Meet the borough hopefuls

By Davy James, Staff Writer

   JAMESBURG — Three candidates will be running for two three-year Borough Council seats in the upcoming election on Nov. 4.
   Republican candidate Brian Duke will challenge incumbent Democrats Tom Bodall and Council President Otto Kostbar. Mr. Duke was the only Republican candidate in the June primary.
   Mr. Bodall, 23, is the borough historian and works as a research and curatorial assistant for the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission. Mr. Bodall served on the council beginning in March 2007 when he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of councilman Carlos Morales. He was elected to serve the final year of that unexpired term last November.
   Mr. Bodall said he wants continue the work done by the council in recent years. He said three major issues of importance for him are pedestrian safety, continuing the remodeling of Jamesburg to keep its village feel and keeping taxes low and services high.
   ”We’ve done a lot to increase safety on Route 522 where cars speed by a road inhabited by pedestrians,” Mr. Bodall said. “We’ve increased safety with police patrols and speed alerts so people will start realizing don’t speed through our town.”
   Mr. Bodall said it’s important for Jamesburg to continue improving its aesthetic appearance. He pointed to recent improvements to the sidewalks on Railroad Avenue and hopes to adopt design standards for any new construction.
   ”I want Jamesburg to be one of the best communities in New Jersey and want people to see how charming and rich with historic tradition we are,” he said. “I’m dedicated to Jamesburg and I will work day and night to serve the residents because I love this place.”
   Mr. Duke, 36, is the national director of marketing, engineering and consulting for CMX, an engineering and marketing firm in Manalapan. Mr. Duke moved to Jamesburg 11 years ago with his wife to start a family. He has three children attending Jamesburg public schools and his wife is involved with the PTO. Mr. Duke said he wants to help Jamesburg reach the potential he sees.
   ”I walk around town and see certain opportunities that aren’t being explored,” Mr. Duke said. “The borough is struggling, tax rates are up and it’s a challenge running such a small borough that’s at the center of the Monroe doughnut. We need to make Jamesburg more of a destination and cultural center.”
   Mr. Duke said the current council hasn’t done anything he sees as wrong, but he has numerous ideas to bring to the table to improve the situation. He said he is attracted to the idea of civil service as a means to serve the place he loves.
   ”I’m not a career politician,” Mr. Duke said. “As a politician you’re there to give the best ideas but ideas that are in sync with the rest of the council. I’d take the ideas and wishes of residents and develop them in a responsible way to best fulfill their desires for the borough. I haven’t been involved in politics but I think that gives me an advantage. I love Jamesburg because it’s small, quaint and close-knit. There are so many positive attributes here.”
   Mr. Kostbar, 58, is an attorney and current council president who has lived in the borough since 1985, when he opened a law office in Jamesburg. He has been involved in public service for a number of years, serving as the attorney for Monroe Fire District No. 3, attorney for the Middlesex County SPCA, on the Jamesburg Library Board of Directors, as Jamesburg zoning board attorney for 10 years and is a third-term police commissioner.
   ”I’ve always been interested in public service and we’ve had some tremendous successes in improving Jamesburg,” Mr. Kostbar said. “There is still a lot of challenges. We’re working with police to slow traffic coming through town. As a council we need to make every penny count by seeking grants, planning and thinking ahead.”
   Mr. Kostbar said he wants to continue serving on the council as he has for 10 years, because of his love for the borough.
   ”This is a unique community because the citizens are loyal and they stay in town,” Mr. Kostbar said. “I’ve known many people here since I was a boy coming with my father from Englishtown. It’s a small town but it’s a good business town and you can see the impact of the effort put in. Things don’t happen automatically and you can see how much Jamesburg has improved. A lot of people worked very hard so it’s gratifying to see those improvements.”