Weinstein Bids Farewell to Politics, For Now

When borough council re-organizes on Jan. 3, it’ll mark the end of an era.

It’ll not only be the , it’ll be the first time in over a decade that  

Weinstein, who’s sat on council since October 2001, including three years spent as Fair Lawn’s mayor, chose not to run for re-election this November.

“All the nights out and the days, early morning meetings…after a while, it takes its toll on your family,” Weinstein said of serving on council. “It was time to take a little bit of a step back.”

That said, walking away from politics wasn’t an easy decision for Fair Lawn’s deputy mayor. Weinstein said it took him a couple months of serious deliberation and discussions with his family before he made up his mind.

“Speaking with my wife and my kids and my parents, we felt it was a time to devote more time to business and to my family,” said Weinstein, who runs a Teaneck-based CPA practice with his father, Phil. “I think the fire is still in the belly, but I felt that it was time to make that change, and I needed to focus on other things at this point.”

A return to politics someday is a real possibility, Weinstein said. If the right opportunity presents itself, he wouldn’t rule out following in the footsteps of former Fair Lawn mayors Bob Gordon and David Ganz, who parlayed their mayoral experience in Fair Lawn to reach higher office.

“I would never say never,” Weinstein laughed when asked about returning to politics. “You never know, in a couple of years, or maybe if there’s another opportunity for a higher office. We’ll have to see.”

It was in fact Ganz, Fair Lawn’s mayor from 1999 to 2005 and now a Bergen County Freeholder, whom Weinstein said showed him the ropes as a council newbie.

Part of that experience, Weinstein said, was learning how to work well with others.

“You learn that you may want to do something, but you can’t do it alone. You need the team,” he said. “You need that committee of people to get together and exchange ideas. It’s not a question of whose idea is better than others, it’s a question of putting them together and then coming out with what’s the best idea for the community.”

Weinstein said that with so much going on in town, it’s also important not to get bogged down in any one ordeal but rather learn to rely on borough professionals for their expertise.

“You gotta get your facts, get them in order…And you gotta make a decision,” Weinstein said. “You can’t sit there and stagnate. You gotta get things done for the betterment of Fair Lawn. So you learn how to think on your feet.”

His advice to council newcomers and : Take a balanced approach to issues, stay open-minded and seek the counsel of others. 

“Use the people here in the borough and their expertise in making decisions – whether it’s the CFO, the manager,. They are people who understand what’s going on day to day,” he said. “And remember, there’s no quick fix. There’s no easy way of saving money. You gotta balance different things out." 

To a great extent Weinstein said he’s accomplished the goals he set for himself when he joined council in 2001. He’s particularly proud of achievements involving Fair Lawn’s economic development, open space preservation, budget management and the construction of the .

Through it all, though, Weinstein said his lasting memories will be the personal connections he developed during his time as a community leader.

“I’ve met a lot of people I would’ve never met if I wasn’t on the council,” he said. “People that I consider really, really good friends. Trusted friends.”

Even as he steps away from council now to focus on his business and spend more time with his family – Weinstein and his wife, Linda, have three kids: Sari, Zachary and Ashley – he doesn’t have any intention of leaving his community behind. 

Weinstein will continue to serve on the and remain involved in economic development efforts in the borough. He said he also plans to get more involved with the Chamber of Commerce.

“I just love this town,” Weinstein said. “I moved here because I felt very comfortable and I know I made the right decision. It’s just a great, great community.”