Westfield Primary Election 2023: Erika Vargas-Garrison

WESTFIELD, NJ — Westfield's primary election on June 6 has eight candidates running for four open seats on the Town Council.

Democrat Erika Vargas-Garrison is one of two candidates running in the uncontested primary for Ward 2.

Other candidates include Democrat Emily L. Root for Ward 1; Republican Michael Armento for Ward 2; Democrat Dawn Alicia Nichol-Manning and Republican Michal D. Domogala for Ward 3; and Democrat Scott A. Katz and Republican David William Kiefer for Ward 4.

All of the candidates are running for a three-year seat on the Town Council.

Are you running for office in Westfield? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Westfield Patch.

Erika Vargas-Garrison

Age: 48

Town of residence: Westfield

Position sought: Councilmember, Ward 2

Party affiliation: Democrat

Family: I am married to Robert Garrison, a former Westfield Board School Member. Our daughter, Maya Garrison, is a seventh-grade student attending Roosevelt Intermediate School.

Education: Rutgers University

Occupation: Patron Services Manager, New Jersey Turnpike Authority

Previous or current elected appointed office: None

Campaign website: vargasgarrisonforwestfield.com

Why are you seeking election to the Town Council?

My husband Rob and I have lived in Westfield for almost 18 years and are the proud parents of Maya, a 7th grader at Roosevelt Intermediate School. After arriving from Ecuador at the age of 5 years old, I grew up in West New York with my family, who themselves immigrated from Ecuador in the 1970’s in search of better economic opportunities and living conditions. I never lose sight of how fortunate we are to be raising our daughter in this beautiful town, and I am running for Town Council to give back to the community that has given my family so much. I am particularly interested in advocating for improved safety measures for bicyclists and pedestrians, increased traffic enforcement to reduce speeding since Ward 2 includes major roads such as North and South Avenues and East Broad St., as well as many well-traveled secondary roads. Ward 2 also includes the majority of Westfield’s downtown, our crown jewel, so I pledge to work with my colleagues to continue our progress on downtown revitalization while delivering on a commitment to improve intersections, walkability, and enforcement of traffic laws.

Balancing the town's budget becomes more difficult each year with inflation and the loss of revenue since COVID. How do you plan to address this?

Municipalities across New Jersey are contending with big challenges from affordability to downtown vibrancy, to traffic and pedestrian safety concerns, and Westfield is no different. I will work to continue Westfield’s tradition of fiscal responsibility while looking for new ways to deliver value for residents. My management experience at the Turnpike Authority brought in private investment to help finance public amenities and infrastructure. As a member of the Town Council, I will use my experience to help find creative ways to make the investments we need.

Having trust and transparency in the town government is important to residents. How has the town improved on this or how would you improve this?

We are fortunate to have an engaged, intelligent, and caring community that shares a commitment to doing what is best for our town. While we may all agree on our challenges, I know that not everyone will agree on how we solve them, and that is okay. What is most important is that we have Town Council members who listen, and work to bring people together to address concerns which is what I have done throughout my professional career. I want to ensure that Westfield preserves what makes our community so special while taking advantage of the many opportunities we have to create an even brighter future for our children and families.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in the township?

From my conversations with voters in Ward 2, there is broad agreement that Westfield residents and our children should have access to quality recreational facilities. There is a need to increase the capacity of our fields in order to accommodate our wonderful recreation and sports programs. I am committed to ensuring the town delivers solutions that are well planned, cost effective and environmentally sensitive and that your voices are heard and represented.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

Westfield is at a pivotal point when it comes to shaping its future and as an accomplished manager working in the government sector, I offer a unique background of experience in complex deals involving large scale capital and infrastructure projects while keeping fiscal responsibility at the forefront. The skills that I use every day in my professional life are the same skills that I am committed to bringing to the role of councilwoman.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

In my spare time, I enjoy reading, cooking and spending quality time with my family and three dogs, Bella, Max and Ozzy. Over the next several months, I look forward to meeting more of my neighbors to hear about their concerns, and how, as a member of the Town Council, I can best serve and support their interests.