Westfield Ward 2 General Election 2023: Michael Armento

WESTFIELD, NJ — Westfield's general election on Nov. 7 has eight candidates running for four open seats representing each ward in Town.

Republican Michael Armento is running for the one, four-year seat representing Ward 2 against Democrat Erika J. Vargas Garrison.

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

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.

Michael Armento, MD

Age: 61

Town of residence: Westfield

Position sought: Town Council - Ward 2

Party Affiliation: Republican

Family: I have a son Michael and daughter Ava. Michael is a Westfield high school graduate who then attended Ramapo College where he obtained a degree in accounting. Ava is presently a sophomore in Westfield high school. Dakota is our 2 1/2 year old Bernedoodle.

Education: I graduated Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA with a B.A. and then obtained my medical doctor degree from New Jersey Medical School

Occupation: I am a pediatric Physiatrist. I have worked at Children’s Specialized Hospital for 30 years.

Previous or current elected appointed office: None

Campaign website: facebook.com/ArmentoForWestfield

Why are you seeking election for Town Council?

I am seeking election to Town Council because I am not pleased with the direction of the town. I attended many town council meetings regarding One Westfield Place. Residents presented many concerns with the project. There was bi-partisan displeasure with the project. A petition of over 2300 residents was presented to the Mayor and Town Council requesting a scaled down plan. Their voices were ignored. The administration of Summit put a pause and scaled back their project after their residents voiced their concerns. They listened, the mayor of Westfield did not. I would be honored to be elected to the Town Council so I can listen to the concerns of our residents, promote transparency and try to stop the overdevelopment of Westfield as well as guide Westfield into the future in a manner consistent with its great history.

Development in Westfield including the Westfield One Project and development in general has become a hot topic in town. How do you feel about development in Town?

I think that One Westfield Place changes the charm and character of the town. Large office buildings, 65-75 feet tall in the center of town changes the whole landscape. Traffic will be much worse. There will be a strain on the infrastructure. There are also financial risks with the project as the town will not receive all the funds if certain parameters are not met. If Westfield does not receive the funds that will lead to an increase in taxes to make up the difference which is totally unacceptable.

I do feel that reasonable development is appropriate.

However, buildings should be kept at the present height of the buildings in town which is 40 feet. Part of the present plan allows for buildings in the central business district to be increased to a height of 55 feet. Westfield will be changed forever. There should be a bidding process if Westfield is going to sell its land. Westfield is a thriving, desirable town to live in. We need to make sure we do not give away land to a single corporation with a no-bid contract as was done with One Westfield Place. Westfield has been designated in need of redevelopment. That allows the mayor and town council to give out no bid contracts and by-pass the zoning and planning boards and potentially place large structures on all the public parking lots in Westfield. The charm and character will be lost.

The Edison Fields Bond Ordinance has been added to the ballot to go up for public vote in November. What do you think of the project and the use of turf over natural grass?

I think that improving playing fields in Westfield is essential. The sports fields in Westfield are not comparable to surrounding towns. I have 2 children who have played on many different fields in town and the quality of a majority of the fields could definitely be improved. In terms of the Edison field project, the present administration previously stated they would have fields in place by fall of 2019/spring 2020 after the Mayor canceled the proposed the Tamaques park plan but now the fields project completion date will be 2025. In addition the project costs have increased by over $2,000,000. The fields project was supposed to be publically-vetted and with potentially a better outcome. It was not given the fact residents were able to obtain over 2500 signatures so it could be brought to a referendum. I think there are some valid concerns raised regarding PFAs and artificial turf. California, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont have introduced legislation to ban new artificial fields. I think there should be a cautious approach in this regard. However the residents now will vote and determine the outcome. If the proposal fails, I will advocate for money to be spent on upgrading all BOE fields to make them into actual maintained sports fields. We need to be aggressive to ensure Westfield has the best, state of the art fields for our children.

There have been more discussions about crime in Town in regards to car and home burglaries. Are you happy with how the Town and Police are handling this? And how would you like to improve this?

I fully support the Westfield Police Department. The license plate readers that were recommended by Councilman LoGrippo over 3 years ago, but were only finally approved by the town council recently and then implemented, are a good crime fighting tool. Given all of the development and over-development planned for Westfield, our infrastructure including police and fire departments will be stressed and potentially require the hiring of more town employees to meet the needs of its residents, adding to the financial burden placed on its residents.

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

I think many issues such as traffic and parking, will be exacerbated by overdevelopment of the town. In addition, speaking to residents of my ward, full day kindergarten is a concern of many parents with young children. Many of the nearby towns have full day kindergarten and this should be thoroughly investigated so Westfield can meet the needs of our residents.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

I have lived in Westfield for over 29 years and have a great appreciation of the town and care deeply about it. I have been involved with my children’s sports in town, serving as a coach. I was also on the Board of Governors of Nomahegan Swim and Tennis Club for 12 years, serving as president for 5. In these capacities I interacted with many different people and have a good sense of the needs of our residents. I have been disappointed at town council meetings as it seems the residents are not truly listened to. As a physician, listening to my patients is of the utmost importance in order for me to properly care for them and I would use my listening skills and ability to interact with people to be an effective town council person and provide the best representation for my ward.

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

I am very passionate about running for town council and giving my best effort for the job. As a pediatric physiatrist, I work with children with special needs at Children’s Specialized Hospital, where I have been for over 30 years. I strive to provide the best care possible to help my pediatric patients and be the best physician for my patients. I will bring this attribute to the town council and I will provide the best leadership for our great town to ensure it is the best place to live in, to raise a family as well as for those in the later years of life.