WEST MILFORD — On June 4, Republicans in West Milford will choose their candidates for the November election. Locally, four Republicans are running for the nomination for town council. Incumbent Lou Signorino is running with newcomer Michele Dale on the Responsible Republican Line. The Regular Republicans have nominated two newcomers, Dan Poeschl and John Struble.
We asked each of the primary candidates two questions to help our readers decide who will best represent them in November against the Democratic candidates, James Foody and Dave Ofshinsky.
Below are photos, information and the answers to the questions from each candidate.
Michele Dale
Age: 41
Years living in West Milford: 38 years
Education: West Milford High School/ Passaic County Community College
Occupation: Vice President – Senior Account Manager TD Bank NA
Family information: Married, no children
Volunteer activities: President/Treasurer – 6 years of the Upper Greenwood Lake Ambulance Corps, 2007 CEO Leadership award recipient TD Bank NA, Autumn Lights Festival, Air Show, Thunder in the Highlands, West Milford Beautification Day, various Fund Drives
The Library Board is moving forward with building a new library on property it purchased that abuts the municipal complex. The board has offered to build a third floor for use by the township, making available ADA compliant space. Do you think the township should go in on this project with the library? Why or why not?
My first thought about the library regards the voice of the community. This has been voted down two separate times on referendums. I have to question why we would move forward with the library when it has not been supported by the majority of the residents of West Milford? Will the offer of a third floor dedication to the township sway the voters to support the new library? It is my understanding that the library has approximately $2.5 million in an account. The new library is said to cost significantly higher, which poses the question, will the additional cost be passed down to the taxpayers? To make a better educated decision, I would need to have more in depth information and comprehensive cost analysis of the forward plan regarding the future costs of the new library, but I do think that this matter should be put to the voters again to decide. At a recent council meeting, the question was asked to the township attorney to validate whether the new library is a state mandate or a recommendation. To date, an answer has not been given to that question. If this is a state mandate, then this discussion is mute. If this is a state recommendation, then we really need to dig deeper into the cost to the taxpayers to see if this is a fiscally responsible expenditure.
What do you believe is the most important issue facing the township council at this time? How would you handle it?
From the perspective of the taxpayers, I believe the most important issue facing the township council is the overall amount of funds we are taxed to live within our community. We have to look at what we can do to create efficiencies on a go forward basis. We are saddled with expenses from past contractual obligations put into place which cannot be changed, so we have to strategize a long-term plan that brings much needed revenue to the township and potential relief to the taxpayers. As a taxpayer myself, I believe this should be a multi-faceted approach which will encompass the thoughts and ideas of my constituents. This approach needs to be looked at with an open minded and balanced mind-set to develop a comprehensive and cost effective plan, while preserving and protecting our taxpayer dollar. There are only so many dollars to fund the municipal budget, which means we need to empower the departments to provide the best services they can to the residents of West Milford while keeping the best interest of the taxpayers in the forefront. There are many different avenues we can take to achieve this goal, one of which is to decrease expenditures where they are not needed to be able to increase and facilitate funds where they will be more beneficial to the residents. With my extensive budgeting experience, I feel I am more than qualified to bring the best financial practices to fruition and cooperate to get results while working in unison with my running mate, the council and the township administration.
Daniel J. Poeschl
Age: 23
Years living in West Milford: 10
Education: Ramapo College of New Jersey: BA Communications
Occupation: Owner, Up the Mountain Productions- an internet video and photo marketing company
Family information: Single. Parents, sister, and grandfather also live in West Milford
Volunteer activities: NJ HEAT Non-Profit, Presbyterian Church Coat Drive, American Legion Jersey Boys State Counselor for five years.
The Library Board is moving forward with building a new library on property it purchased that abuts the municipal complex. The board has offered to build a third floor for use by the township, making available ADA compliant space. Do you think the township should go in on this project with the library? Why or why not?
My primary concern with the library is the cost to the taxpayers. Right now is not the time to be investing millions of dollars on a new building when some residents can’t afford the taxes we have now.
The library issue should be decided by referendum. Let the residents decide if they want to invest on this project. We need to make sure that the residents are educated about the monumental cost of building a new, complete, three-story building. Right now it’s just the Library Board making these decisions, and I believe it is the public’s right to have a say on how their tax dollars are spent.
These are times that call for us to be more creative with how we choose to spend our money. The town owns many properties, for example, the Hillcrest Property, the Johner Building, and the Wallisch Estate, all of which are under-utilized or in disrepair. Instead of spending millions of dollars on a new building, why not consider upgrading one that we already own. The savings can than be passed back to the taxpayers in the form of property tax relief.
What do you believe is the most important issue facing the township council at this time? How would you handle it?
We need to make sure that our town remains an affordable and desirable place in which to reside. I see friends and family work 12-hour days, only to come home and see more and more of their hard-earned money being squandered on frivolous decisions by politicians.
John Struble and I are not politicians; we are just two guys from West Milford who want to see a change. All West Milford residents share a vested interest in making West Milford a desirable and an affordable place to live. As a councilman, I will be a voice for the residents. I will continue to support efforts down in Trenton to obtain our fair share of tax relief, as well as opposing strangling, unfunded mandates.
We must be conscious of the bottom line, spend wisely and efficiently utilize existing resources. Our town council, school board, and county must come together with the mutual goal of delivering a zero tax increase year over year, and until our politicians approach their spending with this mind-set, our taxes will continue to grow out of control. Stopping this runaway spending will be my primary goal as your councilman.
Lou Signorino
Age: 37
Years living in West Milford: 11
Education: Attended Bergen County Community College, Morris County Community College, and West Virginia University
Occupation: Owner/Operator Signorino Construction
Family information: Married to Melissa, father to three wonderful boys: Salvatore, Joseph, and Luciano.
Volunteer activities: Autumn Lights Festival, Thunder in the Highlands, Beautification Day, Relay for Life, West Milford Museum, West Milford Tennis Tournament, along with my volunteer duties as a councilman.
The Library Board is moving forward with building a new library on property it purchased that abuts the municipal complex. The board has offered to build a third floor for use by the township, making available ADA compliant space. Do you think the township should go in on this project with the library? Why or why not?
Before the council can decide whether it is in the public interest to support or reject adding a third level to the new library, we need to receive the final answers to various questions that have been raised. How much will it cost and where will the money come from? Would the township be forced to borrow money, and if so, how much?
Who would own the building: the Library Board, the township, or some joint entity? Who will insure the facility? Would the township be expected to pay rent to the Library Board, or vice versa, in an arrangement such as the one presently affecting the Hillcrest building?
Which departments would move into the new building? As a former council liaison to the Facilities Assessment Committee, my experience leads me to believe that the township owns too many buildings already, many of which are underutilized and/or in need of repair. What will become of these buildings if the council were to move departments into the new library building? Will this lead to an efficient consolidation or just create more wasteful sprawl?
Recently, in an attempt to answer some of these questions, the council agreed to authorize the Administration to analyze the full catalog of township buildings, their present utilization, a list of what departments are not in full compliance with ADA requirements, as well as what opportunities presently exist to help us achieve compliance. I believe it is my duty as a councilman to wait for the results of that analysis in order to make a more fully informed decision on whether a joint venture with the Library Board is in the best interest of West Milford’s residents.
What do you believe is the most important issue facing the township council at this time? How would you handle it?
I believe that careful management of our municipal spending is the most pressing issue facing our town today, due it its impact on our property taxes. The volatility of tax increases in the past was one of the main reasons I decided to seek office originally. I am proud of the work this council has done in recent years, and most particularly this year, to stabilize taxes even through a bleak budgetary environment.
I have always maintained close scrutiny and sought a full accounting of all township spending requests. In my time on council, I have played a key role in screening and selecting the attorney which finally brought to conclusion many of the open litigations which had been draining our resources.
This year, due in large part to the hard work and dedication of my fellow council members and the administration, I presided over a budget that held the line on spending increases, keeping this year’s taxes on the average West Milford home within $20 of last year’s. While serious progress has been made, we all know much work remains to be done.
My current efforts to directly reduce spending focus on the newly formed subcommittee between the board of education and the town council which I serve on with Councilman Rosone. All parties have an amazing desire to make this subcommittee work for the people of West Milford, and through the exchange of thoughts and ideas, I believe we will be able to identify overlapping costs between the two bodies which can be reduced through the use of shared services or joint contracts. If elected to a second term, I hope to develop this into an opportunity to cut real dollars from the budget, without affecting the public safety or quality of life enjoyed by West Milford’s residents.
John Struble
Age: 49
Years living in West Milford: 26
Occupation: President/CEO of Construction Company
Family information: Married 26 years. Wife, Sandra Struble and two children.
Volunteer activities: Passaic County Special Olympics, West Milford softball, various construction related activities throughout New Jersey, especially Passaic County.
The Library Board is moving forward with building a new library on property it purchased that abuts the municipal complex. The board has offered to build a third floor for use by the township, making available ADA compliant space. Do you think the township should go in on this project with the library? Why or why not?
The money we have set aside for the library can be used more effectively than it is planned right now. We should make use of the structures that the township already owns. The Hillcrest building is in disrepair, and is in dire need of renovation. Wouldn’t it be a better idea to revitalize this building for a new library? Move the library to Hillcrest and create a combined community center and library, leaving the old library building for the township to solve our ADA problems. We can still create better services for the town without spending millions of dollars on a new building.
As someone who works in construction, specializing in managing multi-million dollar projects under budget and on-time, I want to apply my experience to this project. I want to make sure that the residents aren’t stuck with a bill they can’t afford, and that we are making the most efficient use of our space.
What do you believe is the most important issue facing the township council at this time? How would you handle it?
A major problem that plagues our town is the absences of vital rateables that contributes to our tax problem. As a business owner, I feel the pain that our local businesses are experiencing in this economy. Now add onto that a larger tax burden with the recent reevaluation, and I’m surprised that they can even keep their doors open.
Driving through town, I see so many empty buildings and so many homes for sale or in foreclosure. Our town is on a slippery path down a wrong road. We need to revitalize the town, make it a more attractive place to live and to visit. We have such attractive locations in West Milford. Why does North Jersey have to trek down the shore each weekend? Why can’t they spend the day on Greenwood Lake and the evening at some of our restaurants?
I plan to govern like I run my business. I want to revitalize the town, make it attractive for outsiders to come in. I want to encourage entrepreneurs to invest in our town.
Our residents need advocates, not politicians with personal agendas. I will advocate for the residents and make decisions that focus on the bottom line. If we can succeed in making this town more attractive and combine that with being more efficient with our municipal services, we can get back on the right road to a more affordable West Milford.