Waldwick October 31, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 3 Two full slates are vying for the three available seats on the Waldwick Borough Council. Republican incumbent Charles Farricker and newcomer Anthony Celeste are running for three-year terms. Councilman Greg Bjork, appointed to the council in January to replace Thomas Giordano when he became mayor, is running for the one-year left on Giordano’s term. Councilwoman Anita Bozzo did not seek reelection. They are being challenged by Democrats Richard Drury and Andrew Frey, seeking the two three-year terms, and Allison Welker, running for the mayor’s unexpired term. The Democrats submitted the following joint statement on their candidacy: “We are running for the Waldwick Town Council to make a real difference in the lives of every resident. Many aren’t aware of the issues which plague this town and which will affect them at some point, whether it is very soon or into the future. “There is no single important issue facing Waldwick residents; there are many. The biggest is Waldwick’s debt, which has exceeded $9 million due to a habit of bonding current expenses for taxpayers to pay later in the future. Our neighboring community, Midland Park, does not practice this fiscal obscurity. Like them, we propose to end the mentality of charge now and pay later through better financial forecasting and planning. “When elected we will provide strong, independent leadership for all Waldwick residents by carefully watching how your hard-earned tax dollars are spent and minimizing municipal expenditures. We will seek ways to pay down our debt with strong, smart financial decisions which will have a direct benefit for all the residents. We will support local businesses and will Six vie for three open seats on borough council work with the Chamber of Commerce to help attract more businesses to Waldwick with an opportunity to employ Waldwick residents. We will also work to obtain more Open Space Grants to help rehabilitate and preserve our recreation fields, as well as trying to improve our recreational leagues for our children to enjoy for years to come without relying on other individuals. “We wish to have proper development in town as well as to add revenue to our tax rolls. There are many challenges facing Waldwick families these days. Once elected we are prepared to steer them through these tough times and make Waldwick the place many people can call home and prosper for years to come. “In the end, the three of us are exactly like every other Waldwick resident. We own our homes, pay taxes, work every day and have to manage our daily finances with responsible budgeting in order to maintain fiscal integrity.” The Republicans candidates’ statements follow: Bjork Bjork said he is running because he wants to give back to the community, particularly after so many helped his family, specifically their daughter Kelly, in fighting against and surviving brain cancer. He said he wants to continue the work he has begun as Buildings and Grounds chairman to maintain, upgrade, beautify and make all the town’s facilities accessible to all. “I would like to pursue the mayor’s initiative of establishing an accessible extension to the present borough park and potentially establish an ice skating area. I will introduce an ordinance to simplify and economize the process for constructing accessibility structures for families in need. I would like to pursue grant monies to continue with accessibility upgrades to the borough park field system. “Additionally during the coming year I would carefully study and analyze the budget and establish measures to minimize the tax rate with a goal of no increase. Lastly, I’d like to begin outlining a succession plan for a smooth transition for many long serving borough employees who will be retiring within the next one to three years.” Bjork said he is proud of spearheading the project to establish accessibility to the Borough Park softball/baseball field with little time before opening day and getting the project approved and completed economically and on time. Celeste Celeste said he is running for council because he loves the town. “I want to give back to the town and its residents that have given me so much. Seeing new families raising children brings back fond memories. One day I know, along with many my age, I will be doing the same, raising a family in this amazing borough. “My goal is to represent the people of Waldwick, while the residents lead us to a great future, as they always have through their community service, volunteerism, and true love of this town. On issues, I maintain a stance of keeping tax increases low with a true vision of decreasing property taxes. I will look diligently at our budget to see if we need programs that will benefit the residents of Waldwick, and also look at items in our budget to see if we actually need them. “Having the opportunity to run for office has put a smile on my face. Simply because I have had the opportunity to converse with so many amazing residents about issues that face us not only (continued on page 27)