Meet The 2019 Morristown Town Council Candidates – Morristown, NJ Patch
MORRISTOWN, NJ — There are contested elections for Morristown Town Council in three wards, and an uncontested election in one ward, and Patch caught up with the candidates ahead of the general election.
We asked all candidates the same five questions:
- Why are you running for office?
- What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?
- What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?
- What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?
- What inspires you?
All candidates were sent the questions at the same time, and were given the same deadline to submit them. They were given no minimum or maximum word count, and encouraged to write as much as they needed, or to keep the answers brief if they wanted to. Answers were submitted by email and are presented here as submitted.
Ward 1
Oliver M. Starnes, Democrat
Why are you running for office?
In 2013, I came home from Trinity College (CT) with a passion for public service holding a bachelor’s degree in political science, master’s degree in public policy, and professional experience as Staff Assistant for United States Senator Joseph I. Lieberman. I’ve interned with Morris County’s Democratic Committee and gleaned valuable insight into NJ’s political landscape, which also included regular contact with elected officials on the local, county, state, and federal levels. The most formative experience I’ve had since returning home from college occurred four years ago, in 2015. I served as campaign manager for 3 first-time council candidates. By the end of election day, we successfully elected the youngest councilman the Town’s history. That experience informed my aspiration to become a public servant and I’ve been working towards this opportunity ever since.
What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?
In a word, “Division” may be the biggest challenge facing approximately 20,000 Morristown residents. Morristown initially encountered this occurrence during the 1800’s when Morris & Essex Railroad was constructed. Industrial development would follow the railroad path and establish lower income areas otherwise referred to as “downwind” of the tracks, while higher income areas were established the “other side of the tracks” south and west of the railroad. Morristown neighborhoods would again be divided during Interstate 287’s construction in the 1960’s. While each major project served to reinforce Morristown as a regional center and the seat of Morris County, each brought unintended consequences to Morristown’s uniquely diverse social fabric. Today, it seems like commercial development may spur Morristown’s third encounter with division. This can be evidenced by the construction of Morristown’s Headquarters Plaza in 1985, a project that took nearly 20 years to complete. It includes roughly 600,000 square feet of high-rise offices plus a hotel, mall and parking garage. In spite of the economic benefits HQ Plaza provides Morristown, the physical structures cast large shadows over what remains of the neighborhood that was demolished for its construction. Presently, another major development project is being considered by local officials. If approved, this project will have yet another transformational impact on Morristown the likes of which have not been seen since the completion of HQ Plaza in 1985. Unlike major regional transportation networks, private developers have a unique capacity to reciprocate the community for degradations to quality of life brought on by their final products. If elected on November 5th, I promise to work on behalf of the public’s interest, while in good faith with the developer and Town council to mitigate potentially unforeseen or unintended consequences that this project may bring.
What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?
The Starnes family name rings true to some long-time Morristown residents, retired teachers, municipal employees, and first responders. I was born in Morristown’s First Ward 31 years ago and now strongly desire an opportunity to leverage a lifetime’s worth of experience to benefit homeowners, tenants, businesses, and property both public and private. Regardless of the election outcomes on November 5th, I will be dedicated to finding innovative solutions for Morristown’s unique complexities, while enhancing residential quality of life and preserving the historic character which defines this town.
What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?
As a Millennial with extensive community organizing experience, the importance of readily accessible contact information and communication cannot be overstated. Currently, I am reachable via numerous social media platforms (i.e., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) and can be reached via e-mail at OLLFORWARDONE@GMAIL.COM. If elected on November 5th, my cell phone number will be made widely available to the public. Facilitating communication with the community may also include more conventional methods like large public town-hall style meetings or smaller gatherings hosted at private residences.
What inspires you?
Innately, I’m able to find a silver lining and glean inspiration when facing adversity as presented in its various forms. Credit for this personal quality is attributable directly to my mother, who is the biggest inspiration in my life. She graduated from college with a degree in chemical engineering and maintains a decades-long career with the U.S. Department of Defense. At times during my childhood, she raised me as a single mother while working her full-time job. Eventually, she began sharing stories of her career advancement efforts as an African American woman occupying male-dominated fields of study or industry. At one point, she was presented with a tremendous job promotion opportunity that would compel our relocation from NJ to VA. Normally, this would be quite an easy decision to make for such a career-oriented woman like my mom. However, she granted the decision-making authority on this matter to her son, who promptly chose NJ. In hindsight, this was perhaps the most pivotal moment of my life and I am forever grateful for her sacrifice. Lastly, I’m deeply inspired by her transformational weight-loss and for her ability to move our family away from a condominium community and into a traditional single-family home.
Robert C. Iannaccone, Independent
Why are you running for office?
I have enjoyed my last four years on the Council and I believe I have made a difference. I have proven myself to be a strong, fair, and independent voice for the residents of the First Ward. I vote as my constituents guide me; I seek their input not only on issues that come before the Council and Redevelopment Commission but also on the concerns they raise. The success of this ongoing dialogue has resulted in the residents of the First Ward becoming truly become engaged in our Town’s governance. It is this style of representation I wish to continue.
What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?
There are several challenges facing Morristown. The good news is we have a strong Administration and Council to address those challenges. Development and traffic are the two obvious challenges. The Town is in the process of completing a town-wide traffic study and the Council/Redevelopment Commission is committed that no further development will result in additional negative impacts on traffic. The not so obvious challenge is our budget and possible increase in our tax rate. The State is passing more expenses onto the Town, such as pension costs. A large portion of the Town’s expenses is labor costs and labor costs will increase year after year. This past year we saw a municipal tax increase for the first time in three years. I have led the Town in developing a practice of projecting the budget out five years. The current projection indicates that without changes to our cost structure or tax base, we will continue to see increases in our taxes. We must consider shared services with neighboring municipalities and the County. We must weigh the financial benefits of additional development against possible negative impacts on our quality of life. We need to consider what sectors of our Town are causing additional costs and examine who should fairly bare those direct costs.
What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?
There is appropriate time for the right candidate to come forward to represent their community. Time and involvement provide a good candidate the historical knowledge and community relationships necessary to make good decisions. Experience, both successful and not so successful, sharpens a representative’s leadership, analytical and collaboration skills. Four years ago, I was asked to run by a group of concerned citizens who wanted to continue the independent voice of my predecessor. At that time, the First Ward thought I was ready. I believe I have proven myself as an independent, committed, and knowledgeable voice for the First Ward. I have remained independent not just of a political party but also independent of any outside influences that might prejudice the decision process. This being said, we as a First Ward community, should continue the practice of limiting the number of terms a Council Member serves. I have encouraged and succeeded in getting others in our Ward involved in our Town’s governance. Our Ward is filled with people whose involvement in a number of community activities qualify them for a role in Governance.
What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?
I believe I have succeeded over the last four years in developing good communication with my constituents. I provide my constituents with regular email updates. I not only walk and talk during campaign season but throughout my term. Quite frankly, I enjoy the dialogue and possible debate. I have made myself accessible, I get back to the residents, and I keep my commitments. I work well with other Council Members, the Mayor and Administration; I respect them and they respect me. I am able to provide access to the right resource in the Town to resolve problems as they are presented. The success of this ongoing communication is evident in the First Ward’s attendance and participation at Council and Redevelopment meetings. Other Council members often say: “Bob, your people are out again tonight”. Nothing makes me prouder.
What inspires you?
It depends on what aspect of my life you are referencing. In the case of my role as Council Member, and it might sound corny, but my inspiration is the people I represent. A community is relationships. My wife Karen and I have had the pleasure of developing great relationships and friendships here in Morristown over the last 39 years. These relationships have included reconnecting with friends I grew up with in Cedar Knolls, acquaintances I developed as a working night student living in an apartment on Altamont Court, for 13 years, followed by neighborly relationships established when finally becoming a homeowner in the Washington Headquarters section of Town. In addition, as our boys grew up in Morristown and participated in school, sports scouting and church activities, like many of you, Karen and I developed even more friendships. I am proud of Morristown, thankful to have had the opportunity to grow and raise a family here, and now honored to represent the residents of the First Ward. I hope I have your vote on November 5th.
Ward 2
Tawanna Cotten, Democrat
Why are you running for office?
I am running for office because I value each voice and vision of the residents , who want their concerns addressed for the betterment of the community.
What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?
The biggest challenge I see facing my community is, balancing new development in the 2nd ward and improving current infrastructure to better the lives of longtime residents.
What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?
I will facilitate communication with the community by having 2nd Ward meeting with my constituents
What inspires you?
I am the proud mother of two beautiful children Jaylond and Adrianna. They inspire me to be the change I want to see in this world.
Editor’s note: Because Cotten is running unopposed, she was not asked why she should be elected over a challenger.
Ward 3
Stefan Armington, Democrat
Why are you running for office?
I ran for the third Ward Council seat 8 years ago because my neighbors and I believed that our prior councilman and the one before that did nothing for the 3rd Ward community. Over the last 8 years, I believe that I have done a great job listening and responding to neighborhood concerns about parking, cut through traffic, speeding, overcrowding zoning issues, property maintenance, pedestrian and bicycle safety, noise and other quality of life concerns. I also believe that I have done a good job addressing the ongoing redevelopment projects that were started prior to my election to provide a balance between the property owner’s rights and the needs of the community, while making sure that everything is done to minimize and mitigate traffic impacts and other potential nuisances. I am running for office for a third term to continue to address neighborhood concerns, continue to make improvements in the 3rd Ward, and to provide my professional planning expertise in the last phase of the Speedwell Development Project.
What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?
The Speedwell Avenue district is the central business hub for the 3rd Ward. The area has served as the Ward’s meeting place for many of Morristown’s immigrant communities over the years and today supports Morristown’s large Latino community with the businesses that they use every day, and it provides the gathering places where people meet and socialize. Fifteen years ago, the Town Council and previous mayor designated much of the Speedwell Avenue district as an Area in Need of Redevelopment and adopted Redevelopment Plans that provide legal rights to the property owners to demolish the businesses in the district and replace with high density market rate housing and retail. The last phase of the Speedwell Redevelopment Project, along Speedwell Avenue will be coming before the Town Council in the next years. The biggest challenge for our community is to define and build the Speedwell Redevelopment Project such that it preserves the cultural hub of the Latino community, that it provides opportunities and incentives for local businesses to be reestablished in the district after construction so that the project results in an overall enhancement of this multi-cultural community rather than allowing simple gentrification. As a professional city planner, with over 20 years of experience in public municipal and state projects, I have been one of the core participants in the Town’s redevelopment processes, listening to the public’s concerns, meeting with citizen and business stakeholders and using the power of the Council to refine redevelopment projects so they better serve the community.
What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?
As a professional city planner, I have extensive experience in all aspects of community development from holding public meetings, working with stakeholders, understanding the technical elements of traffic engineering, architectural designs and finance. Over the last ten years, I have served on the Town’s Planning Board, and over the last eight years, I have proven experience as the 3rd Ward Councilman in all of these elements through the revision of the Town’s Master Plan, the development of a new Zoning Code, and a variety of policy initiatives on neighborhood parking, cut-through traffic management, neighborhood traffic calming, and noise reduction. I cannot speak to my opponent’s qualifications, but the proven path to my success on council is to be an active participant in the process as opposed to an obstructionist.
What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?
I have a proven history of reaching out to and meeting with members of the community that may be affected by my policy initiatives or other proposed projects that may have an adverse effect on the community. Over the last 8 years, I have also run numerous petition initiatives to understand citizen priorities. For example, when a gas station proposed to add a Dunkin Donuts adjacent to a neighborhood, I met with the concerned citizens, advised them of their legal rights to oppose the project, and provided technical planning and zoning guidance. When a bar owner attempted to open a new bar next to the High School, and across the street from our senior housing, I went door to door to create a petition of residents and business owners that collected opinions for or against the proposed project. I have also held community meetings to address neighborhood parking and potential solutions.
What inspires you?
During my entire career as a City Planner and my eight years on the Council, I have worked to improve communities. The process is never simple. It often includes conflicting interests and differing opinions as to how to reach a goal. I am inspired by the volunteerism, the everyday citizens who take time from their private life to try to improve their local community. I am inspired by the ability of people with different viewpoints to listen to and understand other viewpoints, and to find compromise. And I am inspired when a project is completed, and everyone involved is thankful of the others’ good will through the process.
Lorena Inestroza, Independent
Why are you running for office?
I have seen firsthand the challenges that the residents of the third Ward face, each neighborhood unique in their own issues and concerns.
What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?
To assure third Ward residents that my primary focus will be transparency accountability visibility in addressing and improving the issues that are major concerns to them.
What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?
Currently my family has in has been in Morristown for seven generations going back to my great-great-grandfather who was a constable with the Morristown Police department. I realize that times change but I’m also aware of the small town community Morristown once was and although improvement and redevelopment is needed there needs to be some type of transparency regarding these issues.
What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?
I plan to continue to be a voice for those underserved. I plan to be available to those currently neglected I plan to Foster relationships within all levels of our government based on the relationships I have made throughout my years of advocating for substance use disorder and overdose.
What inspires you?
There are many things that inspire me. One is the senior who felt neglected or not heard on the issues, being a voice for them. being a role model for my grandchildrenespecially my granddaughter who is currently in high school. my family is a great inspiration for me, my dad worked for the same company for 38 years, he showed us what dedication and hard work earn you. M y family’s been invested in the community , specifically the 3rd Ward since the late 1800s. Combined is my inspiration.
Ward 4
Alison Deeb, Republican
Why are you running for office?
My goal is to make a difference in Morristown, a community about which I care passionately, and in which I have lived for the last 21 years. I am a native New Jerseyan and care deeply about the future of our great community and state.
What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?
I see the most prominent issues to continue to be ensuring smarter growth and forward-thinking planning; keeping pace with our town’s infrastructure development, parking for residents who live in town; connectivity, traffic and walkability; neighborhood and historic preservation; and tax stability and affordability. These are issues I consistently monitor and address, whether with new development or existing situations.
What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?
I am an experienced public service office holder and believe this kind of work is a calling. I have a Master’s degree in Public Administration, 13 years of corporate management consulting experience and 12 years as a local elected official in Morristown. I understand our government and the local issues. I leverage my work experience and qualifications to benefit the Town and the taxpayers of Morristown. Through good working relationships with elected officials at all levels – local, county, state and federal – I can achieve positive results for the people of Morristown.
What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?
I think the Administration does a fine job of reaching out to the community with respect to meetings, events and happenings. The Administration has the full-time staff to send out information and they handle this public dissemination process in an open and transparent manner (i.e., Mayor’s newsletter, Town’s web site). I have a Facebook page (facebook.com/alison.deeb), email at alisondeeb@alisondeeb.com or phone at (973) 290-9338. I have a strong commitment to being available and responsive to my Fourth Ward constituents and others, whether to listen to concerns or to respond to inquiries, with a goal of developing solutions that help make Morristown the best community it can be for us all.
What inspires you?
Solving local issues and getting things done! Helping people to resolve their problems! Bringing joy to people! Creating a park! Building a sidewalk or a walking trail! I love being a Councilwoman and with the support of voters on November 5th, I look forward to continuing to serve to make a positive difference for the people of Morristown and Morris County!
Sandi Mayer, Democrat
Why are you running for office?
I enjoy helping solve issues and contribute to my community. Morristown is a great town and I would like to be a part of keeping it that way. I have some ideas that I would like to be heard on and felt the best way is to get involved and run for council.
What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?
Traffic! I have a few ideas but would need to speak with the police and administration to see if they are possible to implement. Speaking with residents, we all have traffic concerns and I’d like to be involved in the discussion.
What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?
I will represent the complete Ward, not just those that vote for me. I am concerned for everyone. It is a diversified ward and when I listen in council meetings, I feel that we need someone concerned for all. Based on the viewpoints of the incumbent council member, I would like see a change in representation for the 4th Ward and feel I can serve the Ward residents.
I have also been attending Zoning and Planning Board meetings to hear the current topics and events happening in town and meeting those that attend.
What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?
I have been attending many meetings in Town Hall to meet constituents and other residents. It’s a great place to hear the concerns and interests of those that also attend. As a member of Shade Tree Commission, I am out in town walking around and speaking with people about, not only trees, but other issues and I plan on continuing that as well as building an email list.
What inspires you?
Keeping Morristown beautiful with a vibrant tree canopy, watching how wonderful the town is and knowing that I could be a part of something that has a lasting, positive effect on so many, helping my fellow residents when they feel they have no where to turn and getting a positive result on their behalf.