Feisty Reporter Announces Candidacy For New Brunswick Mayor

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — A reporter who is extremely critical of the city of New Brunswick and its administration announced Wednesday he is running to be New Brunswick's next mayor.

Yesterday, Charlie Kratovil submitted over 125 signatures from New Brunswick residents who support his candidacy, which is enough to get his name on the November 6 general election ballot. He will be challenging Mayor James Cahill, who has been the city's mayor for the past seven terms.

"New Brunswick is a great city with tremendous potential, but the people here deserve a full-time mayor who will be 100% focused on cleaning up our streets, our drinking water and our local government," said Kratovil.

Cahill has been in office since 1991 when he took over the mayor position from his cousin, John Lynch, Jr.

"We welcome him to the campaign and look forward to a campaign that will be a discussion of ideas on how we can continue to improve the quality of life for New Brunswick residents," Mayor Cahill told Patch, when we called to ask him what he thinks of Kratovil's candidacy.

Kratovil founded a bilingual community newspaper in New Brunswick, New Brunswick Today, and he is the main reporter for it. Kratovil has been extremely critical of the New Brunswick Parking Authority, the New Brunswick Water Utility and the New Brunswick Housing Authority, all of which he routinely denounces as corrupt.

When asked about the many allegations Kratovil has lobbed towards his administration over the years, Cahill replied, "He's done that for a number of years and we look forward to a discussion about it."

In minute detail, Kratovil documents every clash he's had with local officials: He's had the downtown New Brunswick offices of his newspaper raided in 2016 by the New Brunswick police department over a water meter that Kratovil says proves corruption at the water utility. Kratovil also claims he's been barred from entering a Middlesex County Democratic party event, and has filed a complaint against a Housing Board member, saying the Board member physically threatened him.

He will announce his candidacy at 4:15 p.m. today on the steps of City Hall, after which Kratovil says he will march into tonight's City Council meeting to speak out against the city's proposed privatization of 911 dispatch services, which he says will lead to a dozen New Brunswick police dispatchers being laid off. Kratovilwill also be questioning Cahill administration officials about the Mayor's annual $6,000 "automobile mileage stipend."

Kratovil's candidacy marks the first electoral challenge to incumbent Cahill since 2010, and Charlie is also the first independent candidate to challenge him since 2006.

In addition to being mayor, Cahill runs a private law firm on the side.

A resident of the city since 2004, Kratovil graduated from Rutgers University.

Related: New Brunswick Police Seize Water Meter Given to Newspaper (VIDEO)