BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer
Jackson JACKSON – When residents head to the polls on May 9 they will elect five people who will form Jackson’s first township council in the new government that will come into existence on July 1.
Polling hours on May 9 will be from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The election is nonpartisan and candidates are running without a political party designation.
Five candidates are running for council as the Jackson First Coalition – Josh Reilly, Michael Broderick, Dan Gross, Mike Reina and Barbara Spielman. Reilly is a sitting member of the Township Committee the new government will replace, and Broderick is a former member of the committee.
Five candidates are running for council as the Taxpayers United for Jackson – Ann Updegrave, Scott Martin, Emily Ingram, Angelo Stallone and Jason Gudaitis. Updegrave is a sitting member of the Township Committee.
Blanche Krubner is running for council under the Keep Jackson’s Future in Jackson’s Hands heading.
Residents may vote for any candidate(s). The top five vote-getters will be elected and will serve terms of either two or four years (length of term to be determined once the new government is seated).
The Tri-Town News asked each council candidate to respond to the question: “What is the most important reason why you believe that you will be a valuable member of the new council and an asset to the government of Jackson?”
Mike Broderick
Broderick, 53, said, “Living in Jackson for 11 years, I have seen many changes due to the growth of our community. I am a believer in don’t complain if you’re not willing to step up to the plate and do something about it. Hence my entry into the world of politics.”
Broderick served as a committeeman from January 2000 through December 2005. He was appointed by his fellow committee members to serve as mayor in 2003 and 2005.
“While in office, I participated in the reduction of the municipal tax rate three years in a row and stabilized them two years following that,” the candidate said. “My work with open space for recreation saved thousands of acres from being built and clearcut. My assignment to the Pinelands task force led to the restructuring of the Pinelands growth area, preventing 3,000 homes from being built.”
Broderick said he will fight to control the taxes that are placed on all Jackson residents, including school taxes.
“I will actively pursue our state Legislature to find a way to give Jackson its fair share of school aid,” he said.
Broderick has also served as vice president of Teamsters Local Union No. 469.
Dan Gross
Gross said, “I will be a valuable member of the new nonpartisan council and an asset to the government of Jackson because of my commitment and
allegiance to the people of Jackson and not to a partisan political party. I moved to Jackson seven years ago. My wife and I own a home and pay taxes. I gained experience in government as a member of the Board of Education (2002-05) and the Jackson Charter Study Commission (2004-05).”
Gross, 49, said the new mayor and council must understand and control the municipal tax rate drivers and reduce them. They must bring in smart ratables to reduce the tax burden; protect open space; and select qualified people for boards and commissions.
“Taxes today are the result of bad policies and planning during the 1990s,” he said. “The cause was partisan loyalties vs. loyalties to Jackson. Today we are paying the price. I will work to change that.”
Gross has been married for 22 years and has three children. He is employed as a PMI Certified Project Manager for a Fortune 100 company.
Jason Gudaitis
Gudaitis said, “I have been a resident of Jackson since 1998, previously residing in Howell since 1983.”
Gudaitis, 28, who was recently married to his wife, Johanna, is the director of operations for an insurance fraud investigation firm in New Jersey.
“My hard work and determination will be valuable to the Jackson Township Council,” he said. “Throughout my education and career I have remained committed to my goals and successful in that regard, as I will remain committed to serving the taxpayers of Jackson.”
Gudaitis said his greatest asset is his experience in managing and communicating with people from all walks of life.
“Jackson needs someone who can communicate with all departments and open the lines of communication throughout the township and open up government to the taxpayers,” he said. “This is just one important way we can reduce taxes, eliminate waste through communication, information, and open and honest government.
Emily Ingram
Ingram said, “As a resident of Jackson for five years and having three generations of my family calling Jackson home has made me want to become involved in making Jackson an affordable place to live without losing the quality of life it offers.”
Ingram, who is a certified public accountant and financial planner, said she takes accountability and affordability very seriously.
“We need to balance what we want vs. what we need,” the candidate said.
Ingram said she believes Jackson should be run as a business and that officials need to pull the reins in on what has been happening, specifically what she said is out-of-control spending, out-of-control growth and the ever-rising debt.
“Jackson residents have voted for a change in government and this can only be achieved by changing the people in government,” she said. “My running mates and I have the skills necessary to be able to implement polices and procedures that will enable Jackson residents to continue living here without feeling that they will be taxed out of their homes.”
Blanche Krubner
Krubner said, “The government that is sworn in on July 1 will write the master plan and ordinances that create the community Jackson will be once it is fully built out. I bring the environmental point of view to that process.”
Krubner, a 42-year-resident of Jackson, is an environmentalist who taught in Jackson’s public schools for 28 years.
She said, “We must prevent a rapid drawdown of the aquifer on which we depend, protect the Toms River and the Metedeconk River, and preserve our town’s country ambiance, open space and forested areas.”
The candidate said these environmental considerations will empower officials to phase in growth at a pace the town’s infrastructure and resources can absorb, and that give the town time to catch up with its needs.
Controlling the rate of development will, in the long term, stabilize the township’s tax rate while retaining the qualities that made Jackson an appealing choice as a place to live, Krubner said.
“Looking like a class act community, green with trees and landscaping, with spruced-up existing shopping areas, is our smartest strategy for attracting quality commercial ratables,” she said.
Krubner was appointed to the environmental commission in 1973, is a member of the Jackson Planning Board and is a member of the Ocean County Environmental Agency.
Scott Martin
Martin said, “As a financial planner I am called upon to analyze complex financial situations. My work with individuals and families calls upon me to analyze their current situation and put together a long-term plan consistent with their goals while taking care of their current needs.”
Martin, 38, is employed by AIG Advisor Group.
“My work with small business owners puts me in a unique position to understand the inner workings of a business,” he said. “After all, running a town should be run like running a business. I’ve set up profit sharing, pension and 401K plans.
“Too often elected officials forget it is the taxpayers’ money and not theirs,” he said. “We need individuals representing the town who remember they are there to serve the public interest and not their party’s interest or their own.”
Josh Reilly
Reilly said, “This election allows the taxpayers of Jackson to take back their town by voting to put aside partisan politics and create responsive, accurate government that puts Jackson first. My ability to identify problems and then offer pragmatic solutions is a good fit for good government.”
Reilly, 34, a senior scientist in research and development at Hartz Mountain Corporation, said he enjoys working with groups of people that make competent decisions based on credible input.
“Although we face challenges, the opportunities facing Jackson are even more exciting,” he said. “I’m asking for the opportunity to be part of our new town council.”
Reilly grew up in Jackson and has been a resident, on and off, for 27 years. He has served on the Township Committee since 2003.
Mike Reina
Reina said, “Serving as I have has given me the tools, experience and a chance to participate in a nonpartisan environment. Not being beholden to any outside entities, political parties, etc., has kept me unobstructed to do what is right for Jackson.”
Reina, 47, has lived in Jackson for 19 years. He said his volunteer activities prove he can work with anyone.
“I am and have proven to be dedicated to serving the residents of Jackson regardless of their political affiliation,” he said.
Reina has been a board liaison to the Mayor’s Private Residential Communities Advisory Board (1994-2001) and has served as chairman for two years. He has been a member of the Planning Board since 2001 and is currently serving a second year as chairman.
Barbara Spielman
Spielman said, “I believe my educational, business and personal background make me a desirable and refreshing candidate for town council. I am a Douglass College graduate and candidate for an MBA at Georgian Court University this summer.”
Spielman, 56, is an assistant to the vice president for finance and administration at Georgian Court University, Lakewood. Said she has owned her own business and has worked in an executive and management capacity in the university system.
“I have chaired a local fundraising campaign for breast cancer that raised more than $60,000 this year alone, and I am committed to bringing this effort township-wide in the fall,” she said. “I understand the problems of local government as a regular attendee at Township Committee meetings and various other boards. I have some specific, realistic goals to work for in reducing our tax burdens and slowing our growth while increasing our ratable base.”
Spielman has been a member of the rent leveling board for three years.
Angelo Stallone
Stallone said, “I was raised by parents who lived through the depression. I learned the value of a dollar. My parents taught me to live within my means, to work hard and not to spend recklessly.”
Stallone, a 20-year Jackson resident, has worked in his own business since the age of 22 and has experience in planning, budgeting and managing.
“I am committed to the community and to the council position I am running for,” he said.
Stallone has been involved with the charitable activities of the Central Jersey Italian American Club for the past 17 years.
“I have continued my affiliation with this association holding numerous leadership positions including president and treasurer,” he said. “What has led me to the decision to run for the council now is what I have seen happen to Jackson over the years, reckless spending, mismanagement, the inability to control growth. This is why I decided to take action now with the help of my teammates. We will be able to make the hard decisions and restrain reckless spending.”
Stallone said, “I am also aware of the concerns of the seniors at this time in their life. You should not have to worry about being able to afford to live in Jackson or have to pay your ever-rising property taxes, utility bills, health insurance and prescriptions.”
Anne Updegrave
Updegrave said, “Twenty years ago my husband and I decided to make Jackson our permanent residence. I applied for a job in the municipality and was hired in the administration office in 1987.”
Updegrave said she spent 14 years as a municipal employee, interacting with each department.
“I attained much knowledge of municipal operations,” the candidate said. “I attended classes at Rutgers University and obtained certificates for the position of public purchasing specialist.”
Updegrave said she volunteered her time to the disabled residents of Jackson as a member of the handicapped commission.
“I witnessed costly political mistakes, mismanagement, increased debt and rising taxes undermining sound, conservative government,” said Updegrave. “Throughout my career, I acquired accounting, auditing and public purchasing qualifications.”
Updegrave said that at the age of 52, she is currently employed by a community hospital using her office skills.
“My utmost desire is to implement cost effective administrative changes, cut spending, restructure the town to invite clean, commercial ratables and promote residential input on the master planning of our township,” she said.
On May 9, residents will also elect a mayor to serve a four-year term. The candidates for mayor are Sean Giblin, Michael Kafton and Mark Seda. All three men presently serve on the Township Committee.