a common refrain amongst his constituents: “Mayor Schneider is so approachable. He’s the nicest guy." He could be tough, but only because, as a lifelong resident, he cared about Long Branch so much. I am lucky enough to have been a resident of Long Branch since 1989 and to see the progression of the city. As a college student at Monmouth University in 1982, I was a frequenter of the Long Branch Pier and watched its sad and slow decline. Who would’ve ever thought Long Branch could be the thriving centerpiece of Monmouth County that it now is? A destination that recaptured some of its glory days from when the seven presidents actually summer here. We owe that to Adam and his council.

Yet his detractors have always had something negative to say. While they watched their property values rise, while they watched new businesses coming to town, while they watched people bring revenue and tax dollars into the city, some people still had something negative to say about Mayor Schneider.

Adam Schneider is a Democrat. I am not. But he was the type of person who drew bipartisan support for all of the almost 30 years that he was mayor. His opponent and political rival ran a dirty campaign. Adam was always above that. He is a good guy, an honest guy and the kind of guy that is increasingly rare in political circles. Coincidentally, as I write this, I am in the midst of packing up my home of 19 years where I raised my children and I am now preparing to leave Long Branch. It’s sad for me, but with Mayor Schneider gone, somehow it seems fitting.

Thank you Adam Schneider, for making Long branch such a beautiful place for my family and me to live for the last 30 years. You will be missed.

For more on Adam Schneider, Here are some excerpts from Greg Kelly’s article written just prior to the election. On moremonmouthmusings.net check it out..

Since first becoming mayor in 1990, Adam has worked to keep the street’s safe, the tax’s stable, the land open, and the community friendly. A lot of people are very happy to call Long Branch home and Adam must get credit for that. For oh so long he’s been serious and sincere, able and energetic, thoughtful and decent, principled and flexible. Always on the job. There is no credible case for his removal.....

He’s been a first-rate executive. Always using the best information possible to make decisions for 31,000 city residents. Never afraid to make the tough calls. He has presided over the city (with an annual budget now in excess of $50 million and some 400 city employees) with hardly a hint of scandal or uproar for three decades....

The guy lives and works in Long Branch. As a husband, father and business owner, he wants what’s best for the city — always has. When it comes to getting things done in Long Branch, no one can or could have done better than Mayor Schneider. So if he wants four more years, he should get four more years.

Like most successful politicians, Adam is a coalition builder. Among young and old, male and female, families and businesses, Democrats and Republicans, Adam has a history of strong electoral support. Indeed, the case can be made that Adam is the most significant mayor in Long Branch history, having been elected to seven terms in one of New Jersey most famous cities. That’s not nothing. The city can’t afford to lose him now.y, his toughness, his confidence and his desire to do more for Long Branch. His administration’s record on affordable housing, waterfront redevelopment and public parks is considerable. And the vision for the rebirth of Broadway is exciting and now within reach.

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