Development, transparency and comprehensive planning are the prioritized issues in the election for one open seat on the Middlesex board of supervisors Nov. 2.

Two Republicans, one of whom is running on the Democratic ticket, will face off. Incumbent Donald “Donnie” Marshall, a Republican, and past supervisor David McMaster, who is running on the Democratic line, are on the ballot for the open seat.

Marshall, who is running for a third six-year term, said he plans to “deal with what comes up” as supervisor.

“I try to solve the problems that we have and are facing at this crazy time with COVID,” he said. “It's a weird world that we live in right now.”

Marshall is vice chairman of the Middlesex board. He emphasized that he cares deeply about Middlesex Township.

“I love my township, and I love the United States of America,” he said.

McMaster, who lives with his wife, Beth, in Middlesex and helps to run Wildbird Recovery at Stormy Oaks Nature Conservancy, is concerned about the direction that the board is going.

“The township feels a complete disconnect with the current board that runs the township right now,” he said.

He chose to run again after a previous term as supervisor in 2002, he said, because he wants the residents' voices to be heard.

“A lot of this has to do with the developments that are all going in, and completely ignoring the residents' wishes with no communication,” he said. “What I hear from residents is that they go to meetings, and basically, they are ignored.”

McMaster said that he wants to see more involvement by the township in Glade Run Lake. He also hopes to move for more transparency between the board of supervisors and the township.

“If you look at the work session (meetings), the current board holds them at 3 in the afternoon,” he said. “When I was on the board, it was at 6:30. You want the public to be involved, you don't want to shut the public out.”

He also wants to refocus the township on its comprehensive plan, which he sees as a voice for residents.

“The comprehensive plan is a directive by the residents as far as what they want to see in their township,” he said. “What you need to do, if you're a supervisor paying attention, is you should change your zoning to mirror the comprehensive plan because that is the wishes of the township residents.”