Peter Cammarano METUCHEN — A former councilman and a longtime attorney in the borough will face off in the Nov. 3 election for mayor.
Current Mayor Thomas Vahalla opted not to run for the post after the borough’s Democratic organization lent its support to former Councilman Peter Cammarano.
Cammarano left the council last December after seven years to spend time with his son. He has since said, however, that he misses serving the borough as a member of the governing body.
“I have long committed myself to improving the community in which I both live and love,” said the lifelong borough resident, who served for 12 years as chief of staff for former New Jersey Senate President and Gov. Richard Codey. “My commitment to Metuchen didn’t end when I left my seat on the council, however. … Simply put, I realized there was still a lot of work to be done. I believe there is opportunity to move Metuchen forward through innovative and smart economic development policies while preserving Main Street and its rich historic legacy.”
Daniel Lebar Daniel Lebar emerged as a write-in candidate in the June primary election. The longtime borough resident said a lack of Republican registrants in the race — along with a lack of organization in the Metuchen GOP as a whole — made him decide to run. Involved with the party for 30 years, Lebar said, he is now filling the role of interim executive director, along with other temporary jobs, until the party is reorganized.
He said his desire to run also came from the philosophy, “Think global, act local.”
Lebar also said he hopes to “utilize [his] professional skill set as a solepractitioner attorney in tandem with finely honed 30-plus years of government advisory committee service to harmonize distinct but complementary policy approaches to collaboratively achieve mutually desired ends — a thriving, vibrant, self-sustaining community.”
Both candidates cited keeping costs minimal for taxpayers as a major priority.
“We need to find innovative and creative ways to keep Metuchen affordable while maintaining the level of service our residents expect,” Cammarano said.
Keeping residents’ municipal tax bills stable is the most important issue, as well as the most challenging, according to Lebar. He said the task is not simple “in the face of underlying cost pressures, coupled with ongoing state and federal ‘austerity’ budgets yielding decreasing fiscal support going forward.”
Lebar proposed solutions, including developing fiscal initiatives that aren’t reliant on property taxes, dedicating more efforts to seeking grants, bringing more tax ratables to the borough, curbing non-residential tax appeals by improving local market conditions, operational cost-saving measures, the use of student interns and other undertakings.
Also at the forefront of Cammarano’s focus are areas of the borough that need attention, he said.
“Our parks are in need of upgrading, and we need to maintain our roads. Increasing efforts to make Metuchen safer for pedestrians, bikers and seniors is a priority,” he said, adding that major developments underway in town could help with those efforts. “We have a unique opportunity to leverage the benefits of current projects to provide better parks, [and] greater pedestrian and bike safety while preserving and improving our downtown.”
The mixed-use development on Pearl Street is under construction, set to bring new residents to 273 luxury rental units near the train station. Also being built is The District at Metuchen, which will be home to a Whole Foods Market, along with other retail and possibly residential units.
Lebar said a field trip to Princeton’s Palmer Square — which he attended in his role as chairman of the Traffic & Transportation Committee — hosted by Borough Planner Jim Constantine foreshadowed the Pearl Street project a few years back.
“[The] Pearl Street parking deck project’s design, in itself, is not shock or surprise, as it mimics Princeton Borough’s Witherspoon Street municipal parking garage and ancillary structures viewed during Constantine’s hosted walking tour [a few years back],” Lebar said. “Woodmont’s overly dense, no-green-space design is a less-than-optimal swap for [the] blacktop parking lot impervious surface it replaces, except for the $7 million cash ‘nest egg’ Parking Authority sale created.”
Cammarano said the projects, which have been decades in the planning, make it an exciting time in the borough.
“It’s … important that we remain focused and vigilant to guarantee success. At such a critical time, it’s important that we have experience and leadership in place that understands the complexity of the issues each of these projects brings,” Cammarano said, adding that his experience in government and lifelong residency give him that understanding.
He also said it’s key to make sure the new developments serve to benefit the community as a whole.
“I believe my experience and knowledge of government will help maximize the leverage and benefits of these projects so we can strengthen our downtown, [and] maintain our municipal services and safety of our streets. It is essential to charting a positive path for Metuchen over the next four years.”
Running uncontested to hold onto their seats on the council are Council President Ron Grayzel and Councilwoman Allison Inserro, both Democrats. Grayzel is seeking his second full term on the dais, having joined the council in 2012 to fill a one-year unexpired term. Inserro would also be serving her second term on the council.