To The Editor: The representative form of government was created to avoid the chaos and confusion associated with a true democracy. In Stone Harbor we elect six council members to represent us, to make important decisions, and to essentially govern the town. It takes a positive vote of four council members to pass an ordinance. We may not always agree with every decision made by our council. Council members sometimes disagree amongst themselves. If the voting record of council members is suspect in any way or not to our liking we can refuse to re-elect them at the expiration of their three-year terms. Council members must familiarize themselves with the complicated municipal process and conduct themselves in a manner becoming their position. Respect for the process and the representative form of government is tantamount to successful governance. In New Jersey, citizens can legally petition, by way of referendum, to place an ordinance on the ballot. Referendum petitions, by their very nature, tend to cause fear, anger and anxiety in the general population. The result of a referendum vote is not binding upon council members, but may alert them to the concerns of voters. Council can legally reconsider and re-approve the ordinance with or without significant change. The referendum process is seldom used. It delays and disrupts the decision making process, and is a direct assault on the representative form of government. It can also be detrimental to the town by delaying or stopping beneficial projects deemed essential by a majority of council members. Present cost to the taxpayers of holding a referendum vote is approximately $8,000. Sadly, in Stone Harbor, less than 20 percent of the 800 plus voters attend informational meetings. Others may rely upon “street rumors,” unverified information from friends and vigorous disinformation campaigns designed to demagogue and mislead. More reliable information leads to a more intelligent approach to the voting process and government in general. In 2007, 546 voters cast ballots in the May Capital Budget Ordinance referendum but only 479 voters cast ballots for council members in a three-way race in June. It is evident from these phenomena that voters in Stone Harbor are likely to get more excited over money issues. The 2007 referendum petition is public information and is available for examination in the office of the borough clerk. Before you cast your ballot for mayor and council on June 3, find out which candidates aspire to positions in the very representative form of the governmental institution they attacked by referendum. ANNE K. WANNEN Stone Harbor (ED. NOTE: The author is a council member who chose not to seek reelection.)