WEST ORANGE, NJ — The six candidates running for the three open seats on the Township Council each spoke about the importance of attracting businesses to West Orange during the Pleasant Valley Way Civic Association’s Oct. 19 forum at the Wilshire Grand Hotel, though each had different ideas about doing so.
Incumbents Jerry Guarino and Michelle Casalino both touted previous strides they had made toward benefiting the township’s commercial district and outlined their plans for furthering that mission. But fellow incumbent Joe Krakoviak and challengers Susan Scarpa, Monica Perkowski and Akil Khalfani pushed for bigger changes in the way West Orange plans for its future.
While serving as the council’s liaison to the Downtown West Orange Alliance, Guarino said he has helped bring together real estate agents and businesspeople to use their expertise to help the downtown area. And he said the ongoing Edison Village project is generating interest in the downtown as a viable place to set up shop. Now, he said it is just a matter of staying the course.
“We have the people, we have the synergy, we know what the outside world wants,” Guarino said during the debate, which was moderated by the League of Women Voters. “All we need to do is be positive.”
Casalino’s answer to the question of attracting businesses was “promotion, promotion, promotion.” And she has done just that during her time on the council, she said, pointing out that she helped organize the open house for commercial Realtors and investors hosted by the Downtown Alliance and West Orange Public Relations Commission. She has also attended numerous seminars to garner new businesses and her real estate and marketing background has given her the experience and contacts necessary to effectively continue that pursuit, she said. Additionally, she is in favor of having part-time acting planner Paul Grygiel work more for the township.
Krakoviak, on the other hand, stressed that the town needs a full-time planner with business-development experience. A community as large as West Orange needs someone focusing exclusively on its needs, he said, adding that it is noticeable the township does not have one. Additionally, the incumbent said the town’s zoning, planning and building processes have to be streamlined since he often hears that West Orange is a difficult place to do business. He also said the township should change its outlook on planning.
“We have got to get away from this focus on residential housing,” Krakoviak said. “I love young families. They provide a great vitality to our community. But our schools are full. And we need to start focusing on commercial development — people come in, spend their money and go home somewhere else.”
Scarpa agreed that West Orange needs a full-time planner since it is so geographically diverse while also possessing many positive attributes, such as the Edison development. Having a devoted planner who understands business development could really help, she said.
Perkowski, too, felt that West Orange is in need of a full-time planner since she knows the job is a big undertaking for such a large township. The candidate said she also wants to increase the frequency of real estate promotional efforts while expanding the town’s marketing outreach — something she would be comfortable doing, as a marketer by trade. And Perkowski said she is in favor of developing better relationships with property owners, working with them to find desired businesses to occupy their buildings.
Khalfani also wants a full-time planner, but said West Orange really needs a townwide plan of action, with a definitive direction for improving all sections of the community, not only focusing on the downtown area. Aside from that, he said the council needs new people filling its seats who can bring fresh ideas and “positive change.”
Attracting new businesses was not the only economic issue discussed during the forum. The candidates were also asked what they would do to address the township’s debt. And Krakoviak, who has long criticized the council majority for what he believes is overspending, had a lot to say.
The incumbent first lamented that the township’s 2016 annual debt service is almost $7.2 million — which he said is 45 percent more than when Mayor Robert Parisi came into office — and the debt is up to $78.3 million. West Orange cannot afford that, Krakoviak said, and the only way to prevent the debt from increasing further is to spend more carefully. He said that means the council can no longer be quick to issue bonds or purchase “nice-to-haves.” Instead, he said, it must only buy the necessities.
Scarpa answered that she would not mind paying more in taxes if it meant getting quality services in return. But she does not believe residents are satisfied with what West Orange offers for what they pay. Therefore, she said the town’s $75 million budget likely includes a lot of wasteful spending. If elected, she said she would be in favor of trimming the “fat.”
Khalfani’s solution also involves cutting out budget excess. The candidate, however, said the council should especially look for alternative revenue sources so that it will have more financial options for lessening the debt.
“We could move the money in ways that we haven’t done in the past,” Khalfani said, saying that would include “new ways of spending money, new ways of looking at resources. We’d have a better way of addressing our debt service overall.”
Perkowski also said the township has to be “cautious” about its spending, but added that the bonds issued by the council were necessary. And she indicated that she would have no problem spending money to help residents.
“I don’t think that we should sacrifice what the town needs,” Perkowski said. “We’re already hearing complaints that things aren’t getting done, so I think stepping back in the other direction is not the right way to go for our community.”
Guarino similarly argued that the council cannot cut a lot from the budget and still produce the same level of services. The incumbent said spending needs to be controlled — and “creative” ways of financing can be looked into — but a municipality cannot be effective without parting with some of its funds. Otherwise the council would have to give up some of the township’s services, and he does not think anyone wants that.
Casalino stressed that the township’s debt situation is not as dire as some would argue. Plus, the incumbent said the township recently took advantage of low interest rates and refinanced its bonds. And she said the Gregory Elementary School traffic project the council bonded for costs taxpayers just $2 per year, a cost she thinks is worthwhile in order to keep students safe.
Eventually, the debate turned to what has become a hot-button issue this election season — the idea of having a senior citizen advisory board. After Krakoviak’s proposed ordinance for such a board was voted down by the council majority in a rare first-reading rejection, the candidates were asked how they felt about the concept.
Guarino said senior citizens are very important to him, which is why he felt uncomfortable placing their needs under the purview of an advisory board. The incumbent said the township provides many senior services to its residents, and the council always tries to accommodate requests. Moving forward, he said he looks forward to working with the town’s grant writer to find additional funding for even more senior services. Above all, he said he wants to look into better ways of communicating with West Orange’s senior citizens so they can be informed about everything available to them.
Casalino said she is also in favor of more effective communication with the township’s seniors, telling the audience that she wants to look into publishing a newsletter for their benefit. She said she has also done extensive research into “aging in place,” the concept of remaining in one’s home instead of moving into a care facility. In fact, she said she plans to work with the grant writer to pursue monies for a comprehensive aging in place study by Montclair State University.
“Aging in place (is) a great, great concept,” Casalino said, adding that she is “looking to move forward on that.”
But Krakoviak said he thinks a senior board will never be possible with the current council members in office. He said he only wanted to give senior citizens a voice through his ordinance, but the council majority did not even give it a chance for a second hearing, and that is a “crying shame,” he said.
The incumbent was not the only one in favor of a potential senior advisory board. Perkowski said she thought it was a good idea since it would give the township’s senior services division a team of volunteers to help with programs, conduct research and present priority concerns. Before such a body is formed though, she said the town should conduct a senior survey to learn which services are working for them and which are not. That way, she said the council would not have to rely on its own opinions or feedback from a few meeting attendees to decide what needs to be done.
Another candidate in favor of a senior board is Khalfani, who pointed out that other communities have similar committees for their senior populations. He said the seniors already know what they need, so they should have a means to give voice to their concerns. And the council should have been willing to provide them with one instead of waiting for the administration’s approval, he said.
Scarpa advocated for the necessity of a senior board as well, arguing that a town is measured partly on how it treats its elders. She said West Orange does not treat its senior citizens as well as it should, recalling the story of one resident who could not take all of her groceries home on the senior jitney due to its three-bag limit. Clearly, she said, local seniors need more than a newsletter.
“This is unconscionable,” Scarpa said. “These seniors have real needs, and they’re not being met.”
On Nov. 8, vote for three of these six candidates for the West Orange Township Council.
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