I’m running for Mayor because I believe in the future of West Orange and I believe we need experienced leadership to make it a reality.
West Orange has so much potential. And that potential is being squandered by a municipal government that’s consumed with infighting.
In the last few years, I’ve watched as we’ve dropped the ball on downtown redevelopment and on affordable housing. The budget process is a joke, and our debt is on the cusp of spiraling out of control. The administration is persecuting small businesses while the council is focused on ridiculous issues like banning gas leaf blowers. Meanwhile, simple quality of life issues like rodent control and adequate parking go unaddressed.
Each side wants to dig in their heels and point the finger at the other. They’re too busy casting blame to focus on real solutions. And the rest of West Orange is caught in the crossfire.
If I trusted another candidate to get things under control, I’d happily vote for them. But when I survey the options, all I see are people tied down with baggage from the last few years. They’ve been part of the problem, and they’re not the ones who can help us right the ship.
Not too long ago, the Board of Education had its own problems. We drove a disgraced Superintendent out of town. We grappled with COVID. Our meetings were divisive, both in the audience and on the dais.
One particular budget decision – the proposal to eliminate courtesy bussing throughout the district – prompted me to get involved. I first joined the Board in 2022, and I was first selected as President in 2023. In that time, we’ve made considerable progress.
We’ve transitioned a new Superintendent into the position, and we’ve got the right man for the job in Hayden Moore. We’ve rolled out universal pre-k and invested in our physical buildings. We’ve adopted new curricula, and we’ve focused attention on academics. Our students continue to excel – in the classroom, in athletics, and in the arts.
Through it all, we’ve learned as a Board to work together. We don’t always agree, but we are committed to doing what’s best for the students and families of West Orange. And we don’t let personal differences get in the way of that.
That’s the kind of partnership that we need in town hall, and that’s the kind of experienced leadership that I can provide.
We can’t afford four more years of the status quo, and that’s why I’m running for Mayor – and why I’m asking for your support to help make progress in West Orange.
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