Krakoviak takes president’s seat on TC

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WEST ORANGE, NJ — Councilman Joe Krakoviak was unanimously elected council president during the Township Council’s Dec. 20 meeting.

This marks the first time Krakoviak has been appointed to the position since joining the council in 2010. During the previous few years, he had nominated himself for the job but either lost the vote or failed to get a second nomination. As a result, he became the longest-serving sitting council member never to have assumed the role of council president.

Krakoviak is thrilled to be ending that streak. Speaking to the West Orange Chronicle in a Dec. 22 phone interview, the newly elected council president said he appreciates his council colleagues’ consideration of him for the position. And he looks forward to meeting their expectations.

“I just want to work with the rest of the council and the administration and residents to make these council meetings as productive as possible,” Krakoviak said. “I just plan to use this as another way to serve the business of the people by making the council meetings and the agendas easy to understand and the meetings as fair and efficient and effective and civil as possible.”

The new council president is well aware of his reputation as the opposing voice on a number of issues, but promised that his opinions will have no bearing on his leadership. Krakoviak said he views the council president’s duties to oversee meetings and create agendas as separate from the councilperson’s responsibilities to do what is best for the township. And while he admitted that it is going to be difficult to ask as many questions as he usually does while also trying to run a meeting, he said he is determined to find the right balance.

Just as important to Krakoviak is making sure everyone’s voices — from council members’ opinions to residents’ criticisms — are heard. The best solutions arise from collectively vetting a group’s ideas and making compromises when necessary, he said. Thus, he said, he wants to give everyone the same respect.

“I think government works better when everyone is civil,” Krakoviak said. “Even when you are disagreeing and disagreeing vehemently, if you remain civil and keep in mind that everyone has a share in the process, it can contribute to a better solution.”

Victor Cirilo, the outgoing council president, said Krakoviak’s leadership beliefs are a key reason he voted for him. Cirilo said he questioned Krakoviak about his philosophy during a conference call with other council members and was impressed with his responses. In particular, he said he liked Krakoviak’s perspective on the importance of collaboration in government.

“We live in a democratic society where we have to respect each other’s opinions and perspectives,” Cirilo told the Chronicle in a Dec. 21 phone interview. “But we also have to have those bridges and that cohesive environment where whoever’s opinion has the necessary support moves forward. The democratic process allows for that to take place. And I think the councilman is open to helping us work under that process.”

Overall, Cirilo said he feels Krakoviak will make a “good steward” for the council next year.

Though he vowed to be fair as council president, Krakoviak said he will continue to advocate for what he believes is in West Orange’s best interests just as any other councilperson would. He said he will as always try to stop overspending so that more funding can go to important causes, such as the library. That means distinguishing the “must haves” from the “nice to haves,” he said.

Additionally, Krakoviak said making sure senior citizen needs are met remains a high priority for him. In 2017, he said he wants to look into expanding the township’s senior transportation program to cover out-of-town medical appointments, an idea he believes could be feasible with the council’s recent approval to purchase three new jitneys. He said he is interested in exploring more senior activities as well.

Then there is the Edison Village redevelopment — a project in which Krakoviak has long had an interest. Looking ahead to the negotiations for Phases 2 and 3 of the project, he said he will ask questions and solicit resident input throughout the process. He added that he will make sure commercial development is considered as a possibility. And before he supports any payment in lieu of taxes program or tax abatement, Krakoviak said he will look at whether it is necessary, how large it needs to be and what benefits the township would receive from it.

Above all, Krakoviak said he will make sure no one is left in the dark.

“I would just like to do what I can to keep residents and the council informed about how that is moving forward,” Krakoviak said. “The process is one that just benefits from maximum transparency so that everybody knows what we’re getting into and can provide their input.”

For now, Krakoviak said he wants to thank those residents who, through the years, have called on the council to appoint him as the council president. That vocal group made their feelings known again this year at the council meetings leading up to the vote, insisting that Krakoviak not only is worthy of the role, but that those residents who elected him deserved to see him lead.

Rosary Morelli, one of Krakoviak’s biggest advocates, told the Chronicle she was shocked but pleased when he was unanimously chosen as the next council president. In fact, Morelli said she cannot understand why he was not picked sooner. She said his willingness to treat government like a business — providing the best possible services for the lowest possible costs — is exactly how every council member should operate.

And while Morelli acknowledged that Krakoviak is often the outlier in the council’s customary 4-1 votes, she said she hopes his time as council president will inspire the majority to start seeing things his way. She said his investigative research into subjects affecting the town makes him highly knowledgeable, so his colleagues should start listening to him.

“Having this 4-1 all the time isn’t right,” Morelli said in a Dec. 22 phone interview. “I’m hoping that with his leadership skills he can encourage them to buy into some of the things that he’s looking to innovate and implement.”

As Krakoviak embarks on his first year as council president, Cirilo said he is proud to have served in the role during a year that saw Edison Village construction finally begin. He said he was also happy to craft a fair and responsible budget that allowed the township to continue providing quality services to residents. Though the library did not receive as much funding as many would have liked, the outgoing council president said the issuance of $617,500 in bonds to fund some of its capital improvements projects showed the council does support the institution even when it could not afford to give it extra budgetary monies.

In this coming year, Cirilo said, he looks forward to seeing what effect the new Central Avenue Redevelopment Area has on the township’s Valley corridor — especially if NJ Transit invests in the Highland Avenue Train Station. He said he also wants the council to produce yet another fiscally responsible budget while supporting effective community groups such as the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Board.

In addition, Cirilo said he is eager to see the Main Street area continue to transform into a vibrant commercial district. And with the work of the Downtown West Orange Alliance, he is confident that will happen.

“They have brought a certain level of energy, which I believe everyone is taking on,” Cirilo said of the alliance. “That energy, coupled with the redevelopment project, is going to help us bring the much needed commercial traffic to the downtown area that we envisioned.”

Photos by Sean Quinn