Meet The Mayoral Candidates: What Are The Most Pressing Issues In Mahwah?

MAHWAH, N.J. — Editor's note: The following is the second in a six-part series regarding this year's mayoral candidates: Incumbent William Laforet and challengers John Roth and Jonathan Wong. Each candidate was asked six questions and wrote as much as they wanted in response to those questions. Patch is running the candidates' responses to each question for six consecutive days.

Question: What are the three most pressing issues in town currently?

William Laforet, incumbent

I believe there are four primary components of an outstanding community. Preserving and enhancing what I call the “four pillars of our community,” low taxes, safest community, great schools, two AAA bond ratings has been and will continue to be the focus of my administration.

I am proud of these accomplishments and have a vision for our community to continue these accomplishments.

Councilman John Roth, challenger

The three most pressing issues facing the township are taxes and controlling the expenses that drive them.

Next is affordable housing mandates. The courts will determine our constitutional obligation since COAH no longer exists and we are vigorously pursuing litigation to protect Mahwah’s interests. The affordable housing advocates are litigating a position that would require Mahwah to build 5,000 housing units in order to construct 1,000 affordable ones. A court-ordered mandate for that number of units would destroy the fabric of our community and tax resources such as schools beyond any reasonable limits. This needs to be carefully addressed and professionally managed to win the court’s favor for our position of no more than 200 affordable units based on available vacant land and previously constructed units.

Lastly is the quality of life issue that affects multiple areas from an aging infrastructure and the capital resources to upkeep it and managing the potential outcome of federal litigation facing the township which could affect the quality of services we deliver by virtue of the cost associated with it.

Jonathan Wong, challenger

I believe that the single most important issue in Mahwah is the lack of a unified government. The lack of unity is a distraction from the three most pressing issues in the township — taxes, the affordable housing mandate, and the pending federal lawsuit.

Whether it is the council or mayor, we are elected to serve the people of Mahwah effectively, diligently, and objectively. Controlling the budget and taxes is the most important thing the council and mayor do. This requires researching and proposing plans to increase revenue or decrease expenses.

It is crucial that the council and mayor review the budget diligently to find opportunities to cut wasteful spending. Additionally, the council and mayor need to work collectively to effectively plan for the financial stability of the township, paying off debts in a timely manner, and ensuring that the town has the tools necessary to succeed. This is why a unified government is important to our three most pressing issues. If we cannot work together or share information as a team, we will not be able to effectively control taxes.

With the imminent affordable housing mandate and pending lawsuit, we need unity now more than ever. It is our duty as elected officials to put the community as our first priority.

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