Metuchen candidates debate for mayor, council seats Development, spending, police management among topics discussed BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer METUCHEN - Hot topics, from consolidation and the proposed plans of the former Stop & Shop site to police scheduling and morale, were discussed at the debate between the Democratic and Republican candidates for mayor and council last week. About 50 people attended the debate, which was held in the Metuchen High School cafeteria Oct 24 and was moderated by Ingrid Reed of the Eagleton Institute. The debate was aired on MEtv-22. Democratic mayoral candidate Thomas Vahalla faced off against Republican mayoral candidate Steven Shapiro. Both candidates are running for the mayoral position for the first time. Vahalla or Shapiro will replace longtime Mayor Edmund O'Brien, who announced in February that he would not seek a fourth term as mayor. Councilwoman Cathy Totin, who has been on the council since 1996, also announced she would not seek another term. Democratic incumbent Alan Grossman and his running mate, former Councilwoman Beatrice Moskowitz, faced off against Republican newcomers Christopher Morrison and Will Waldron. A question was posed by a resident on how could one be certain that the mayor and council could make rational decisions if they are all from one party. The borough's mayoral and council positions are currently all held by Democrats. All the candidates said they are running for the people of Metuchen and it really wasn't about which political party they were affiliated with. The Republicans stressed the need for a more open government, which they said is lacking with the current mayor and council. "It is a significant issue and is the cornerstone of our platform," said Morrison. "All the other issues spring from the issue of open government. We will seek public debate." Waldron added that the borough needs smart growth and development. "We want what's best for our town," he said. "We will support our employees and want people to love living, working and visiting the place where we all settled down in." Morrison and Waldron said it's important to put key documents on the Web site and that it would be inexpensive to do so. Shapiro said it's important to think of the future development of the township and to bring revenue into the borough. "We want the D-1 district to prosper," he said. "We want open and green space." The Democratic candidates disagreed that the current mayor and council are not open. "We provide two public portions during our council meetings for the public to speak, when the law only requires one," said Vahalla. "We have held over 11 meetings for development of the [former Stop & Shop site]." Vahalla said there are many issues in the borough, but the one that he calls "the nastiest" issue is consolidation of municipalities as well as school districts. "We have to continue to provide efficient services," he said. "We also have to increase our services and think of ways such as raising the fees for parking to make sure we bring rateables into the town." All the candidates said they were opposed to consolidation. Vahalla said that the borough saves money by the use of the automated garbage trucks that were purchased a few years ago, and the training of Department of Public Works employees for tree removal. Vahalla added that the borough shares services for animal control with its neighboring town. "We will continue to explore more ways [to save money]," he said. Grossman said he believes the most important issue is the need to maintain the quality of life for the town's residents. "We need to improve municipal and technological services and keep MEtv-22 updated," he said. "We have had [over 11] public planning sessions on [the former Stop & Shop site], where we discussed ideas of linking the downtown to the new development." Grossman added that borough officials have to continue to work closely with the state and county to seek out grants to improve the parks. "We also have to continue encouraging volunteerism in our community," he said. Moskowitz said issues that need to be focused on are stabilizing taxes, improving the traffic pattern, and "going green." A question was raised concerning police morale and their schedules. The Department of Community Affairs Division of Local Government Services conducted an assessment of the police department in 2005 from January to November, at the request of the mayor, which caused a stir when two reports surfaced in March 2006. The original report cited morale and scheduling issues. In January, the police department was looking at a decrease of two police officers due to budget issues; however with a motion by Vahalla and a second by Councilman Richard Dyas, in March 2007, those two positions were able to be filled. "[Earlier in the year], we were between a rock and a hard place," said Vahalla. "I support the police, fire, DPW and EMTs [emergency medical technicians]." Vahalla said police scheduling was a negotiatable item and was not for public discussion by law. As for morale, Vahalla said he absolutely wants to make the police happy. "First thing tomorrow [Oct. 25], I'm going to say thank you to the officers who tried to revive the girl who passed away, because I know they did everything that they possibly could to save that girl," he said. "I think that's what they need to hear from us … a thank you." A 3-year-old borough resident passed away after she was struck by a van while crossing Central Avenue with her mother on Oct. 24. Morrison said he believes the police scheduling should be at the police chief 's discretion and should not be within their contract. "I believe they should take out the scheduling from their contract," he said. Many residents who came to the debate said they were glad a debate was held; however some were not happy about the way the debate was conducted. "I think the debate was an excellent idea, but questions were very broad and were not allowed to be directed to one candidate," said Sharon Taylor.