Selika Josiah Gore BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer Six candidates are seeking three four-year terms on the Marlboro Township Council in the Nov. 3 election. At the present time the council is made up of three Democrats and two Republicans. The administration is under the direction of Democratic Mayor Jon Hornik.
If the three Republican candidates all win on Election Day, the GOP will control the council and certain appointments that the governing body makes.
Incumbent Republicans Steve Rosenthal and Rosa Tragni are not seeking re-election as they complete their first terms in office.
The Republican candidates are Selika Josiah Gore, Carol Mazzola and Jack Zatz.
The Democratic candidates are Jeff Cantor, Lynn Franco and Scott
Metzger.
Cantor is a current member of the council. He is presently serving with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan and is not permitted to answer questions relating to the election.
The Democrats supplied one answer from Cantor that is included in this story.
Carol Mazzola Part 1 of the Marlboro Township Council election story ran in the Oct. 21 edition of the News Transcript.
Is there a particular area you plan to focus on as a member of the council?
Selika Josiah Gore: My particular area of focus would be common sense government, checks and balances. I disagree with many choices of the current administration. I believe we need to keep our spending in line with other townships our size. Although we have cut expenses by using Friday furloughs (reducing the time staff is available to the public by 20 percent), that did not result in a 20 percent savings in salaries. The township did not receive an equal savings for the cuts in services.
I am running to prevent the kind of recent appointment to the Zoning Board of Adjustment of a man who wrote “Death to Sand N——-s” on his car (on Sept. 11, 2001) and road around town and then unsuccessfully sued the township police after he was arrested.
Anyone who rides around with that kind of hate on their vehicle and then sues the township should not be (appointed) to a board, no matter what they currently say. Regardless of your ethnic background, that this person would be
Jeff Cantor in a position to determine who does and does not get zoning board approval is an embarrassment.
Carol Mazzola: Above all, transparency in our Township Council’s actions must be adhered to. Our Township Council must be accountable to its citizens. As a member of the council, I intend to focus on issues that will improve the quality of life in our township for all citizens.
There are many areas of concern today in Marlboro. We need to get our township spending and taxes reduced. Solutions must be found for the affordable housing issue. The issues of billing for emergency medical services, the merger of existing fire companies, resolving the furlough issue and getting Marlboro services back on a five-day work week and open space acquisition must all be addressed.
Jack Zatz: The two most important issues I will focus on as a Marlboro councilman will be lowering property taxes and open, accountable government. These are both critical areas in need of change and are areas where I can bring innovative ideas to the table. These are two areas the current mayor-council team has struggled to address over the past two years.
Lynn Franco Regarding lower property taxes, the current administration is leveraging “gimmicks” to give an appearance of keeping taxes down with deferrals on current year costs. That is like you using your credit card to pay your electric bill, and then claiming, “I have paid current expenses and balanced the budget.” Not so. This tactic merely defers the expense into future years along with interest.
Jeff Cantor: (Answer provided by the Democrats) Jeff will continue to focus on the needs of the community and the preservation of open space. As an experienced council member, he plans on continuing to practice fiscal responsibility in the township budget process. He is also planning to work on the energy master plan, which will make Marlboro a sustainable and affordable community.
Jack Zatz Lynn Franco: As a council member, I will focus on making the necessary decisions to help our community navigate through this difficult period in our economy.
As chair of the Marlboro Swim Club Advisory Board, I have had a direct role in overseeing a public budget and believe that I have discharged it with responsibility.
As candidates, Scott Metzger and I were among only a few residents to sit through the council’s budget workshops. plan on working with the budget committee to find ways to reduce government and become even more efficient.
Scott Metzger: My immediate priority must focus on budget and economic issues, as it is currently our greatest challenge. I have attended all of the budget meetings this year, and as a fiscally responsible local business owner, plan to continue making the difficult decisions that must be made. In addition to the financial issues that must be addressed, I plan on focusing on the township infrastructure and a plan to bring it where it should be so that our community is sustainable. What is the most important issue that Marlboro faces?
Scott Metzger Lynn Franco: The most important issue is to reduce spending and keep costs under control. This cannot be accomplished by simply eliminating expenses, as service to the community is also of paramount concern. Through shared service agreements, we can help to control expenses by consolidation and maximization of non-tax revenues. I am also committed to preserving open space to curb residential development.
Scott Metzger: I plan on working with the department heads to work as efficiently as possible well before the public budget meetings. My role as a councilman should not be limited to oversight, as I can bring my years of business experience to the table in working togetherwith the municipality in becoming more efficient. Taking a lead with the Economic Development Committee will also help attract and keep ratables in Marlboro. Having grown up in town and having such great memories, I want to see the teen and senior center built and additional projects that improve the quality of life for all citizens.
Selika Josiah Gore: While my main concern would be to work on stabilizing taxes in Marlboro, we also have to work on the township’s response to the many issues in the FreeholdRegionalHigh School District. Education is what attracts many [to Marlboro]. That is what helps to sustain the value of our homes. We cannot sit by while the integrity of the high school district is questioned. An [appointed individual] would not only be at budget and school board meetings and report back to council, but would be able to provide an independent report with council taking action on serious issues. … This could be done for various other entities to which we pay taxes, such as the fire department, instead of an expensive outside yearly audit paid for by taxpayers; this could be done in-house, providing greater accountability without additional cost.
Carol Mazzola: I support affordable housing and believe everyone should have an opportunity to live the American dream of home ownership. The current New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) regulations are archaic and disregard the environmental, social and economic impact they have on Marlboro. Changes to the way COAH is administeredmust come from the governor’s office through the state Legislature and down to Marlboro Town Hall. I plan to continue to meet with concerned citizens, and will actively lobby with our legislative representatives who are well aware of the problems and shortcomings the existing COAH plan and site selections present in Marlboro.
Jack Zatz: The No. 1 priority will be to stabilize, then lower property taxes. This can only be achieved by cutting costs and increasing ratables. I will stay away from Corzine-style gimmicks and take the tough actions to lower actual expenses. This means cutting labor costs for municipal employees, which can be done through attrition and caps on expenses. Pay and benefit structures in government should be aligned with private industry and we must move away from the growing “entitlement” mentality in government jobs. I will not only target the municipal budget, but also work with the school board to lower school taxes. I will engage county and state officials with recommendations to lower the county and state share of expenditures as well.