April 10. 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 3 Saddle River Seven Republican candidates have filed for their party’s June 4 primary. As of last week’s deadline, the candidates were incumbent Councilwoman Karen Mastriano and Corinne Kerner, Ronald A. Gray, Rebecca Rogers, Elizabeth Salazer, Jerry DeCrosta, and Joanne A. Kakaty. Incumbent Councilman Dr. Warren Boardman opted not to run for reelection this year. No Democrats filed for their party’s primary. The two successful candidates in the GOP’s June contest will seek voters’ endorsement in the November general election. Two three-year seats on the council are available this year. Editor’s Note: Villadom TIMES provides biographies of local mayor and council candidates as a public service. Biographies of the candidates who responded to our reporters’ requests are included below. All candidates are invited to submit additional biographical information and brief statements to editorial@villadom.com before Wednesday, May 22. That information will be included in the May 29 edition. Gray and his wife, Linda, have lived in Saddle River for 10 years, and their two children attend Wandell Elementary School. The Grays are both active members of the Saddle River Republican Club, where the candidate is a trustee. Gray is a frequent participant at council and board of education meetings, and said he is a firm believer in community participation in local politics. He has practiced law for more than 30 years with two financial services industry leaders where he has gained insight into inclusive and transparent governance models. He said his experience has given him critical thinking skills that will enhance the council’s decision making process. “Over the course of the last two years, I have become increasingly concerned with the lack of transparency in the decision making process in our town government. I became concerned with the lack of broad community input before the cell tower was erected and felt compelled to become a Seven Republicans file for June 4 primary strong advocate for transparency in the proposal to build a dramatically larger borough hall as a magnet for shared services. With my background, I was surprised at the lack of a detailed comparative analysis of all alternatives. I raised my concerns and I encouraged others to speak their minds to help the decision process. I agreed to speak for those who were intimidated by speaking publicly,” Gray said. He added, “If elected, I promise to continue that effort and to restore and protect the unique attributes of Saddle River -- small town charm, quiet enjoyment of our property, low taxes, a superb police and fire department and a high quality school system.” Kerner and her husband, Jim, have lived in Saddle River for eight years and have two children attending Wandell Elementary School. The candidate is currently a trustee of the Saddle River Republican Club and has been membership chairperson for the past two years, during which time the club has grown from 130 to 430 members and broadened Republican participation in local politics. She also served one term as a County Committee representative. Kerner is a forensic accountant specializing in financial investigations and corporate litigation. She is a certified public accountant and a licensed private investigator. She is a Girl Scout leader, a Wandell School volunteer, and an active member of her church. She began attending council meetings approximately 15 months ago because she was concerned about increased municipal spending; increased regulation of private property rights; frequent mention of the inevitability of shared services, regionalization, or consolidation; and the relatively low level of resident involvement in town governance. She has lobbied the mayor to reinstate the E-Notify system to remind residents of upcoming meetings; produced e-mail notes on council meetings to update interested residents; performed due diligence on new borough hall proposals to help educate residents; and convinced the borough admin- istrator to post detailed budget reports. She said she decided to run for a seat on the council after the tree preservation ordinance was passed “despite serious flaws and public concern,” and when a new municipal building and court were lobbied for against public will, and when the 2013 municipal budget was unanimously passed “in the face of public calls to explain our spending.” “If elected, my goal will be to restore and protect the characteristics of Saddle River that brought us all to this community – small town charm, quiet and private enjoyment of our homes and properties, low taxes, low crime, and a quality school system. I would be honored to serve,” Kerner said. (continued on page 10)