BY MAURA DOWGIN
Staff Writer
EDISON — Candidates for Township Council continue to debate whether to hold a debate.
In a letter sent to the Democrats on Oct. 13, the Republican ticket — Zolton Koye, Satish Poondi, Lee Sakol and Edward Richardson — made the challenge official.
Ric Medrow, Republican campaign manager, said a debate would allow residents to hear where all the candidates stand on the issues.
"The incumbents are walking all over Edison with literature that doesn’t even mention the issues. They say they’ve earned re-election because they ‘get things done,’ " said Koye, a Republican candidate.
"I believe that the voters of Edison should know where they stand on the issues, if they have a stance at all. We need a debate so that we can make this election about the issues," he added.
David Georges, campaign manager for the Democrats, said the four candidates on the Democratic ticket would be happy to debate if a convenient time can be found.
"We are drafting a reply letter that the Democratic team is willing to meet with the Republicans for a debate," Georges said Thursday.
The Democrats — incumbents Peter Barnes III, Joan Kapitan, Billy Kruczak and Charles Tomaro — have a very strong record to stand on, he said.
The candidates have addressed the issues, he said. Georges pointed to the ward system question, which is on the ballot for all voters there, and the public forum for debate on the issue.
The council has preserved open space during the past eight years the candidates have been on the council, Georges said.
The council has passed ordinances that ensure fair and ethical government, he said. Some of the candidates have said that a "pay-to-play" ordinance should be passed by the state, and not the local government.
"While there have been tax increases, the increases have been kept to a minimum," Georges said. "We have strong fiscal responsibility."
While the Democrats would like to debate, the elections are coming quickly and their campaigning schedule is full, Georges said. If there is a night when the Democrats and the Republicans are able to get together for a debate, there will be a debate, he said.
However, the Democrats will not cancel meetings with voters or citizens groups that were scheduled before the request for a debate was made, Georges said.
According to Poondi, a Republican candidate, the Democrats have not taken a clear position on some issues, such as the adoption of a pay-to-play ordinance that would restrict the amount of money professionals who receive contracts with the township can donate to a party or a candidate for municipal office.
Whether or not residents will get to see the candidates who want to represent them go head to head remains uncertain.