The Helmetta Candidates ...

The Helmetta Candidates ...

Nancy Martin (I- People’s Voice) Martin, 47, is married with four children. A New Jersey delegate for citizens tax reform, she is a Rutgers University-certified tax collector, and a Rutgers-certified construction technical assistant. At Rutgers, she completed eight required municipal chief financing courses. She is a past member of the Helmetta Municipal Alliance. Martin also has 23 years of legal experience. She has been a Helmetta resident for 23 years.

Their views

Q.

If elected, what will you do to improve

the quality of life for residents?

Charles Molino*(I) A lifelong resident of the Helmetta area, Molino, of Meadow Court, is president of C.F. Enterprises Inc., an environmental consulting firm serving businesses and municipalities. He is also a certified substitute school teacher. Molino, who has a bachelor of science degree from the University of Maryland, has served on the Borough Council since 1994 and was president in 2000-01. He is a past member of the Planning Board and in 1990 was chairman of the Helmetta Property Maintenance Board of Appeals. He is presently a member of the Heather Glen Condominium Association and is treasurer of the Lakeside Rod and Gun Club.

Nancy Martin

If elected as mayor, I will stabilize the municipal taxes and reduce the cost of the municipal water and sewer. I plan on expanding the present recreation program to include trips and programs for children of all ages. I will immediately institute a program for our senior citizens. I will work on the reduction of the current debt of our municipality. I will be a positive force in restoring Helmetta back into a more close-knit, family-oriented community. I will restore the tax rate that Helmetta was once proud of.

Charles Molino

The reduction of taxes is of paramount importance in improving the quality of life for residents of Helmetta. For those living on fixed incomes, increased taxes have been a genuine hardship. Improvement of municipal services will be a priority of my administration. Also, securing of grants and beneficial interlocal agreements will be actively pursued.

Barbara Raczynski (D) Raczynski, 56, and her husband, Tony, have lived in Helmetta for more than 18 years. They have two daughters: Rebecca is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, pursuing a career in pediatrics, and Jessica Thompson, who has her master’s degree in music and is employed by the Brick Board of Education. Barbara Raczynski graduated from the State University of New York, Farmingdale campus, and worked as a dental hygienist for 34 years. She has served on the Helmetta Board of Education for 18 years.

Barbara Raczynski

My goals to improve the quality of life would be the "3 R’s": Redevelopment of the Snuff Mill in a responsible way will have a positive long-lasting effect on the community. Reform of property tax would certainly make everyone’s life easier. Respecting each other and following the Golden Rule will make Helmetta a better place to live for everyone.

Andrew Tidd

If elected, I would stop the unproductive fighting among the many politicians in this very small town. If we don’t learn to get along, the residents will suffer from ineffective government. Much time and energy could be better spent trying to come up with good ideas to improve Helmetta rather than certain individuals brainstorming ways to attack each other.

Andrew Tidd (R) Tidd, 40, of Old Forge Road, has lived in Helmetta for 26 years. He has been married for 19 years to his wife, Nancy, and is the father of two daughters, Rachael and Jamie. A graduate of Spotswood High School, he studied at Mercer County and Brookdale Community colleges. He has been the owner and operator of Andy’s Painting Co. for the past 10 years. Tidd is also a commercial property investor and developer specializing in office and warehouse space. He holds U.S. patent and trademark rights and is currently forming the TempBrella Manufacturing Co.

Council candidates:

Vincent Asciolla

If elected, I plan on stabilizing taxes and reducing the water and sewer rates. To ease the tax burden on our residents, I will ensure that the Spotswood Board of Education properly credits the Borough of Helmetta. If elected, our team will institute a recreation program that will serve Helmetta residents of all ages, including our seniors. I also think that it’s important to listen to input from our residents. Helmetta residents are taxpayers and deserve to be treated with respect. When the residents of Helmetta voice a need, our team will listen to them and address their concerns in a respectful, timely manner.

Carol Ann "Cay" Dufau

Vincent Asciolla (I-People’s Voice) Asciolla, 42, is married with three children. A resident of Helmetta for the past seven years, he is the owner and operator of Vast Transportation. He is also a member of the New Jersey Business Advisory Council, and a charity worker for the New York Fire Department and New York Police Department.

I intend to do all I can to make sure the mill is redeveloped in a responsible way, so that it enhances our quality of life and pleases the majority of residents. I hope we can add on to our police department this year, and believe this can be accomplished without added cost since it would reduce overtime. As the transportation representative, I have started looking into what we can do locally to quiet the trains that travel through in the middle of the night. I intend to continue my work with the new free book exchange at Borough Hall.

Peter Karczewski

One issue I will address is for more garbage and recycling pickups, at least during the summer. The smell alone is enough of a reason, not to mention the bugs and animals it attracts. Another issue, the children need recreation. The parks that have been built are good for the younger children but not for children over 6-7 years old. They need somewhere to go after school, like basketball courts, a soccer field and maybe a skateboard park, so they don’t have to play in the streets. The kids have not been thought of in past years. We’ll make them a priority.

Sharon Navarro

Carol Ann “Cay” Dufau (D) Dufau has been a councilwoman for three years, serving on the finance, personnel and administration committees. She is a representative to the Middlesex County Transportation Committee. She has a master’s degree in labor relations from the University of Illinois and a bachelor of arts in political science. She works as a consultant for the Council on Adult Experiential Learning, serving as a career and education advisor to Verizon employees. She is also starting a business, After the Fact Video Training. She grew up in the Air Force and lives in Heather Glen with her husband, Rubens.

If elected, I would look into securing active recreation for our children, including a ballfield or possibly a skate park. I also support keeping our police force in town. With the potential for growth we currently face, we cannot rely on another town to be our first response in the event of an emergency. I would also work with fellow council members and the community in finally devising an emergency contingency plan for residents, which would provide a definitive outline for a course of action for residents in the event that a catastrophic emergency should ever arise in Helmetta.

Thomas Reid

If elected as councilman, I will work diligently on expanding recreation for all residents. I have always felt that our town is small enough that we can involve everyone of every age. We shouldn’t have to send our children or seniors to outside towns for recreation. I would like to see Helmetta become a more friendly, close-knit community.

Jeff Squire

Peter Karczewski (R) Born in Lyndhurst, Bergen County, Karczewski lived there for 27 years. After marrying in 1996, he and his wife said they wanted to find a place where they could raise a family and keep the “small-town feeling.” They moved to Helmetta in 1998. Karczewski said he enjoys sports, hockey, softball and golf. He works for Automatic Data Processing as a senior account representative. He acts as a liaison for his company and described his job as rewarding. He said he welcomes the challenges of taking a situation that isn’t going well and doing his best to correct it.

If I am elected I will try to stop all of the negativity in town. We are a small community and I believe that we should be able to get along even when we disagree with each other. I will listen to all sides of the issues, reaching out to people in order to find the common ground. I believe that we need to be open and honest and let the public know what is happening all of the time. Once trust and respect are restored, the quality of life in Helmetta will drastically improve.

Q.

What approaches will you take to address the problem with increasingly high property taxes in Helmetta?

Nancy Martin

Sharon Navarro (R) Navarro, 30, has resided in Helmetta since 2000. She has been married to her husband, Raul, for seven years. She has been employed for the past five years at a large Secaucus-based insurance agency, where she is a licensed insurance agent. She graduated with honors in 1991 from Canyon Del Oro High School, Tucson, Ariz. She then attended classes at Pima Community College, Tucson. She volunteered for many years for Tucson’s St. Peter’s Soup Kitchen. She said she enjoys spending her spare time with family and friends.

I plan on supporting the SMART bill for New Jersey property tax reform and the constitutional convention. I will examine each contract for goods/services to ensure that our taxpayers are not only getting the finest in quality, but also the maximum of savings in cost. I will immediately curtail all bonding with the exception of emergencies. I will look into the present interlocal agreements, to confirm that they benefit the residents of Helmetta.

Q.

What approaches will you take to address the problem with increasingly high property taxes in Helmetta?

Charles Molino

Thomas Reid (I- People’s Voice) Reid, 47, is married with four children. A life-long resident of Helmetta, he is the owner and operator of TRA Services. He is certified by Clayton Block for retaining-wall construction. He is a volunteer member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation for children with cancer, and a past member of the Helmetta Volunteer Fire Dept. He has volunteered time and equipment to demolish/ remove the former Helmetta Public Works building without any cost to Helmetta taxpayers. He is a past member of the Helmetta Municipal Alliance, and has been active for several years with local government.

A thorough and efficient education is a necessity for all our children. We are a total sending district and our property taxes are excessively high in order to accomplish this goal. Since over 90 percent of the school budget is mandated by tuition and transportation costs, any meaningful cuts are virtually impossible. Therefore, other sources of funding for education must be explored. I will strongly support any proven acceptable method, at any governmental level, in order to do so. However, until this happens, we must increase the tax ratables within our community.

Barbara Raczynski

I am acutely aware of the high property taxes in Helmetta. I have worked aggressively to support any legislation that would change the way New Jersey funds education. I currently serve on the New Jersey School Boards Legislative Committee and I have been invited to Washington, D.C., to meet with legislators and discuss funding for education and how it affects New Jersey. Helmetta must look beyond its borders if we want to change the property tax laws. It is time for me to switch gears from school board to the political arena and meet Trenton head on, as your mayor.

Andrew Tidd

Jeff Squire (D) Squire has lived in Helmetta for 20 years with his wife, Michelle and two daughters, Jessica and Alyssa. He said he walks with his dog, Maggie, through town every day. He has served on the Helmetta Board of Education and the Helmetta Zoning Board. He is a founding member of the Helmetta Historical Society. He graduated from the East Brunswick Vocational and Technical H.S., and is a chief lineman for PSE&G. He is a member of the Spotswood Polish American Citizens Club and a fourth-degree Knight of Columbus.

Most of our property tax is a result of school tax. Unlike my opposition, I support legislation to consolidate New Jersey’s 600-plus school districts. Shared school administrative costs would save the region’s taxpayers huge amounts of school tax. Also, this legislation provides a device to consolidate school purchasing among many districts. This common-sense business practice in the private sector, where a particular industry has a central purchasing department, takes advantage of bulk purchase rates. Our legislators and school boards must compel school administrators to use these cost-saving measures, or else our school tax will just continue to climb.

Council candidates:

Vincent Asciolla

Like my running mates, I support the SMART bill and the constitutional convention. We plan on analyzing interlocal agreements that will benefit Helmetta residents. I want to ensure that salaries and pay raises are fair and justified. Our town needs to control spending, and seek and secure grants for municipal improvements. We need to plan for the things we need, not just bond away our future. Interest is still interest, and debt is still debt. We need to create and follow budgets that plan for our future.

Carol Ann "Cay" Dufau

I asked the council to place the referendum on property tax reform on the ballot last year. Helmetta voters overwhelmingly supported the idea. I have been in touch with all our representatives on the state level, and have been assured that each of them supports property tax reform. I have been encouraging people to vote for Barbara Buono, Pat Diegnan and Peter Barnes for this and other good reasons. As part of the Finance Committee, I have helped keep the municipal budget to almost zero growth, in an effort to keep local taxes as low as possible.

Peter Karczewski

Property taxes are a problem in part because we were being overcharged by Spotswood for the past five years. The $300,000 reduction in this year’s school budget is due to the fact that the school board business administrator found that the formula being used was incorrect. This is something that would have continued had he not scrutinized the formula. If elected, I plan to scrutinize what we are being charged so we do not put the town in the position we are currently in. Responsible redevelopment of the mill is crucial in bringing in much-needed revenue

Q.

What approaches will you take to address the problem with increasingly high property taxes in Helmetta?

Thomas Reid

I plan on supporting the SMART bill and the constitutional convention. I plan on bringing accountability back into our town. I will ensure that our residents are getting the services they are paying for. We need a positive plan for our future, and we need to be able to put our plan into action. I am not afraid to work hard for the good of our residents. I will do whatever it takes to make sure our taxpayers are treated fairly. Our residents are hard-working people who are struggling because of increased property taxes. Our residents deserve to be treated with respect.

Jeff Squire

I will support any legislation that will support property tax reform. I saw firsthand how expensive it is to educate students in New Jersey and how unfair the current funding for education is to our residents. I don’t think it is fair for it to be so hard for seniors and working people to pay their property taxes. Property tax reform is what we need to solve this problem.

Q.

What would you like to see become

of the former snuff mill area and why?

Nancy Martin

I am a firm believer in not "gambling" with the last possible positive ratable. I plan on amending the present ordinance to change the "residential" to "age-restricted residential," and appointing an advisory committee which will consist of residents from each area of Helmetta. Light industrial, commercial, retail and/or age-restricted residential is the only way to go. We do not have to gamble with the future of Helmetta — we have to guarantee the future of Helmetta.

Charles Molino

Proper development of the snuff mill property will prove essential for long-term borough tax relief. All developers’ plans should be welcomed, but carefully assessed. I will never condone or accept any development plan that will negatively affect the school budget. Responsible negotiations are of utmost importance. I feel my knowledge and experience in that regard will be invaluable.

Barbara Raczynski

My vision for the former snuff mill is fairly simple. I would like to see the "old style" remain and a "downtown" appearance for the buildings along Main Street. Each developer’s plan must be researched thoroughly and the final decision based on what will be the best financial and environmental proposal for the town. Professional office buildings, some retail, open space and housing that will not increase the cost of education could be some options for the snuff mill redevelopment. These options will increase revenue for the borough with the least amount of expenses.

Andrew Tidd

Responsible development of the snuff mill area is critical to lower property taxes in Helmetta. I support age-restricted housing combined with light retail commercial properties, which would add much-needed revenue to our tax base without additional tuition costs. I would proceed with extreme caution to make sure any such development would have only a limited negative impact on traffic. Also, I would see to it that any developer chosen would pay their fair share for any excess burden placed on borough service providers.

Council candidates:

Vincent Asciolla

I would like to see the Helme factory become light industrial and/or age-restricted residential. We need to redevelop the Helme property into a positive ratable that will benefit our taxpayers. This is our last chance at stabilizing and/or lowering our taxes. There are large buildings and property parcels that could be used efficiently for indoor as well as outdoor recreation. I think that it’s important for all of our residents in our community to have a large facility that can be utilized for many different activities.

Carol Ann "Cay" Dufau

What we need is to find common ground between our needs and the needs of qualified developers willing to invest in our town. We need offers that do not make traffic worse, do not burden our schools or school taxes, and are compatible with the small-town feeling we appreciate. It will be great to see more open space and recreation. I would love to see a fitness center and/or pool that all residents could use, office space, and more local services. If this can be done and keep the same look of the mill, I think it would be super.

Peter Karczewski

The snuff mill has to be developed for light commercial and/or age-restricted housing. This is essential for two very important reasons. If developed as I propose, the traffic during morning and evening rush hours will have minimal impact on the surrounding roads due to the fact that it would be minimal commercial. If the property is developed for age-restricted, the town will not incur the additional tuition charges that currently cause us great concern. This is absolutely critical for this town’s future to make sure the mill is developed correctly and not just for someone to make a quick "buck."

Sharon Navarro

I would support a redevelopment plan for the mill that would encompass age-restricted housing, combined with light retail shops, possibly an antiques mall. I believe this type of plan would best suit Helmetta, as the age-restricted housing would not attract families with school-age children, which in turn would ensure that we do not jeopardize our sending relationship with Spotswood schools by overloading them with more children. If done with proper planning, a light retail venture would attract sheer tax ratables and also hopefully allow us to keep the small-town feel that we currently project.

Thomas Reid

The only solution that I see for the Helme factory area is to make it light industrial, commercial and/or age-restricted residential. Any other form of residential other than age-restricted would bring in students, therefore making our taxes skyrocket. Our town cannot afford any other proposals.

Jeff Squire

No one cares more about what happens to the snuff mill than I do, because I live right next to it. I am open minded about looking at many plans. I am definitely opposed to apartments and anything that will be a financial burden to the community or increase the cost of education.