I didn’t grow up in West Orange, but it is my home. So I’m not looking back at the past and wondering how this town – like all of New Jersey – has changed in the last forty years.
I’m focused on the future, and together we can build a brighter future for West Orange.
What does that future look like?
It’s a town with a full time planner who drives a coherent policy for redevelopment. We support small businesses, work with a developer to remake Main Street, and get a handle on our affordable housing requirement. We balance our suburban charm with a thriving downtown.
It’s a town with a functioning government, where the Mayor and Council work together. A budget is introduced on time, reviewed in a timely manner, and passed after a compromise. Debt is minimized, revenue is maximized, and spending is kept under control. We make the necessary trade offs without sacrificing our future.
It’s a town where hate has no home. We embrace our diversity and celebrate every part of our community. Old West Orange and new West Orange alike are afforded respect. It doesn’t matter that this town has changed over the last fifty years. Everyone feels seen – like they belong in West Orange.
This future is possible. But it’s not guaranteed.
In the last few years, our town has been divided. Downtown redevelopment has fallen through the cracks, and the town’s partnerships with developers have fallen apart. We failed to pass an affordable housing plan on time, and we’ve been subject to multiple builder’s remedy lawsuits. The budget process has been a joke. Tensions have run high, and municipal leaders have been ineffective in bringing people together.
I believe in the future of West Orange, and that’s why I call it home. We need an experienced leader to turn this future into a reality.