GLEN RIDGE, NJ — Glen Ridge voters will be heard on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, with three candidates contesting two, three-year council seats. In recent interviews with The Glen Ridge Paper, challenger Richard Law and incumbents Peter Hughes and David Lefkovits spoke out. Law and Hughes have been endorsed by the Glen Ridge Civic Conference while Lefkovits is running as an independent.
Law is committed to Glen Ridge, his hometown for the last 15 years, and has become more active in the community now that his children are older.
“I’ve always had an interest in this type of position, but not the time,” he said. “The council is very businesslike and it’s what I’m looking for.”
Law said he considers himself a “workaholic,” and would commit as much time as necessary to the council. He is concerned with traffic around the train station, and said expanding the Jitney service may provide relief.
“People are doing everything to avoid the intersection of Bloomfield and Ridgewood avenues,” he said. “I would relook at how we take kids to school and go to the station.”
Sustainability is an important issue to him.
“We need to consider facilities, recycling, everything,” he said. “In recycling, there are not a lot of items included in single stream. I’d like to see if there are ways to expand that.”
The playing fields, he said, are substandard compared to other fields in the area and Law said he would look at options for Hurrell Field, its track and bleachers.
“Our fields are overused,” he said. “Watsessing Park provides some relief, but I don’t think people are too happy.”
Property taxes are an issue, but Law said two-thirds goes to education and it is not easy to cut taxes in a small town with a good school system.
According to Hughes, local developments are impacting the borough and will “impact our traffic, our infrastructure, even PSE&G. There will be a demand for power.” He said PSE&G wants to put power lines along the streets.
“We’ve worked well with PSE&G to not fight them on that,” he said. “But I’m concerned about it. On top of that, we have an aging infrastructure. We’re spending a lot of money on water lines.”
Regarding the traffic at the intersection at Bloomfield and Ridgewood avenues, a pedestrian bridge would be impossibly expensive, he said, but left-hand turn lanes might help.
Hughes thinks the council has done a good job with budgets, saying, “The median home is about $500,000. Over the last 10 years, there’s been an increase of $60 on the municipal portion. Residents are pretty happy with the level of service from the town.”
He believes he brings “something unique” to the council and is easily available since he runs a business in Bloomfield.
“What I bring that’s unique is a business background and institutional experience,” he said.
With the anticipated retirement of Borough Administrator Michael Rohal, Hughes said he will be an asset to the borough as Deputy Borough Administrator Michael Zichelli transitions into the job.
“I also have a lot of contacts, both locally and in the state,” Hughes said. “I think those contacts are valuable to the town.”
Lefkovits, who is running for a fourth term, said serving on the council is an opportunity for meaningful public service and giving back.
“My wife and I came here 30 years ago,” he said. “We’re rooted in the town.”
Glen Ridge is doing more with sustainable energy and fundamental environmental concerns, and Lefkovits said he wants to continue working on these issues. He also pointed to Borough Administrator Michael Rohal’s anticipated departure as a reason for residents to vote for him, saying, “I think continuity and institutional knowledge is important at a time like this.”
Although not an immediate issue, Lefkovits said an adequate supply of pure, affordable water is “a critical issue throughout the world” and concerns him.
“We have to keep our eye on it,” he stated.
He said it’s impossible to make a left-hand turn at Bloomfield and Ridgewood avenues and about a month ago suggested to the council that left-turn signals should be installed.
Borough athletic fields are also an issue and after a recent rain storm, Lefkovits said he observed water draining off the inundated, natural grass surface of Carteret Field.
“We need to consider artificial turf on Carteret,” he said. “Turfing Hurrell and Carteret seem like obvious solutions, but pushback and concerns have to be addressed. We’d be better off with Carteret turfed. I don’t think a big capital outlay for turfing Hurrell for just football is workable.”
Although previously endorsed by the Civic Conference Committee for three consecutive, successful elections, Lefkovits had not been endorsed for this election.
“I don’t know why,” he said. “There has been discussion about term limits, but that argument is weakened when volunteers are doing the work.”
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