Longtime mayor challenged in Jefferson GOP primary; 5 Republicans, 2 Democrats on ballot for council seats

Republican voters in the June 5 primary will have a choice among five candidates seeking the GOP nomination for two seats on the Township Council and a choice between two candidates for the Republican line for mayor, while on the Democratic side, two candidates are on the ballot for the party nomination for council seats.

The two Republican winners of the council primary will square off against the two Democrats in the November General Election in a bid for the two council seats. The winner of the Republican mayoral primary will run uncontested in November, unless a an independent candidate comes forward or there is a Democratic write-in candidate in the party primary.

In the Republican primary for mayor, Eric F. Wilsusen, retired township deputy police chief, is challenging longtime mayor Russell W. Felter.

All the council seats and the mayor’s office are four-year terms.

(i) denotes incumbent

 

 

MAYOR

Russell W. Felter (R) (i)

Age: 58

Hometown: I am a lifelong resident of Jefferson.

Family: I have been married to my wife Tami for 22 years. I have four children: Melissa, Matthew, Morgan and Jefferson. I also have two grandchildren.

Education: Associate’s Degree from the County College of Morris. Attended William Paterson University and Ramapo College.

Occupation: Manager of Park Projects for the Morris County Park Commission. Duties include trail development and land acquisition.

Experience: I have been serving as mayor of Jefferson for 20 years. Before becoming mayor, I served four years on the Jefferson Township Board of Adjustment and then was elected to a four-year term on the Township Council. I served as chairman of the Lake Hopatcong Commission for five years. As mayor I have experience with the budgeting process, recreation, utility and infrastructure, economic development, planning and zoning and senior and veteran services.

I have worked with many elected officials from the county, state and federal government. All of this allows me to better serve the residents of Jefferson Township.

 

List your top three issues and what you would do regarding each issue:

1. Shared services. Jefferson Township has been in the forefront of shared services programs in Morris County. We share many services with the Board of Education including utilities, athletics, transportation and safety in our schools. We share construction-inspection services and health services with local towns. All fees and savings are savings for residents of Jefferson. We’ll continue to explore other options for shared services.

 

2. Infrastructure improvement. The infrastructure of Jefferson Township is an important part of our community. The township has done a tremendous amount of work upgrading the roads, drainage, water supply and distribution system and will continue to make improvements. We’re in the process of closing the Water’s Edge treatment plant by upgrading the White Rock plant. We continue to work with N.J. Natural Gas to extend service throughout the township. The project for next year is the Lake Shawnee section. We’ll continue our aggressive program to pave roads and repair drainage throughout the township.

 

3. Control taxes. Jefferson Township, through thoughtful and conservative financial planning, is in the best financial condition in its history. We have improved our bond credit rating from A+ to AA+ stable. Our debt ratio has been cut in half. We’ll continue to budget capital projects, manage debt payments and borrow in a manner that will reduce our debt. We’ll continue to work with commercial-property owners to attract quality tenants and establish redevelopment zones where necessary. We have weekly conferences with the owner of the former Pathmark site to redevelop the property.

 

What else should we know? The members of the Felter, Merz, Fallon team all take great pride in being part of the Jefferson community. We are all heavily involved in many civic activities in the township. This allows opportunity to help make Jefferson Township a great community to live, work and play in.

 

Eric F. Wilsusen (R)

Age: 53

Hometown: Lifelong resident of Jefferson.

Family: Married 22 years; two children

Education: Associate’s Degree, County College of Morris; attended Montclair State University; certified public manager through Fairleigh Dickinson University; Northwestern University School of Police Staff & Command graduate

Occupation: currently director of Child & Youth Protection, Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson; retired deputy chief of police, Jefferson Township Police Department

Experience: Not currently serving, no previous elected office held.

Campaign website: www.newvisionforjefferson.com

 

List your top three issues and what you would do regarding each issue:

• Goals for Economic Development are to create a working economic development council, committee or advisory board to foster the development of new and diverse small businesses throughout the community; Explore innovative ideas to attract new businesses to the community in order to create new ratables to help stabilize taxes and offer our residents a vibrant and diverse business community.

 

• Goals for Transparency and Communication are to explore ideas to maintain the highest level of transparency and inclusion for all aspects of the township government; create an office of communication to coordinate improved communication with our residents via a revamped, improved and informative website, regular communication of township news, events and activities via social media platforms, newsletters, improved resident alert and emergency alert system.

 

• Goals for More Efficient Local Government are to evaluate and examine all local government departments and boards to determine if they are operating in an efficient and effective manner, review that proper management policies and best practices are in place, customer service approach to resident interaction by our public employees to ensure our government is serving its residents to its full potential, ensure our tax dollars are being spent in the most efficient manner, explore an efficient and effective work order tracking process for all departments to track residents’ requests for services.

 

What else should we know? I became a Jefferson police officer in 1986 following my father, Ken, who retired in 1992. I became the township’s first DARE officer in 1991 and am known as “Officer Eric,” a title I treasure to this day.

 

 

COUNCIL

 

Republican

Patty Fallon

Age: 47

Hometown: Born and raised in Jefferson. Even though I moved to a surrounding town for a while, I still maintained my business and family ties in town. I am proud to have moved back.

Family: Mom, siblings, nieces and nephews live in Jefferson and surrounding towns.

Education: Graduate of the Jefferson Township School System; undergraduate credits in criminal justice from County College of Morris.

Occupation: Co-owner of Gatwyns II restaurant in Jefferson.

Experience: My business partner and I operate a successful small business in town. As a result, I am very proficient in developing budgets, controlling costs, eliminating waste and negotiating contracts. Operating a restaurant requires exceptional people skills and the ability to address and solve problems. I also hear firsthand the concerns of our residents who visit the restaurant.

Additionally, I am a volunteer first responder with the Jefferson Township Rescue Squad. This requires me to frequently interact with the police and fire departments. This interaction makes me very aware of the needs and issues facing our public safety organizations in town.

Campaign website: www.facebook.com/FelterMerzFallon/

List your top three issues and what you would do regarding each issue:

• Maintaining and attracting new business. The Highlands Act significantly impacts the ability to build new retail and commercial space in town. There are already several vacant retail and commercial spaces in town that need to be filled. We need to take proactive steps to attract new businesses to fill these spaces and create economic development. We also need to have an open dialogue with current business owners in order to learn what challenges they face and to see what can be done to assist them so they remain in town.

 

• Reduction of taxes. Jefferson residents indicate taxes as one of their largest concerns. We must take steps to ensure that we are doing everything we can to lessen the burden on the residents. Jefferson already has a robust shared services program in place. We must continue to explore additional opportunities to share services at the local and county levels. We also must aggressively seek and apply for state and federal grant opportunities. Grant funding is needed in order to fund large projects without shifting the cost to the taxpayer.

 

• Maintaining public safety. Public safety can never be compromised. The Police Department must continue to be staffed at levels that allow for routine law enforcement services and to address new crimes that impact the township. The volunteer fire and EMS agencies must be provided with appropriate funding to properly train and equip their members. Public safety technology must be maintained or upgraded to ensure our safety and meet current needs.

 

What else should we know? I was born, raised, live and operate a business here. I truly love this town and want to see redevelopment while maintaining the open space our residents love. I feel if I am elected I can be a very approachable, accountable and effective councilperson.

 

 

 

Debi Merz (i)

Age: 64

Hometown: Lifelong resident of Jefferson.

Family: I am widowed after 43 years of marriage, I have four daughters, 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Education: I graduated from Jefferson Township High School and have an Associate’s Degree in Human Services from County College of Morris.

Occupation: I am a confidential aide to the Morris County Library director, working for the County of Morris.

Experience: I have previously been elected five times to serve as councilwoman and prior to that three terms on the Board of Education. The past two years, I’ve had the honor of being council president. I serve on the Municipal Alliance for a Drug Free Community (prior chair) and have more than 20 years experience on the Planning Board. Volunteering as a Girl Scout leader, Sunday School teacher/elder, Crisis Response Team member, PTA president, Arts Committee and softball coach helped me learn to be a good listener, be approachable, compassionate, assess situations, compromise and, if required, achieve a timely resolve.

 

List your top three issues and what you would do regarding each issue.

• In our form of municipal government, council members adopt ordinances to establish order and allow for the laws to be enforced. Specifically the issue of abandoned, vacant and foreclosed homes, an unsightly issue for neighborhoods just came before the council. Now we must research and legally create an ordinance for compliance which I am doing.

 

•  The opiate epidemic, vaping and mental health issues are ever increasing. Suicide is a concern to us all. As a councilwoman, I helped form Jefferson’s mental health group, J. T. Connect, working with the Municipal Alliance. Subsequently I received the N.J. Mental Health Association’s Golden Bell Award. Jefferson became a stigma-free community and we should continue to promote activities that educate our residents to what that means and what they can do. We should make sure adequate funds and training are available to our police and EMS to best address these issues.

 

• Always being fiscally responsible and adopting a budget that can maintain our infrastructure and township’s growth is part of our responsibility as a council member. I would strive to have the most up-to-date information from administration. This year, zero-based budgeting gave justification for each line item and that should be continued.

 

What else should we know? I have been employed in government for the last 20 years, becoming familiar with all municipal, county and state levels. I have a working relationship with our freeholders, Assembly, Senate and congressional members. Sitting on Morris County’s Community Development and chairing the Human Service Committee, I’ve gained great insight.

 

 

Melissa Senatore

Age: 46

Hometown: Oak Ridge, 40 years

Family: Married, four kids

Education: Johnson and Wales University. A.S. and B.S.

Occupation: I’m a regional sales rep for The Gillespie Group in Dayton.

Experience: I’ve been on the Jefferson Township Board of Education for the past six years. I understand the hours and dedication it takes to hold such as seat. I’ve been part of negotiations, budget planning and work well with others to reach our goals.

I’m a working mother who understands the importance of organization and communication.

I’m new to the political arena, BUT not to the leadership role.

Campaign website: www.NewvisionforJefferson.com

 

List your top three issues and what you would do regarding each issue.

1. Improve government communication with residents

We need to update our website and bring back a newsletter. We have wonderful things going on but no outlet to communicate the information.

 

2. Working to find ways to bring new business to town. I would create an economic advisory board to look at all avenues to bring new business to town, as well as communicate with fellow municipalities around us to see what they are doing.

 

3. Looking to make local government run more efficiently. We need to look into each department to see how we can make things run more efficiently. Change and updating data will also be important.

 

What else should we know? I feel I would make a excellent councilwoman for Jefferson because I’m open-minded and analyze the facts before reaching a decision. I represent the working families in town and also have children in the school district. Most important, I’m approachable.

 

 

H. Roland Smith (i)

Age: No response given

Hometown: Jefferson since 1978

Family: Two sons, Ron and Jeff, as well as a stepdaughter, Wendy, and four grandchildren.

Education: I graduated from Seton Hall University with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and a master’s degree in administration and supervision from Kean University.

Occupation: School business administrator with a School Business Administrator Certificate from the N.J. Department of Education. Qualified purchasing agent with the N.J. Department of Community Affairs.

Experience: I was appointed to fill a vacancy on the council in May 2017 and elected in November 2017 to fill the one-year unexpired term through December 2018. I am the president and educational management consultant with HRS Management Services. Since I retired from Essex County Vocational Schools, I have worked as an interim School Business Administrator for several Boards of Education, including most recently, the Kearny Board of Education. I worked as a consultant with many school districts and was an adjunct faculty member at Kean University and Seton Hall University.

Campaign website: www.newvisionforjefferson.com

 

List your top three issues and what you would do regarding each issue:

•  Jefferson must concentrate on economic development. When businesses close and become vacant, there must be immediate follow-up so that the ratable base can be maintained and not have an adverse effect on the tax rolls.

• Creating an Economic Advisory Board would alleviate this problem or minimize its impact.

•  Local government needs to be more transparent in our communication to the residents of Jefferson.

 

 

 

 

Robert Vander Ploeg Jr.

Age: 58

Hometown: Oak Ridge, 56 years (34 in Jefferson Township)

Family: Married, two sons, one daughter

Education: Bachelor of Science in Decision Science and Computers from Rider University

Occupation: Retired after 34 years in technology operations within the financial industry. Currently owner/pitmaster at Uncle Bob’s BBQ Pit and Grille in Oak Ridge.

Experience: I have served on numerous volunteer and service organizations over the years. I am currently the chairman of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, which I have been serving on for nearly 20 years and I am also a member of the Planning Board. I served one, three-year term on the Board of Education as well.

 

List your top three issues and what you would do regarding each issue.

•  The number one issue, in my mind, is transparency. Citizens should not have to question the council to understand what is being proposed for the town. Resolutions, bills, budgets, etc. should all be available for the public to view online. There should also be a list of resolutions in progress so that the collective knowledge of the people can be leveraged to provide clarity and effectiveness when developing resolutions. Resolutions should include an “interpretive statement” just like we see on a ballot to describe what is being proposed in easy to understand terms.

 

•  Second, I would like to see more enforcement of local ordinances. I’ve seen many times where approvals are given to property owners and they basically do whatever they want. Conditions are imposed for a reason and I believe that two part-time enforcement officials could pay for themselves simply by enforcing conditions of approvals and town laws.

 

•  One of the most important issues in Jefferson is controlling property taxes. The hardworking citizens of Jefferson deserve some relief from the ever-increasing tax burden of government. Since a large portion of this town is in the Highlands preservation zone, I believe that our state representatives should compensate our town for stewarding this critical watershed. It is very difficult to find any areas in town that are buildable so the notion of increased ratables becomes a rare occurrence.

 

What else should we know? I have been attending council meetings and I get very frustrated when I am told “this is always how it’s been done.” I think the council needs to be innovative and think outside the box to solve issues and come up with the best, most efficient and cost-effective solutions.

 

 

 

Democrat

Douglas Helmstetter

Age: 58

Hometown: Jefferson Township, 31 years

Family: 3 children

Education: Immaculate Conception High School, Montclair; Essex County College

Occupation: Retired, Combustion Turbine Operator PSE&G, 37 years

Experience: I was the financial secretary for union Local 1330.

List your top three issues and what you would do regarding each issue.

Oversight. One party has been running Jefferson for more than 30 years and sometimes a different voice is needed.

 

 

Daniel Malloy

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