ALLENTOWN — Three independent candidates promising fiscal responsibility have entered the race for positions in the borough’s government.
According to the Monmouth County Clerk of Elections Office, independents Gregory Westfall, Johnna Steinmire and Robert Strovinsky filed petitions by the June 2 deadline and will be listed on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
The positions up for grabs on Election Day will be mayor (a four-year term) and two seats on the Borough Council (threeyear terms).
Republican Mayor Stuart Fierstein and Republican council members Dan Wimer and Margaret Rose are not seeking re-election.
Westfall will square off against Democrat William Borkowski in the race for the mayor’s position. Borkowski is currently serving on the council.
Steinmire and Strovinsky will seek the council seats.
The three independent candidates will run as the “Allentown First” ticket.
Westfall is a retired planner with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. He said he decided to run for mayor once he realized his free time could be used to benefit the community.
“I have a strong interest in the community. I have been working on grants and projects in the community for a number of years and would like to get more involved now that I am retired,” Westfall said.
Westfall said he and his running mates plan to highlight several issues, with a focus on improving communication between the government and the public.
Neither Steinmire nor Strovinsky could be reached for comment.
Westfall said he and his running mates would offer a more open and flexible borough government.
“I feel that any kind of activities the borough does should explore all possible alternatives,” Westfall said.
In the last two municipal elections, Republican council members Michael Schumacher, Audrey Mount and Jean Hunter were defeated at the polls by Democratic council candidate Robert Schmitt and independent council candidates Madeline Gavin and Borkowski.
Borkowski is now running for mayor as a Democrat.
Democratic Councilwoman Angela Anthony was re-elected in November 2014.
Although Fierstein did not file a nominating petition to seek re-election, he and Steinmire each received two write-in votes in the June 2 Republican primary. According to the county clerk, both candidates declined the GOP nomination.
Steinmire is now running for council as an independent.
In the Democratic party, Borkowski was selected as the mayoral candidate with 31 votes and Thomas Fritts was nominated to run for council with 32 votes. Neither nominee could be reached for comment.
Donald Wood Jr. received two write-in votes as a Democratic candidate for council, but he declined the nomination and will not be on the Nov. 3 ballot.
According to the county clerk’s office, a write-in candidate may earn a spot on the general election ballot if he receives writein votes in an amount of at least 5 percent of the ballots cast in the previous General Assembly primary.
With unclaimed ballot slots available, the Democrats and the Republicans have until Sept. 10 to submit candidates to fill those spots on the Nov. 3 ballot, according to the county clerk.