Number of Candidates Vying for Township Council Seat Grows
Another person also throws his hat into the race for mayor
With the local elections only four months away, campaign season is in full swing, with eight candidates now indicating their intention to vy for a spot on the Montclair Township Council.
Those seeking re-election include 4th Ward Councilor Renee Baskerville, 2nd Ward Councilor Cary Africk, Deputy Mayor Kathryn Weller-Demming and, according to The Montclair Times, Councilor-At-Large Roger Terry.
In addition, Timothy Barr has become the second person to throw his hat in the ring for the mayor's seat. Barr stopped by the township clerk's office on Monday to pick up petitions to potentailly run for mayor as well as the at-large council seat.
Earlier this month, Harvey Susswein picked up petitions to run for mayor and also for an at-large council spot.
In addition, attorney William Hurlock picked up a packet to seek election as the 1st ward councilor, and Walter Springer picked up packets to run for 2nd ward councilor and for the at-large councilor seat.
So far, Mayor Jerry Fried has not announced whether he will seek re-election. But Councilor Rich Murnick is expected to announce plans to run again. Councilor Nick Lewis said he hasn't made an announcement but will probably pick up a packet soon "and make up my mind. What I really need is a good group to run with."
Although he has not yet picked up a petition, former Mayor Robert Jackson—who was Montclair’s youngest elected official at the age of 29 and its youngest mayor in 1988—is also expected to put together a slate to run for office.
Three candidates have confimed they will run for township council with Jackson. Chris Swenson and Karen Turner appear to be lining up to run for the at-large positions, while Joe Kavesh will likely run in the 2nd ward. All three have confirmed they are working with Jackson on the slate.
mtc parent
8:39 am on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
How about Nick Lewis in 3rd ward? (Not a lot of interest in that job, apparently....)
Shelley Emling
9:44 am on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Nick Lewis said today that he would probably pick up a packet soon...
Nick Charles
9:55 am on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Maybe Weller-Demming hasn't finished that sweater she's been knitting on the dais for four years?
Nick Charles
9:57 am on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
The idea of another four years with Baskerville and Weller-Demming is scary.
althea
10:01 am on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
I will vote for any slate Karen Turner is on, the current council members are so arrogant that they actually think they are worthy of a second term. No thank you.
Louis Fontana
10:35 am on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Another term for Nick Lewis? No thanks. That Jackson-Turner-Kavesh slate will do just fine.
Stuart Weissman
12:04 pm on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
If Cary jumped on the Turner slate, it would be a done deal, although I think he would be best served either running for mayor or at large. His mere presence on the Unity slate last time around single-handedly got the Fried Three elected. It's a shame they turned around and treated him like dirt.
Jinx
12:17 pm on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Having followed the council meetings for the past year and a half, it seems to me that Weller-Demming and Nick Lewis are only interested in representing the residents who agree with them. Why do they want this job?
I hope everyone is encouraging their friends and neighbors to vote. We need a drastic redirection in strategy and management before we reach the tipping point and people decide Montclair is a fiscal train wreck.
The Jackson, Turner, Swensen, Kavesh slate seems like a group with excellent credentials and a real interest in innovative yet pragmatic government.
Kevin
1:05 pm on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Vote the entire council out!
chris
1:41 pm on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
I for one am all for the Jackson-Turner-Kavesh team and Cary. After listening to Karen Turner in the council meetings and her findings with OBAC it is hard to imagine she would not be the type of change this town needs. And Cary Affrick has really stood up at times to an unreasonable council & mayor -- the latest, his call for transparency as to how this reassessment was conducted. Mayor Fried poo-poo'd that -- he thinks we should all just pay & shut up it seems. Your days are numbered Fried!!!
mtc parent
3:23 pm on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
I'm concerned that nobody other than ("probably") Lewis is going to run to represent the 3rd ward, which happens to be mine.
althea
3:45 pm on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
@mtc parent - I am sure that the Jackson, Turner etc. slate will run someone for the third ward, actually they will run someone for all the seats, I would think. As Jinx said above it is critical that we all vote in this election. I believe we have reached a tipping point and if the current members of this council run again and are voted back in, we should all put up the for sale signs and head for the woods. Let's all vote and get our friends and neighbors to do that same to make sure that doesn't happen.
spotontarget
5:36 pm on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
I was very surprised that the Jackson-Turner-Swenson group didn't take Cary Africk in from the start. Africk is the only one on the Council who's done the job. He's been pointing out sound fiscal positions from day one. But he had to become the town crier because his "colleagues" are clueless and kept dissing him. Their unprofessionalism keeps putting us deeper into a hole. With a few smart people behind Africk, maybe we can turn the town around.
Nick Charles
9:17 pm on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
I can't wait to talk about voting Jackson-Turner-Swenson out.
Stuart Weissman
9:25 pm on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Quite possibly true, which really is not funny.
Carl Ben Witzig
7:56 am on Thursday, February 16, 2012
This January 10-12 and article commentary, was before the Wildwood town property disposal debate. Ignoring the anger of the people is enough to replace the Yes votes on that resolution: Fried, Baskerville, Deeming, Lewis. It is the arrogance and sheer irresponsibility that deserves removal. We thank them all for their service and sigh relief they can do no more damage.
Stuart Weissman
8:21 am on Thursday, February 16, 2012
Carl,
I can understand how Rene voted to support it as her 4th ward constituents might have screamed bloody murder had she gone against the creation of affordable housing in any ward besides her own. The Fried Three, on the other hand, are true blue ulta-progressives who will continue to make terrible fiscally-related decisions until Montclair's financial standing mirrors that of Athen's. Roger Terry is sort of in the same boat as Rene. Good riddance to the Fried Three and the time and money they have wasted in Montclair.