WOODBRIDGE — If experience is the qualification at the top of voters’ lists, then Councilman Bob Luban should do quite well in his bid to become a state senator.
The council veteran’s seven, four-year terms make him the longest-running council member in Woodbridge’s history, and according to Luban, make him well-equipped to move on to the higher office.
“I got into this 28 years ago because we liked helping people,” he said of himself and his wife, Lorraine Venturino Luban. “We enjoy being able to work with people. It’s an enjoyable thing for me.”
The 69-year-old Republican is a 40-year resident of the township’s Colonia section.
Luban retired from AT&T after 16 years serving as a manager in data processing, marketing and internal auditing. Prior to that, he spent six years with RCA in internal operations and computer auditing.
He will retire from the council on Dec. 31, having opted to run against incumbent Democrat Joe Vitale for the 19th District seat in the Senate.
“I decided to run for state Senate because I think there’s a distinct difference in thinking between the senator and myself,” the selfproclaimed fiscal conservative said. “What I would bring to the state Senate is control of the spending I think has run amok.”
Luban cited a couple of local examples of what he considered unnecessary spending: the township’s approximately $450,000 miniature golf course that opened in April, and the newly built skate park in Colonia, which cost about the same to construct.
“I would have rather just maybe improved the building or saved the money for when something went wrong,” he said of the golf course, adding that not many kids are making use of the skate park.
“You’ve got to prioritize.”
That is not to say that Luban is excessively tight to the vest, he said.
“I will spend money when necessary,” he said. “I will spend money to run the business of government.”
Part of that includes helping others, he said.
“I believe in a lot of the social aspects that come with being senator,” he said. “You have to look out for others and look out for those who are less fortunate.”
In addition to his years on the council representing the township’s fifth ward, Luban was appointed a commissioner of the Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority in 1996 and served twice as chairman. He has also served as a member of the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing, a commissioner on the Middlesex County Improvement Authority, commissioner of the Middlesex County Economic Opportunity Corporation, and member of the Woodbridge Township Planning Board.
Luban is a parishioner at St. John Vianney Church in Colonia, as well as a fourth-degree Knight of Columbus.
He and Lorraine have six grandchildren, ranging in age from 18 months to 6 years old.
Still, the busy retiree finds time to continue in his civic service.
“I like helping people,” he said, adding, “I publicize my home phone number regularly.”
Luban said he plans to continue keeping the lines of communication open for local residents, despite leaving his township post.
“You’re saddened by the fact that you’re leaving what you’ve done for 28 years,” Luban said, adding that he is also excited about the potential of moving on to the state level.
Along with some wistful feelings about leaving the council, Luban carries with him pride in the accomplishments from his time as a councilman.
“I have passed, I believe, probably more ordinances than anyone else,” he said.
He spearheaded efforts to double the required building distance from bodies of water, aggressively fought graffiti in town and led the campaign to have Megan’s Law in place in Woodbridge before it went into effect statewide, among other achievements, he said.
“I have never voted or just acted in a way just to get re-elected,” Luban said, adding, “I think a lot of people fall in love with their titles.”
Luban said he’s happy with Gov. Chris Christie’s performance in running the state.
“I support him,” he said. “It’s a commonsense approach.”
But just as he worked with Mayor John McCormac and his fellow council members over the years, Luban said he would continue to reach across the aisle as a senator.
“I believe in compromising,” he said. “I think you end up getting a better idea when you work with other people.”