The six candidates running for three at-large seats on the Old Bridge Township Council differ on some things but expressed one common goal – preserving open space.
Democratic incumbents Pat Gillespie and Ed Testino are seeking new four-year terms, joined by newcomer Joe Pruiti. Republicans Brian Cahill, Solon Fotis and Owen Henry, meanwhile, are hoping to bring change to the governing body.
Gillespie, currently the council president, said fighting overdevelopment and preserving open space remains one of his top priorities.
“I think we’ve got a good, solid record of accomplishments,” Gillespie said of himself, Testino and Mayor Jim Phillips, who is also running for re-election. He cited the 417 acres of open space, 74 acres of farmland and 84 acres of woodlands that have been preserved over the past four years.
Pruiti agreed that the current administration has done a good job in controlling development.
“We know we can’t stop [development] altogether, but the record has been very good over the past three and a half years,” Pruiti said.
Henry, a seven-year member of the Planning Board, said the board has not been getting the tools necessary to curb overdevelopment. He said an amended master plan with consistent zoning would help solve the problem.
“I don’t think you can stop development, but you can control it in a way … that benefits the town,” Henry said. “The interests of the residents weren’t first and foremost in their decision-making.”
Cahill agreed that there is a need to have a master plan that preserves more of the town’s open space.
“The current administration is selling township property to balance the budget,” Cahill said. “Crossroads [redevelopment property] is a great example of that. There’s no real reason to build there. There’s plenty of land in town that is zoned for commercial.”
Both Gillespie and Testino disagreed, pointing out that the 500-acre Crossroads tract near Routes 9 and 18 was purchased expressly for economic development that would provide tax ratables for the town.
Testino pointed out that former Mayor Barbara Cannon and the then-Republican administration made the decision to use the tract to bring tax relief for residents when the town bought the land in 1997.
“Nothing has changed there except for administrations,” Testino said. “Everybody agreed. Now that administrations have changed, [Republican mayoral candidate and Councilman] Rich Greene has changed positions.”
Greene has vocally opposed bringing development to the Crossroads tract, instead suggesting that the administration change course and preserve the land as open space. He also has taken a stand against both the county nursing facility proposed there and the corporate campus that would be home to data storage facilities.
Fotis, a staff sergeant with the Army National Guard, took a similar stance.
“There’s plenty of locations in town that are already zoned for commercial use,” Fotis said. “Let’s keep it open space. The question is, how is the town going to benefit from whatever they do there?”
Gillespie said bringing tax ratables to the site would benefit residents of Old Bridge by helping to lower taxes, which has been the goal of the township in purchasing the land.
“We’ve got to try to do what we can to relieve that burden,” Gillespie said.
Gillespie is on the township’s economic development committee but, according to Cahill, has not done enough to bring commercial ratables to the town. Cahill said the committee does not hold meetings, which is something he would change if elected.
“We don’t have a good process to attract businesses,” Cahill said.
According to Testino, the data center in particular would not only bring tax relief, but also provide services such as public sewer and water lines to residents near the project. Though some neighbors of Crossroads have asked for those utilities for some time, the town could not afford to provide them.
Addressing Greene’s concerns about potential terrorism at the site because of sensitive and valuable information being stored there, Testino said a law borne of the 9/11 tragedy makes such facilities necessary in order to avoid possible attacks.
“This federal law was specifically designed to make sure terrorists don’t strike out and attack these centers,” Testino said. “I guess if you want to sell fear, you can sell fear.”
Still, Testino said he has yet to make a decision on whether he will support the data storage facilities being brought to the site.
“Everybody agrees on one thing – that we shouldn’t put four-bedroom homes there,” Testino said.
The three Democratic candidates, who along with Phillips have dubbed themselves Team Old Bridge, hold their record of having granted approval to 86 homes over four years as a point of pride.
Still, Fotis said the town has more residents than it can handle.
“I think Old Bridge is pretty much at capacity right now,” Fotis said. “It’s just way too congested. It feels like you’re in a big city when you drive down [Route] 516.”
Pruiti, who has served as president of the Old Bridge Basketball Association for eight years, said the work being done to improve parks and other recreational facilities in town helps to preserve the quality of life for residents.
“I feel very strongly about recreation,” Pruiti said.
If elected, he said he would continue the work being done to provide more recreational opportunities for residents by improving parks and facilities.
Testino agreed, citing the YMCA being built in Mannino Park as a boon for township residents. In his efforts to provide further recreational amenities, he said he would like to see linear pathways connected throughout the town to create trails for passive recreation.
“The acquisition of Cottrell Farm is another major priority for me,” Testino said. The township is currently negotiating with the developer that owns the historic farm to purchase the tract and preserve it as open space.
Another concern on the minds of many voters is taxes.
According to Henry, the township’s government is not being frugal enough in terms of spending.
“I think there’s a lot of waste going on,” Henry said.
One particular area where an improvement could be made is that of energy conservation, Henry said. Though the town uses some fuel-efficient cars, Henry said it should be taken a step further to encompass things like solar panels on the roofs of municipal buildings.
“I think the town is due for a complete energy audit,” Henry said.
With a Master of Business Administration degree and a career that has him dealing with budgetary concerns, Pruiti said his experience would be an asset in the effort to reduce taxes.
“I think I would come in pretty handy during the budget process,” Pruiti said. “If we can maintain the track record, I think, the better off we are.”
Fotis said he sees the administration’s record as more of a liability than an asset.
“I think that the tax bracket is very high, and it keeps going up,” Fotis said. “We need to examine where the money is being spent.”
Gillespie refuted Fotis’ claim, saying that even while hiring 23 new police officers, the township has fewer employees than it did four years ago because of phasing out jobs through attrition.
“We run a tight ship,” Gillespie said.
According to Gillespie, a yearly audit tells the administration that less than 3 percent of the municipal budget comes from operations.
Despite what Gillespie said, Cahill said that Phillips has created patronage jobs that are sapping taxpayer dollars.
While Testino agreed that taxes must be stabilized, he said public safety is also paramount, and he wants to ensure enough police and emergency services are available to address the needs of a growing population.
“I see the councilman’s job as delivering services, and we’re going to continue to do that,” Testino said. “We have to listen to the people.”