Ridgewood Village Council Candidate Profile: Evan Weitz

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — While the focus on Nov. 3 will be on the Congressional midterm elections, several North Jersey towns including Ridgewood are seeing contested races for local government.

In Ridgewood, four candidates are running in a non-partisan election for two seats on the five-member Village Council.

Every two years, the council members choose a mayor from among themselves.

New Jersey's voter registration deadline for the election is Oct. 13. Early voting in New Jersey runs from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1.

Those competing for the four seats are:

• Evan Weitz (incumbent)
• Siobhan Winograd (incumbent)
• Hyunju Kwak
• Denise Pierce

Patch is running profiles submitted by candidates via a form. Below are candidate Evan Weitz's biographical details and answers to two questions, verbatim.

Check Ridgewood Patch for the other candidate profiles, and sign up to receive our free newsletter full of daily news each morning here.

Profile: Evan Weitz

Age: 50

Government/volunteer work: Councilman, Village of Ridgewood. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney (Federal Prosecutor) and Assistant District Attorney, Manhattan DA's Office.

Current job: I am currently an executive with a large Financial Institution specializing in Anti-Money Laundering and Financial Crimes Compliance.

Education: I received my law degree from Emory University and a B.A. from Rutgers University with a double major in music and history.

Volunteer work: I was a Trustee and Board Member at Temple Israel in Ridgewood for several years before joining the Coumcil. I also served on the Develepment Partnership Council for the Mason Gross School of thr Arts.

Family: I am married to my wife of 20+ years, Dr. Jennifer Blanck and we have two kids in the Ridgewood school system.

How long have you lived in town? A little over 14 wonderful years

Longer Questions

1. What do you think are the biggest problems facing your electorate right now, and how do you hope to help solve them?

We first and foremost need to keep taxes low and be fiscally responsible. That is why I am proud of my record over the last four years of keeping municipal tax increases below the rate of inflation. However, keeping taxes low is just part of being fiscally responsible. We also need to continue reinvesting in the Village and maintain the services our residents expect. Using grant money, public/private partnerships and by finding efficiencies in government, we have continued to invest in the Village including hiring full time school safety officers, hiring more police and firefighters, investing in the downtown by demolishing and remediating the town garage site and building a new bus station, improving our fields including the new overhead stadium lights at Vet’s field, building a new senior center and continuing to fund sidewalks and roads, just to name a few of our accomplishments and all while keeping taxes low. If reelected, I plan to build on that record of fiscal responsibility.

2. Why do you think you're the most qualified for the spot?

When I finished law school, I turned down offers to work for big law firms to start my career in public service. I spent 14 years as a Prosecutor handling violent crimes such as domestic violence and crimes against children, as well as money laundering and other white-collar crimes. I then entered the private sector where I rose to be a Managing Director of one of the largest banks in the world. I bring the unique experience of being able to deliver results within both government and the private sector. I will bring that same level of experience to the Council. However, while I am proud of my accomplishments in government and business, I am most proud of being a husband and father. I have been married for over 20 years and my wife and I have two kids in the Ridgewood Schools. I am also the only person running who commutes into Manhattan on a regular basis. I think it is critically important that we have someone with those experiences sitting on the Council. It gives me a better perspective on what many families in Ridgewood contend with on a daily basis and why it’s important to deliver the very best in services for our community.

Finally, over the last four years I have fought to keep taxes low while expanding services to our residents and investing in the infrastructure of the Village. My record both on and off the Council makes me the most qualified candidate to serve another four years.

More About The Race

Each term is four years, with elections held in staggered years. Read about the Village Council here.

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See the New Jersey voter information portal and election timelines here.