SPOTSWOOD–The Borough of Spotswood has elected incumbent Ted Ricci along with council-elect Charlie Spicuzzo and Larry Kraemer.
Spicuzzo recorded 25 percent (1,499) of the votes, Kraemer won 17 percent (986) and Ricci registered 16 percent (959) for the three seats on the council, according to the to Middlesex County election results as of Nov. 8.
The county was still tallying provisional and mail in ballots, as of press time.
“I was very honored to be chosen for this important position in the borough. The turnout and results were more then I had hoped for. I would like to congratulate all of the candidates who ran – putting yourself out there is never an easy thing. Congratulations to Kraemer and Ricci on their win. I am looking forward to working with Mayor Ed Seely, the council team and department heads,” Spicuzzo said.
Kraemer said, “Well, I think the election went very well. Voter turnout showed that the people in town are no longer happy with the way things are going and they want change. The town will no longer be run by politicians alone.”
Stollen said his time on the council has been a civic duty. He said he believes he had a unique experience in construction, budgeting and customer service that regularly contributed to good decisions. Always doing research and homework to be prepared is a lot of work and you need to know every four years that you have people behind you supporting your decisions, he said.
“I wish Ricci, Spicuzzo and Kraemer congratulations and best wishes as they take on the challenges that face our fine borough in the coming years,” Stollen said. “I have been honored and humbled by the support I have had over the years. It has been a unique privilege of a lifetime to serve.”
Spicuzzo said he wants to keep the lake restoration going. This had been an eyesore that the residents have been looking at for far too long now. He said he wants to work with county and state officials to get this project done at minimal cost to the borough.
“I would love to get the attendance of the council meetings up. The residents of the borough are our bosses. It would make our jobs easier if we hear from them before, during and after we make a decision. Their feedback is vital. You are never going to make 100 percent of the residents happy but my goal is to make as many as I can happy,” Spicuzzo said.
“Sidewalks throughout town are also something I look forward to working on. We are a walking school district. Sidewalks are important so that our children and residents can safely walk to school or any other desired location in town they would like to go,” he said.
Kraemer said, “Spotswood is a great town to live in, but we are taxing people out of it; this needs to stop. The residents are the voice of Spotswood, so the town council needs to both talk and listen to them if we want to keep costs down. I am hoping that, as a community, we can all work together to achieve this goal.”
Contact Vashti Harris at [email protected].