SOUTH RIVER – Republican incumbents Peter Guindi and Jason Oliveira will face off against Democratic newcomers Margaret M. Kenny and David Pizzuto for two available seats on South River’s Borough Council.
Peter Guindi (R) is a lifelong resident of South River, having lived in the borough for 49 years. He owns a small business, Perfection Imaging LLC, in South River, and is the Safety, Fleet and Compliance manager for C3 Technologies LLC in North Brunswick.
He sits on several committees and boards including St. Mary’s Orthodox Church in East Brunswick, South River’s Department of Parks and Recreation, and on the borough’s Planning Board. He also serves on South River’s Fire Department.
Guindi previously held office from 2009-14 and is nearing the end of his current term after being elected again in 2019. He is running for re-election to build upon past accomplishments while in office.
“Some of my greatest accomplishments were bringing the largest tax revenue into town and working with the Army Corp of Engineers and the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) to help stop the flooding in our lower parts of town. The reason I’m running for re-election is to continue to bring businesses, work on the infrastructure, and continue to improve activities and parks for our youth,” Guindi said.
Guindi also plans to tackle three major issues if re-elected: taxes, recreational facilities, and COVID-19.
On the issue of taxes, Guindi said, “Regardless of what any politicians say taxes cannot be lowered unless you off set it. For example, the town lacks businesses and we continue to oversee this. I’ve have been working with developers to solicit our business district, but it hasn’t been easy. South River at one time used to have several types of business that the residents would go to. We need to bring that back.”
Guindi hopes to revitalize the youth of South River by providing a recreational facility that offers educational programs and fun activities. The goal is to uplift the community after COVID and to make an investment that future generations can use, he said.
“I’ve been working on bringing [a rec facility] to our town. Our youth need a place for fun, education, and a way of life. Our town is known for our athletes. It’s time to bring them out of the hard times of COVID and show them a future,” Guindi said.
In the borough’s response to COVID, Guindi mentioned that more work can be done. Ultimately, he hopes to return to a state of normalcy.
Guidni stated, “I had the opportunity to work with local companies that brought testing and vaccinations to our residents, but it shouldn’t stop there. Working with proper authorities and residents we can bring South River back to normalcy.”
Margaret M. Kenny (D) has been a resident of South River for 22 years and serves as an assistant director with Children of America in East Brunswick. She holds a CDA (child development associate) certification and has her associates degree in Early Education. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Early Education at New Jersey City University.
Although Kenny is a first-time candidate, she isn’t new to community service. Kenny is hoping to use her past involvement and experiences in South River to become a voice for her community.
“I think that the people of South River need someone who will be their voice. … I am a member of the Democratic Committee. I am a past PTA president for South River High and South River Middle School. I was a baseball coach for the recreation department. I was a trustee for the recreation department. I was a trustee for the South River Library. I was a member of the Municipal Alliance. I was a den leader and a Cubmaster for Pack 83. I was an event leader for the Relay for Life in South River,” she said.
For Kenny, there are a variety of issues that she hopes to address if elected. Some of those issues are centered around afterschool recreation and the upkeep of community-oriented spaces.
“The youth of South River is one of my main issues. Not every child is into school sports, so they also need an outlet for recreation after school. I would love to see our recreation department add some new events that the youth would be able to enjoy. The same way our seniors have somewhere to go. Our parks need a lot of improvement. We have parks with either broken or no equipment for the families to enjoy. Unfortunately, this drives out the families and brings in the drug dealers. We need to give our parks back to our families. At one time, we had a grant to open a bike path that was never used because of political reasons and leadership failures. The only ones who lost out were the families of South River,” Kenny said.
If elected, Kenny said she also hopes to use South River’s waterfront for new activities, improve and innovate transportation, and beautify downtown for increased business.
“Our waterfront is beautiful. I would love to see it utilized. In the warm weather, it would be great to have pop-up restaurants and, in the winter, have some form of winter festival. I would love to look into using it for transportation. A lot of people in town commute. I think it would be great to be able to offer this mode of transportation.
“We need to beautify and unify our downtown to make it welcoming so that we can attract people from out of town to come to visit our shops and restaurants. We need to work on filling our empty storefronts and making downtown more business-friendly and more welcoming so that people will want to open new businesses in town. These are some of my visions for South River,” Kenny said.
Jason Oliveira (R) is a lifelong resident of South River. He is the director of the Educational Opportunity Fund Program at Seton Hall University.
He is actively involved in the community and holds membership in the following clubs and organizations: the South River Portuguese Club, the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, the Northeast Association of Advisors for the Health Professions, and the Educational Opportunity Fund Professional Association of New Jersey.
He also serves as the divisional vice president for the Garden State Soccer League and is a parishioner at St. Mary of Ostrabama in South River.
In July, Oliveira was sworn into public office to fill a vacancy on the Borough Council.
He cites the replacement of a problematic water well as one of his major accomplishments during his brief time in office.
“In the short time that I have been on council, I would say that one of my proudest accomplishments have been the replacement of well No. 2. South River has struggled with water discoloration for years and this is a step in the right direction to mitigate the issues,” Oliveira said.
If re-elected, he plans on giving back to South River by providing clarity for residents who are frustrated by the lack of government transparency.
“I have decided to run for a seat on the Borough Council because I believe in giving back to the community that has provided so much for me and my family. Over the course of the last 5 years, I have volunteered at numerous events around town, and I have spoken to frustrated residents over the lack of transparency that we as residents have encountered.
“If elected to council, I look forward to working with all council members to learn about the issues plaguing our borough and implement a plan to change. Zig Ziglar states, ‘If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.’ I look forward to learning more about the policies, procedures, and the issues plaguing our town to become an agent of change for our borough residents,” Oliveira said.
Oliveira is also aiming to modernize South River by improving on outdated systems and by increasing funding to update the borough’s infrastructure and parks.
“As a borough resident, I have struggled with the lack of innovation that I see in our town. If elected to council, I would like to modernize our borough systems which include, but are not limited to, the following: online payment systems, our permitting process, and the registration process for our recreation department. The current system is not user-friendly, and I believe that we have an obligation to help our residents and make their life as easy as possible,” Oliveira said.
“I would like for South River to look at the possibility of hiring a grant writer. In speaking with officials from other towns and boroughs, they have successfully petitioned the state and the federal government to obtain grants to improve their town/borough. Depending on the grant received, we would be able to continue to improve our parks, build on our current infrastructure, and bring exciting new ideas to our borough. … I would like to ensure that we continue to work on promoting business growth within the borough. Over the next year or so, South River is getting ready to embark on major projects that will benefit the borough,” Oliveira said.
David Pizzuto (D) has lived in South River for 8 years.
He is currently the director of Communications and Marketing at the College of Staten Island. Prior to that, he served as the associate director of Athletics at CSI for 15 years. He also teaches Sports Management in the School of Business as an adjunct professor.
He has a Bachelor of Science in Communications/Media Studies and has a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies.
Having never run for public office, Pizzuto is a newcomer to South River’s political scene. His political origins began after he volunteered for Andrew Yang’s presidential campaign. Shortly after, he became a member of Humanity Forward, a nonprofit organization created by Yang.
According to Pizzuto, South River would benefit from a people-oriented approach that focuses on “solution-based thinking.”
“I got more involved in seeking political office after volunteering for Andrew Yang’s presidential campaign. When he suspended his campaign he started Humanity Forward, I became an original member. Humanity Forward is all about putting the needs of people first, tackling issues in real time with solution-based thinking and practical applications to help better the lives of our community. I’m running because I feel my skill set can really benefit our borough,” he said.
Pizzuto, who volunteers frequently and participates in community-based projects, believes that South River faces several dilemmas that require immediate action.
“We have a series of issues in the borough that need attention: antiquated infrastructure and vacant properties, parks in disrepair, poor community engagement and recreational services, neglect, and litter, speeding on our roads, all in concert with rising taxes and utility costs,” Pizzuto said.
“The No. 1 concern of our residents are the rising property taxes and even more so, the rising costs of our utilities. These cannot be used as crutches for failed budgeting and wasteful spending. Our residents have seen these rates rise dramatically with very little to no development to show for it,” he said.
If elected, Pizzuto hopes to improve South River’s ability to communicate with residents, especially with non-English speakers, to make South River more accessible for everyone. Furthermore, he also plans on improving activity and accessibility in community spaces and programs.
“Our communications efforts in South River are underdeveloped and underperforming. We need a better-functioning website that is managed by people within the borough and kept current – cosmetic improvements only go so far. We need new ways to inform and interact with residents that goes beyond simple email alerts and Facebook. … Our citizens need to be better informed on government issues and ordinances and it starts by bringing the borough to the people, not the other way around. We need to make our borough better accessible to our residents, including our non-English speaking community and those who need in-person touch points, while modernizing our digital interface and online capabilities,” Pizzuto said.
“As a former athletics administrator, sports and recreational programming, and the facilities in which they are performed, are paramount to me. Our parks and community gathering spaces are the front porch to our borough and right now our parks need major attention. We cannot sit behind the COVID excuse for the years of neglect some of them have seen. … We need something for everyone, and we need year-round programming that is well thought-out, marketed, and targeted for our residents, and provides them with ease of access,” he said.