COURTESY OF CAMILLE CLARK

Three Republicans seek party nomination East Brunswick

EAST BRUNSWICK – Three Republicans are seeking their party’s nomination for the East Brunswick Township Council ballot in the November general election.

The candidates are Camille Ferraro Clark, Curt Philipczak and Thomas Szaro. Clark is a current councilwoman. Philipczak is a former East Brunswick Board of Education member, and Szaro is a member of the East Brunswick Economic Development Advisory Committee.

The four-year terms of Clark, Councilman James Wendell and Councilman Michael Hughes are up for election.

Clark, 69, is retired. She has been a resident since 1984. Clark is in her ninth year as a council member.

“I decided to run for re-election because I am concerned that some segments of the township population would not be adequately represented if I did not run. I take a very conservative view on spending money and try to ensure that each tax dollar is stretched to the limits of its useful life,” she said.

Clark mentioned shared services relative to the East Brunswick School District. By allowing the school district to use the township’s credit rating to borrow money, the council is lessening the impact of the costs borne by taxpayers, and in effect, the council is helping to keep school taxes down, she said.

If re-elected, Clark said the issues she wants to continue to tackle include East Brunswick’s redevelopment plans, fiscal responsibility, continuing to improve the town’s infrastructure and continued support for the library.

“I have helped rein in spending. For example, using brine to pretreat roads for anticipated snowfall greatly reduces the amount of snow that has to be removed and in some instances, removes that necessity altogether,” she said. “I had proposed that treatment, offered research and facts on it and supported the purchase of the equipment needed to make the brine, which we sell to other municipalities and thus reduce our costs.

“Another modest accomplishment was to ensure the municipal administration staircase was finally replaced, making it possible to effect a safe screening process for entering and exiting the court. I also ensured the project did not cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, as first proposed,” the councilwoman said.

According to Clark, she has served on the Commuter Parking Advisory Board, the Parks and Recreation Board, the Cable Television Advisory Board and the Planning Board. She currently serves on the Water and Sewer Advisory Board and on the Cable and Communications Board.

Philipczak, 55, has been a resident for 17 years. He served on the East Brunswick Board of Education from 2010-16.

“While on the board, I saw the interaction with the different departments of our township’s local government with the board,” Philipczak said. “I saw the importance of when all areas of our community support each other and work together for the safety and benefit of us all. This encouraged me to now contribute my time and talent to be a candidate for Township Council.”

Philipczak, a certified public accountant, said if he is elected to council the two main issues he wants to tackle are quality of life and the municipal budget.

“I believe we can all agree with those issues. The next step is what direction do the elected township council members take to improve those issues?” he said. “I believe I work well with people in budget and financial matters. The budget does govern what the council can provide to our community. I believe it’s important to always be respectful to the taxpayers. I have worked on and found budget and financial solutions for a number of organizations. I would now like to be able to do this as a member of the council.”

Philipczak is president of the Windsong Home Owners Association. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Boy Scouts of America and the Knights of Columbus.

Szaro, 52, has been a resident for 18 years.

“I am very involved in the East Brunswick community and believe this (run for council) to be the next logical step in my community service. I am always looking to give back and I believe there is a place for my ideas on the governing body,” Szaro said. “There are a lot of things East Brunswick does well, but there are many areas we need to improve upon. We need to address property taxes first and foremost. We cannot become unaffordable for seniors and young people starting families.”
Currently a product development engineer, Szaro said some issues he wants to tackle if he is elected to the council include taxes, redevelopment, fiscal responsibility/cost controls, infrastructure, traffic and congestion, quality of life and school safety.
Szaro is a member of the East Brunswick Economic Development Advisory Committee, the East Brunswick Beautification Committee, the East Brunswick Municipal Alliance for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, the East Brunswick Republican Club and the East Brunswick Republican Committee. He is a block captain for the East Brunswick Presidents Streets Neighborhood Watch.
“As part of a structured neighborhood watch, we have a coordinator and several block captains. I am a block captain in this group, since it officially launched in 2014. We are very active in our community, addressing everything from proactive crime prevention initiatives, traffic and safety initiatives, neighborhood cleanup initiatives, etc.,” Szaro said.
Szaro said he is also involved with the Shop East Brunswick program.
“Shop East Brunswick was/is a program that required … a group of citizens that works with the township to lobby local businesses to participate in the program, Shop Local. It’s a tax rebate incentive program that encourages residents to shop in East Brunswick, keep dollars in local businesses, and offers potential tax rebates for East Brunswick residents who shop at East Brunswick businesses,” he said. “I drive around still with literature and engage businesses to participate. These programs take years to mature.”
Three Democrats are seeking their party’s nomination to run for the two council seats in November. The candidates are James Wendell, Kevin McEvoy and Sharon Sullivan. The Democrats are featured in a separate profile.
Contact Vashti Harris at [email protected].