TINTON FALLS – Seven candidates are seeking three three-year terms on the Tinton Falls Borough Council in the Nov. 5 election.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The terms of council members Nancyanne Fama, Gary Baldwin and Christopher Pak will end on Dec. 31. None of the incumbents are seeking re-election.
The candidates in the nonpartisan race are Kenneth Asmar, Tracey A. Buckley, Risa S. Clay, Lawrence A. Dobrin, Donald Michaels, Michael J. Nesci and Ronald Wollner.
Buckley, Clay and Nesci are running as the Independent Advocates for Tinton Falls.
Asmar, Michaels and Wollner are running as Your Voice in Tinton Falls.
Dobrin is running a solo campaign for a council seat. He has lived in Tinton Falls for 33 years. He and his wife, Pamela, raised their three children in the community.
Dobrin is the chief forensic dentist for the five boroughs of New York City and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. He was a Tinton Falls recreation league coach for basketball for five years.
Dobrin is a forensic dental consultant to the Regional Medical Examiner of New Jersey. He has been involved in the management of victims and their families during mass disaster events since 1990, including the World Trade Center attack in 2001 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“My life of community service has prompted me to run for Borough Council where there is now a need for an independent person to analyze, assess and deliver solutions to issues the residents of the community desire.
“Whether it is tax issues, traffic safety, the impact of the (Monmouth County Reclamation Center), over-development, or just quality of life issues, I have the expertise and maturity to work with others to solve the problems our residents care about.
“I am the only truly independent candidate, not funded, not grouped with anyone, not influenced by anyone, just available for the caring residents of this borough,” Dobrin said.
Buckley, Clay and Nesci have put forth a platform that focuses on the following:
● Protect Tax Dollars: Keep tax rate in check, spend tax dollars carefully and reduce debt. Create a budget that reflects the interests of the community;
● Increase Support for First Responders: Provide first responders with the support and resources they need to continue to keep Tinton Falls safe;
● Protect Quality of Life: Independent Advocates for Tinton Falls will take action on the town’s environmental issues to stop overdevelopment and preserve Tinton Falls;
● Increase Transparency: Fight to increase open and transparent communication.
Buckley has served as a board member of the Winding Brook Condominium Association and as a board member of the New Jersey World Trade Center Scholarship Fund.
“Our campaign is about putting residents first. We believe in doing what is best for all citizens, bringing the community together and protecting the aspects of Tinton Falls that make it such a special place to live and raise a family.
“This is a nonpartisan race, a fact which we appreciate and respect; our ticket reflects that and, if elected, that is how we intend to govern Tinton Falls,” Buckley said in a statement.
Clay, who has lived in Tinton Falls for 23 years, recently retired as the principal of Red Bank Regional High School after 27 years in the school district.
Clay is the recipient of the Martin Luther King Community Service Award and many other awards. She founded a nationally recognized, full-service counseling program for students and is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor.
She has experience in fiscal management, personnel services, professional development, teamwork and communications.
“As a retired high school principal and a 23-year resident of Tinton Falls, I love everything this town has done for my family and me. I want to give back and be an advocate for Tinton Falls and I will be a strong one if elected,” Clay said.
Nesci was born and raised in Tinton Falls. He lives on Hope Road with his wife of eight years and their two children.
Nesci is a third generation barber who works at his father’s barbershop in Lincroft. There, he said he has had the advantage of listening to customers who live in Tinton Falls to help find the best solutions to their problems.
Nesci said he understands the challenges confronting Tinton Falls. He grew up on the intersection at Hance and Sycamore avenues. The intersection is a concern in the borough. Residents have said the intersection is prone to motor vehicle accidents and is unsafe.
Nesci has relatives who live near the Monmouth County Reclamation Center, which is in the borough. Odors that emanate from the landfill have been a concern among residents in Tinton Falls and neighboring municipalities.
The Monmouth County freeholders have said the situation at the reclamation center is being remediated.
“After growing up in Tinton Falls, I want to make sure my kids have the same opportunities I had. This town has so much to offer, but we have to come together and always do what is in the best interest of the town first,” Nesci said.
The Tinton Falls Taxpayer Team, also known as Your Voice in Tinton Falls, consists of Asmar, Michaels and Wollner.
Wollner, along with his wife, Michelle, and son, Richard, has lived in Tinton Falls for 30 years. Wollner recently sold his company, CDS, in Eatontown. He said he is looking to give back to the Tinton Falls community by running for Borough Council.
“I have chaired the Eatontown Economic Development Advisory Committee for 12 years. I would like to bring this committee to Tinton Falls,” he said. “We need to be able to help promote healthy economic growth in our town with no negative impact on our residents.
“I would also like to look into the zoning and planning situation for residential/agricultural properties to see if we can accommodate homeowners who have acreage and are held to very tight restrictions as to how they can use their residential/agricultural property,” Wollner said.
Michaels has lived in Tinton Falls for more than 26 years with his wife, Lori, and their two children. He is a program engineer with AT&T. Michaels has served in volunteer positions in Tinton Falls.
“The best way to lead is by listening to people, taking the information you have been given and figuring out how to make a process or situation more streamlined. I would like to come into the council and concentrate on the budget, where if there is wasteful spending we can make intelligent decisions about where we can save money and how we can keep taxes low for our residents,” Michaels said.
Asmar has lived in Tinton Falls for more than 30 years with his wife, Christine, and their two children. He is the owner of Red Bank Cabinet Company, Tinton Falls.
“There needs to be an open door policy where the residents can be heard,” Asmar said. “If they need to communicate their needs with council members, we want to be able to listen to them and get answers to their questions and concerns in a timely manner.
“I would like to be their voice and let them know we are here for them and not for anyone else. We have no other agendas. We are not looking to become career politicians. We just want to keep our residents happy and keep Tinton Falls the beautiful place it has been for years,” Asmar said.