Five Candidates Vying For Three Council Seats

Three seats on the Ramsey borough council are up for election this November. Though voters will see six names competing for the jobs, only five residents will be running to fill the seats.

A two-year unexpired term currently held by Joe Verdone, 71, is up for election this year. The seat vacated by Bruce Vozeh, who was hired as borough administrator in July.

Verdone, a Republican who was appointed in August to fill the seat until the election, will be running to finish out the remaining two years on the term.

On the ballot, voters will see another name vying for the seat – Democrat Scott Stahlmann. However, Stahlmann sent a notice to the borough clerk last month withdrawing from the race. He said he had to withdraw because of the “nature of my position and employer.” Stahlmann refused to elaborate in a phone interview earlier this month.

According to the Bergen County Clerk’s Office, Stahlmann withdrew his name from the race after ballots had been printed, so his name will appear on it.

The two remaining seats on the council up for election this year are for regular three-year terms. Republican incumbents Deirdre Dillon and William Jones, who have both served two terms on the council, are running for reelection. Two Democratic challengers, Dr. Lou Moore, the principal of Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes, and Kelly Van Horn, a student teacher and Ramsey High School grad, are also running for spots on the council.

On Nov. 6, the top two vote-getters of the four candidates will win spots on the council.

Both incumbents say they are hoping to continue to serve the community, while both challengers say they’d like to add new voices to the borough’s governing body.

Over the next few days, check Patch for individual articles on all of the candidates so you can get to know who is running for local office.

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