Meet The Mayoral Candidates: Why Are They Running?

Editor's note: The following is the first 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: Why are you running for mayor? What prior experience qualifies you for such a position?

William Laforet, Incumbent

My primary motivation for seeking office in Mahwah is that I love Mahwah.

When I say I want to give back to the town that has given my so much, those are not empty words, but rather an understatement.

I was born and raised in Mahwah. My wife Maureen and I were high school sweethearts. We opened our business, Mahwah Sunoco, almost 40 years ago. That Mahwah business allowed us to buy a home, raise a beautiful family in Mahwah and send them to college. Fortunately, our daughter returned to Mahwah and now, she and our son-in-law are raising our three grandchildren in Mahwah.

I coached my children’s sports teams and was one of the founders of Mahwah Municipal Alliance. I served on the Mahwah Board of Adjustments for years. My entire life has been centered on Mahwah.

I am running for reelection this year to continue the extraordinary accomplishments of my administration and the work of previous mayors. We have one of the lowest tax rates in Bergen County, we are one of the safest communities in New Jersey and among the top 50 safest communities in the nation and Mahwah has not one, but two AAA bond ratings.

Councilman John Roth, challenger

I am running for mayor of Mahwah to preserve and protect the shared vision we all have of our community. That vision is one of an extraordinary community of like-minded, caring neighbors, including families with children, college students, and an active and vital senior population.

I have always held a belief that I have a civic duty to give back to my community. That has driven my 19 years of community service in a variety of different positions. I began by serving on the Board of Education for five years then the Planning Board, two years, and then a 12-year term on the Town Council. During that tenure I was elected vice president twice and president four times.

During my council tenure, I co-founded Mahwah Community News, negotiated the Cablevision franchise that created an annual revenue stream, led the task force that revised water rates that insured financial viability for our water department and encouraged conservation, led council technology initiatives that put all council persons on the township e-mail system, created a paperless process for managing council meetings, co-founded the Access for All Commission to serve residents with disabilities, served on the Senior Advisory Board, and played a leading role in creating the Municipal Pipeline Group, a consortium of 15 municipalities working together to fight the Pilgrim pipeline.

In addition to my community service, I recently retired as executive vice president, managing director of the world’s third largest communications firm. I spent 40 years in marketing communications and held senior management positions for more than 25 years. I believe the combination of my professional experience and community involvement and accomplishments make me uniquely qualified to be the mayor of Mahwah.

I am also running for mayor because our town needs a significant course correction and new leadership to guide it with a proper moral compass and concern for what’s right for Mahwah. Mahwah has changed since I moved here 23 years ago to raise two sons with my wife, Andrea. Alarmingly, the last five years have seen our town government evolve into a mismanaged, often reckless political machine that threatens our community. The consequences of this way of governing have already cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and may cost us millions of dollars in the near future.

Recently our community has seen a flight of senior-level township talent into retirement because of the present environment. Department of Public Works employees and ambulance volunteers have been threatened with privatization. There have been multiple charges of a hostile work environment, harassment, a $60 million federal employment lawsuit, an historic mayoral recall, and a first-ever vote of no confidence in our mayor by the governing body. Most concerning is that we now all live under the threat of the consequences of an enormous lawsuit that was prompted by poor decisions and reckless mismanagement.

Councilman Jonathan Wong, challenger

I am running for mayor because Mahwah is my home and I care about it.

It has been disappointing to see the political division in our local government, which has been negatively impacting our town. There needs to be collaboration and cooperation between the town council and the position of the mayor. As elected officials, our duty is to effectively run the business of the township as well as listen and advocate the voice of the community. This is impossible if we cannot work together as a team. The township needs leadership and vision.

I want to unite the town government by having more transparency. In doing so, I hope to use my education and experiences to help the people of Mahwah in regards to taxes and keeping Mahwah affordable while maintaining exceptional quality in services.

I am qualified to serve Mahwah as mayor. Being a current councilman and a member of the Ordinance Committee, I have helped reduce taxes on $37 million and $38.5 million budgets by continuously making suggestions in our budgeting process. I have worked well with my colleagues on the council and have avoided being a part of any political controversies.

Additionally, I am a business owner, received my Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Investment, and am a graduating law school student with an emphasis in tax, business, and real estate law. I have also gained valuable skills from my law school courses in negotiations, constitutional law, and administrative law. Furthermore, I have always been dedicated to the township through volunteer programs at my local church. I have built a deep connection with and desire to serve the community.

Send local news tips, photos, and press releases to daniel.hubbard@patch.com. Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.

Image via Shutterstock