SHARE:  

SLATES, SLOGANS & BALLOT POSITIONS FINAL

 FOR 2022 COUNCIL ELECTION

PUBLISHED BY TEANECK VOICES

Contents View this issue in your browser

Slates, Slogans & Ballot Positions Final for 2022 Council Election

1st Candidate Electoral Forum -Board of Ed - LWV - 9/19

Township Issues A New, Positive CCA Release

Outdoor Cafes: PB Says "Not Consistent w/ MP" - Council Plans Vote Anyhow

Voter Registration Information

Upcoming Municipal Meetings

Events at the Library

County's Senior Citizen's Festival - Van Saun Park - 9/20

State Tax Relief Information Finally Available


Announcements


  • Model America - MSNBC - 9/18 -v10 pm
  • LWV Election Forum for Board of Ed Candidates - 9-19
  • County Senior Citizens Festival - Scheduled 9/20  - 10am to 2 pm
  • Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month
  • Prayers and Support for Ukrainian People
  • Contacting Teaneck Voices

SLATES, SLOGANS & BALLOT POSITIONS FINAL

FOR 2022 COUNCIL ELECTION

From 10 Clerk-certified Teaneck Council candidates running individually on September 6 there had emerged by COB on Friday September 16 a far different Council race.


  • The number of candidates submitted for inclusion on the November 8 election ballot had been reduced by one (to 9) with the formal withdrawal from the race of previously-certified candidate David Highet
  • Of the 9 remaining candidates 6 had - prior to the ballot position drawing - formally informed the Township Clerk that they were running together in one of two slates to be bracketed together .


These are the results which Town Clerk Ruccione announced he was submitting to the County Clerk for ballot preparation at 2:20 pm Friday afternoon: 


  • Four candidates running under the slogan RISE FOR TEANECK are  to be bracketed together and thus will appear together - in alphabetical order - as follows:
  • Denise Belcher
  • Danielle Gee
  • Hillary Goldberg
  • Chondra Young


And because this slate of four were second in the Clerks ballot position drawing, they will be listed on the ballot as Nos. 2,3,4 and 5 (see diagram below) 


  • Two candidates running under the slogan MOVING TEANECK FORWARD TOGETHER are to be bracketed and thus will appear together - in alphabetical order - as follows
  • Keith Kaplan
  • Desiree Ramos Reiner


And because this slate of two were the fourth candidates in the Clerk's ballot position drawing, they will be listed as Nos. 7 and 8 on the ballot (see diagram below).


The three other candidates, each of whom is running individually (and each with a slogan) will be: - in alphabetical order:

  • Anthony Bruno (slogan: ANTHONY BRUNO 2022 FOR TEANECK COUNCIL)
  • Latisha Garcia (slogan COMMITTED TO COMMUMNITY; DEDICATED TO PROGRESS) and
  • Elie Y. Katz (slogan MOVING TEANECK FORWARD


And because each of these candidates running individually were drawn individually, Katz will on the ballot be #1, Bruno #5 and Garcia 9#,


At the public ballot drawing conducted by the Town Clerk and his staff, there were, then, five slips of paper drawn from a secure ballot box, unfolded and placed on the table under the watchful eyes of 5 candidates and others (a snip of them can be seen at Click Here. ) 


There are many noteworthy features of this process about which voters should be aware:

  1. There are four Council seats to be selected by the voters in 2022 meaning that 3 members of the current 7-member Council (Orgen, Pagan & Schwartz) will remain in office until their terms end in 2024; 
  2.  The fact that candidates have coalesced to bracket themselves and be listed together under a common slogan means that those candidates present themselves together for voter consideration as a slate with similar views. But each voter may select 4 candidates from any of the 9 candidate options;
  3. The full 4-member slate of candidates running under the RISE FOR TEANECK slogan are for, the first time in Teaneck, all women each of whom has distinctive professional training and experience; 
  4. There are just two members of the current council running as incumbents; two other members (Dunleavy and Romney-Rice) chose not to run again;
  5. Most of the 9 candidates have filed their campaigns committees with the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) - two (Bruno & Katz) have not filed as of 9/16. 
  6. Election laws permit candidates who originally filed separately to merge some or all of their campaign finances in a joint campaign committee. 


Voices wants to remind its readers that for many voters the election could begin within 10 days. For those who have signed up for mail-in voting, their ballots are now scheduled to arrive during the week of 9/25

1st CANDIDATE ELECTORAL FORUM IS FOR 

BOARD OF ED CANDIDATES - LWV - 9/19


See LWV's BOE Forum Flyer

in this week's Voices Announcements


Since two originally certified BOE candidates have withdrawn, there are now two fewer candidates (down from 14 to 12) competing for the 5 open school board positions. All are currently expected to participate in the League of Women Voter's initial Teaneck Board of Education electoral candidate forum that takes place on Monday, September 19 at 7:30 in the Teaneck High School's 3rd Floor Student Center.


But it's not as easy as presenting - or choosing - 5 of these 12 candidates. Why? Because:


  • Three positions are to be elected for 3-year terms; and
  • Two positions are to be elected for the 1-year term left by the resignations of 2 board members in 2022. 


Ballot positions for the 12 BOE candidates have changed as a result of there being two fewer candidates and a new diagram of these remaining candidates and their ballot positions are found below. It is hoped that this diagram will help voters both at the Forum and as they plan their votes. 

TOWNSHIP ISSUES A NEW, P0SITIVE CCA RELEASE

As it had promised it would do at the August 30, 2022 Council meeting, the Township has just issued a 3-page release explaining the current situation with the Town's continuing efforts to put in place a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program which will enable residents to participate in the use of more renewable sources for their electricity when the price of renewable moderates. The release replaces the prior Township statement issued prior to the Council's August discussion. The new release was signed by Town Manager Kazinci and Mayor James Dunleavy, and worked out with environmental advocates Matt Smith and Paula Rogovin. To read the statement, Click Here

OUTDOOR CAFES: PB SAYS

"NOT CONSISTENT w/ MASTER PLAN"

COUNCIL PLANS VOTE ANYHOW


Teaneck’s Planning Board (PB) held a session on August 25 nearly all of which was again devoted to a discussion of whether the Town code should codify conditions under which "Outdoor Cafes and Parklets" extending across public sidewalks and into a Township streets should be given certificates which would effectively allow such "outdoor cafes and parklets" to establish durable structures and then be given long-term operating rights. The subject matter of this Ord. 20-2022 had been floated by Council in the Spring in introduced Ord. 25-2022, had not been well-received by the Planning Board and eventually was tabled in July with the understanding that it would be revised. Just who asked that it be revised and be re-introduced in August? That has not been made public. To see the amended version, Click Here


At the PB's 9/25, the entire hour+ discussion could be accurately described as a Board finding ever more reasons why this Introduced Ord. 20-2022 was wholly INCONSISTENT with the Township's current Master Plan.


The Board noted - and its attorney confirmed - that were the Board to communicate to Council that it had found the ordinance inconsistent with the MP, Council would need a super-majority (5 members) of Council to then pass the ordinance - whereas normally only a majority of a quorum is needed.


Voices covered this 8/25 PB meeting earlier and questioned whether Council would proceed to an actual vote in this 9/20 Council meeting. Click Here to see that story.


Of particular note is the fact that a key moment in the 8/25 PB discussion came when the Board asked whether the existing "cafes and parklets" were found anywhere else in town beside the one block of West Englewood from Queen Anne to Palisade. And more specifically the PB questioned whether the proposed ordinance could provide certificates (i.e. legitimize) any other eating establishment's outdoor cafes additional to those on that single town block. No one present at the PB meeting could identify any other location - and surely none on county or state roads would qualify.


Not every Voices reader will be able to watch this entire PB meeting so Voices has carved out a short 5-minute video where key PB points are made and the Chair makes the motion to find proposed Ord. 20-2022 explicitly inconsistent with the Master Plan. Click Here.

\

One final point. When this Ord was re-introduced on 8/9, Deputy Mayor Katz was absent. If, as the PB itself appeared to conclude, this ordinance would benefit only the block where D.M. Katz has so many ownership and operating interests, Voices asks will Katz recuse himself from the vote? 

VOTER REGISTERATION INFORMATION

If you are not registered to vote, please make it a priority to do so. To complete a registration form or for more information regarding voting in Bergen County, please click onto the this link.


If you are not sure if you are registered to vote in Teaneck, you may search here.


To check the details of your voter record, you may sign up here.


For more of Voices guide to 2022 voter education and information Click Here

UPCOMING MUNICIPAL EVENTS


Upcoming Municipal Meetings – September 18-25


Hackensack River Greenway Advisory Board (HRGAB) -Monday, September 19, 2022 at 7:30 pm


  • Public access and opportunity for input limited by the Advisory Board ordinance (*See ordinance below)

 

Teaneck Council Regular Meeting – Tuesday September 20, 2022 at 8:00 pm. This will be a hybrid meeting whose in-person component will be in Council Chambers and which may be accessed by zoom if you Click Here and enter the passcode 597944. The full Agenda: may be accessed if you Click Here


  • Many issues of potential concern on the Council 9/20 agenda:

In the public hearing which precedes the Council's vote on ordinances previously introduced,

  • Residents may want to give particular attention to Ordinance 20-2022 as discussed in this Voice's edition's "Outdoor Cafes " story. And
  • The public hearings on two other ordinances deserve mention. What occasioned the Ordinance 240-2022 on EMS licenses?
  • And, has the leadership of Teaneck Junior Soccer League welcomed the clarification of athletic field prioritization now codified in Ord 250-2022

On Issues applicable to G&W public input

  • In the resolution 248-2022 why do we have no analysis to justify giving the developer of this second Alfred Avenue high-rise apartment building (Teaneck Urban Renewal Phase II ) approval of a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program - an incredible tax break set at the lowest percentage level allowed by law. Why do it even BEFORE this redeveloper has even submitted an application for Preliminary & Final Site Plan Approval of the new 359 Alfred Project with the Teaneck Planning Board?  
  • Also, residents need an explanation of why Crossroad Companies is being given approval of escrow and related agreements for the development plan for BOTH THE AMERICAN LEGION AINR and the BEVERLY ROAD AINR before the purported Shop & Stop settlement has been presented to Council or the Planning Board and/or Judge Farrington.

 

Environmental Commission Meeting - Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at 7:30 pm. This meeting may be accessed on zoom if you Click Here and add passcode 397511. No agenda information about this meeting is currently available. 


Shade Tree Advisory Board (STAB)–Thursday - September 22, 2022 at 7:30 pm.


  • Public access and opportunity for input limited by the Advisory Board ordinance (*See ordinance below)


Teaneck Planning Board – Thursday - September 22, 2022 at 8:00 pm. 

  • Neither zoom access information nor an agenda are available as Voices goes to press. If additional information becomes available during the week, Voices will provide updates on the relevant Voices website post Click Here

……………………………..

*Quote from Ordinance 15-2020 on Advisory Boards adopted by Council on August 11, 2020:

 

“Council’s advisory Board meetings are closed to the public. The public can submit items for discussion to the Council’s advisory board chair and council liaison for review and potential for inclusion on their meeting agenda. If the item is placed on the agenda, the chair, with approval of their Council’s advisory board, may invite the member of the public to come and speak to them about the specific issue they want to have discussed”.


This Week's Events at the Library click here

COUNTY'S SENIOR CITIZEN FESTIVAL-VAN SAUN PARK

Bergen County Senior Citizens Festival – Tues 9/20 - 10am-2pm. Most of our senior readers know that Bergen County provides a wide-range of senior social services, primarily organized by the County’s Department of Senior Services. The most efficient way for seniors to learn about these diverse County services is to attend the annual Senior Citizen’s Festival on Tuesday at Van Saun County Park at 216 Forest Avenue in Paramus (Click Here for map) - and there is a free lunch!


Need more info? Check out the County's Senior Festival Flyer in this Voice's Announcement section.


STATE TAX RELIEF - Information Now Available

Residents have had to wait much too long for the State to clarify the specific rules, procedures and deadlines for the State’s new Anchor property tax relief program and to explain whether/how the new program would intersect with the continuing Senior Freeze program.

It is now being more fully elaborated by the state’s Taxation Department: 

The Anchor program got established legally on June 30 – and it clearly will increase property tax relief in many ways (including who is eligible and the size of relief provided). The simple answer is that primary residence owners and renters as well who qualify will (depending on income levels) beveligible for either $2000 or $1000.

There is a very quick way to find out if your income level allows you to qualify - check Line 29 on the 2019 NJ 1040 tax return. 


Proving that you qualify for the Senior Tax Freeze is a MUCH more complicated matter.


Where should you start to 1) get the current summary explanations of these programs 2) where and how to get the needed applications and 3) where to call or make online inquiries?  Click Here


In case there is any doubt, the Homestead Benefit Relief program is long gone. The last date to have applied was LAST November, 2021


One word of warning: the NJ Taxation Department has had consistent trouble providing adequate personnel to guide residents trying to do their research and application work by phone. In fact, the Department currently acknowledges these shortcomings at the top of the Tax Relief page just cited. Be prepared for long phone waits and simple answers to complex questions. Most of what you want to know is, however, explained in the Department's narratives!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

TEANECK VOICES CONTINUES TO OFFER ITS

PRAYERS AND STRONG SUPPORT

TO THE BRAVE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE FIGHTING FOR THEIR FREEDOM

Contacting Teaneck Voices


By Email: teaneckvoices@gmail.com

By Phone: 201-214-4937

By USPS Mail: Teaneck Voices, PO Box 873. at 1673 Palisade Ave., 07666

Teaneck Voices' Website is www.teaneckvoices.com



Sign Up Now
Send a Comment
Submit an Article
Editorial Policies
LinkedIn Share This Email