MONTGOMERY: Two candidates seeking Township Committee seat

By Stephanie Vaccaro, Staff WRiter
   MONTGOMERY — Republican Rich Smith and Democrat Mark Petraske are running for the single open seat on the Montgomery Township Committee in November’s elections.
   Despite their opposing party affiliations, both candidates feel strongly about public service.
   ”I have always been the kind of person to jump in and help and serve my community when there’s a need,” said Mr. Smith. “My family and I have lived here for 15 years, and with one daughter in college and another in high school I decided it’s time to get involved and serve the community in a more meaningful way.
   ”Given the nature of the local economy, I feel that my business and management experience combined with my construction management and engineering background would be very helpful as we tackle some pressing issues.”
   ”Public service is something I feel very strongly about,” said Mr. Petraske. “I have run for Township Committee before as well as for state Assembly in the past. I have always volunteered for community groups and offered my time and expertise to local community based organizations.
   ”I also believe in the multi-party approach to government. I believe that government does not function properly unless you have different perspectives and ideas attacking the issues. It only works when you have an open exchange of ideas, from different viewpoints. Only then do you end up with innovative solutions that rise out of the discussion.”
   ”I am very concerned that the current Township Committee is left with only one viewpoint, since it consists of five Republicans in a county that has only Republican Freeholders and where our state district consists of only Republican office holders. This is not representative of Montgomery and its citizens. Montgomery is not made up of a majority of Democrats or Republicans. The majority of its citizens and voters consist of independents and non-party affiliated people who view eah issue separately and passionately, and are not wedded to a particular ideology.”
   ”I decided to run because I feel I have a very unique background in engineering and law, coupled with many years of volunteer public service that will bring a unique perspective, and definitely another viewpoint to our town’s problems.”
   Both candidates see changes that should be made in the coming years.
   ”I was brought up to look at issues with a short-term view and a long-term view,” said Mr. Petraske. “The short-term solution often is not the most cost effective or cheapest solution. In fact, it is often the costliest for the taxpayer. Take for instance our town’s roads and maintenance. These budgets can always be cut or eliminated in the short term, and we may see a one or two year cost savings. However, everyone knows that in the long run, we will need to fix the roads, and the buildings or they will continue to crumble, resulting in a higher overall cost to each taxpayer due to the higher level of repair that will be needed.”
   ”I think we need to reduce the township’s debt, reduce spending further and hold the line on municipal taxes,” said Mr. Smith. “I know that in our family and other families we all keep a watchful eye on debt and our budget, and our local government should do the same.
   ”The township has recently been on the right track with Mayor Caliguire and the committee getting the ball rolling on shared services when they had the county pick up our 911 dispatch services for much less than it was costing us to do it ourselves,” said Mr. Smith. “I’d like to see us really accelerate the effort to share and consolidate services with neighboring towns or the county.
   ”For example, Montgomery pays a judge, a prosecutor, a public defender, and all the associated costs of operating our own municipal court. Sharing a court with a neighboring town won’t diminish the level of service, but it will save us a lot of money.”
   The two have differing viewpoints on the recent progress of the Township Committee.
   ”Given the overall economy and lower township revenues, I think the current Township Committee has done a great job of controlling the costs of our local government,” said Mr. Smith. “The 2010 budget level was reduced to 2004 spending levels, and I am told the draft 2011 budget reduces the spending level even further. The township committee also acted wisely in selling Skillman Village to Somerset County. Once the sale closes, which should be soon, the township will have preserved over 250 acres of open space and lessened the township’s debt.”
   ”In the past, the Township Committee was a governing body that debated and worked through the issues,” said Mr. Petraske. “This was primarily due to the necessity of having to reach an agreement with people who had different points of view and who wanted to reach a solution through compromise. This is what is lacking on our current committee.”
   Both candidates have a history of community service in Montgomery.
   ”I was one of the original board members of the Montgomery Township Education Foundation and served as the construction manager for Cougar Stadium,” said Mr. Smith.
   ”In 2004, I co-chaired the North Princeton Development Center, now known as Skillman Village Citizens Committee with my wife, Valerie,” said Mr. Smith. “This diverse committee worked long and hard to get the Montgomery Township and the state to discuss the NPDC site and settle some of the final issues that were stalling the sale of the property.”
   Mr. Smith currently serves on the township’s zoning board of adjustment and served for a year on the township’s transportation committee. He has also coached softball and basketball teams.
   ”I currently serve on the zoning board, and have done so for many years as a volunteer,” said Mr. Petraske. “Prior to that, I served on the transportation advisory committee and the site plan committee. I serve on the board of directors for a local sports organization, and have served as a youth soccer coach in the recreation and travel programs.”
   Mr. Petraske has an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and worked for the Department of Defense as a test engineer on submarine mechanical systems. He then worked as an engineer for ABB Combustion Engineering. Since obtaining his law degree, he has been working as a civil trial attorney, with a focus on medical and professional malpractice defense.
   Mr. Smith graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. in construction engineering and has worked for construction management firms doing projects in the public and private sector including: pharmaceutical, government, hotel and microelectonics.
   Mr. Smith moved to Skillman in 1996 to open and manage a regional office for a fortune 500 high-tech construction company. He is currently a vice president for KS Engineers, an engineering and construction management company based in Newark and New York City.