Westfield Ward 4 General Election 2023: David Kiefer

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

Republican David Kiefer is running for the one, four-year seat representing Ward 4 against Democrat Scott A. Katz.

Other candidates include Democrat Emily L. Root and Republican Todd B. Saunders for Ward 1; Democrat Erika J. Vargas Garrison and Republican Michael Armento for Ward 2; and Democrat Dawn Alicia Nichol-Manning and Republican Michal D. Domogala for Ward 3.

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.

David Kiefer

Age: 50

Town of residence: Westfield

Position sought: Town Council--Ward 4

Party Affiliation: Republican

Family: Wife (Christine), two sons (Max and Alex), two stepdaughters (Elena and Vicki) and one dog (Truman)

Education: Bachelors Degree from Lafayette College and Juris Doctor from George Washington University

Occupation: Attorney

Previous or current elected appointed office: None

Campaign website: www.kiefer4ward4.com

Why are you seeking election for Town Council?

I'm troubled by the way in which our current Town Council has short-circuited the process for major decisions in town because, as I've said repeatedly, process matters. Residents have not been given adequate information or time to educate themselves or make up their minds on issues before our Council has executed on their plans. To make matters worse, most members of the Council seem more interested in arguing talking points for their preconceived conclusions than objectively considering all facets of the issues. I'm seeking election to bring a fresh voice to the Council, genuinely consider all viewpoints and question assumptions when necessary.

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?

It’s too much, too fast, and inconsistent with any conclusions that can be fairly drawn from the Town's Master Plan Reexamination Survey. For example, I have seen no indicators in our local or national economy that would suggest that our town needs or would adequately utilize 300,000 square feet of additional commercial space, which is what One Westfield Place will bring. Even if I'm wrong, however, and the developer finds tenants for all of this space, the 65-foot-tall buildings and multi-level parking garage are not compatible with the character of the town, are bigger than residents want (based on the Master Plan Reexamination Survey) and will ensnare us all in even greater traffic congestion.

This "all or nothing" approach to development was made possible by the Mayor and the Council deeming many properties in our town "in need of redevelopment" during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and handing the keys to our Town to a multi-billion developer whose only interest is maximizing its rate of return by building as big and as boldly as possible. Again, a bad process leads to bad decisions. Now, our town is getting an "all you can eat" buffet of commercial office space when we don't even know if enough hungry tenants are waiting with plates in hand. I'd prefer a more measured approach to development that holds developers to zoning requirements, which are designed to maintain the character of our town, and approves development organically in response to the demands of the marketplace.

Some development has been driven by affordable housing requirements, and this will bring additional foot traffic to our downtown. But we don’t need to seek out additional development that isn’t required — especially before we assess the impact of the projects already under way or approved.

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?

Our student-athletes need additional playing fields and have waited too long to get them. That said, I am opposed to the Edison Fields Project as currently conceived for a number of reasons. First, it consolidates the new fields in a single area that is already congested and will not allow us to maximize the playing time on the new fields due to the coordination that will need to occur with the existing fields in that area. Second, there are undeniable health and environmental hazards with artificial turf that cannot be ignored. After researching the issue, I am convinced that real grass fields can achieve the playing time we need so long as they are constructed and maintained in accordance with best practices—something our Town had yet to do with its existing grass fields.

Accordingly, I am in favor of rejecting the Edison Fields Project via the referendum and working toward implementing a new fields project with two main principles in mind: (1) the fields should be located in multiple locations to maximize their utility and reduce congestion and (2) real grass fields should be used instead of artificial turf. Because of the delays we have already experienced with getting new fields for our athletes, I will make this a priority as a member of the Council and do whatever I can to expedite the process while ensuring a sound outcome. To learn more about my position on this issue, please see the letter to the editor I wrote on June 1, 2023. (https://www.tapinto.net/towns/westfield/sections/government/articles/letter-why-we-need-a-referendum-on-the-edison-fields-project).

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?

The rate of property crimes, particularly car theft, has increased dramatically over the past few years, not only in Westfield, but across our State. In fact, from 2019 to 2022, car theft in New Jersey is up by over 30%, leading Governor Murphy to call it an epidemic." (https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-jersey/nj-auto-thefts-are-an-epidemic-gov-murphy/).

Our police face an uphill climb to prevent these crimes due to the sheer volume of incidents, as well as being hamstrung by statewide laws and policies that recycle dangerous offenders. By way of example, Westfield Police recently pursued a stolen vehicle through Westfield, Scotch Plains, and Fanwood, only to have an occupant of the vehicle jump out and take off on foot. When the officers finally caught and arrested all three suspects, they found an illegal, loaded handgun in the possession of the driver, as well as narcotics in the possession of all of the suspects. After our officers risked their personal safety to make these arrests, the suspects were processed and immediately released on their own recognizance, probably while the officers were still filling out their paperwork. (https://www.tapinto.net/towns/westfield/sections/police-and-fire/articles/westfield-police-three-arrested-after-multi-town-pursuit-wednesday).

While our Town Council's ability to fight crime is limited, public safety and security is still the first and primary mission of all elected officials. Members of the Council can play their part by not only supporting our police officers as they pursue criminal activity to the fullest extent of the law, but by acting as a voice for them to effect statewide change where needed. As a former Deputy Attorney General with the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, I appreciate the need for effective law enforcement and look forward to supporting our police officers in any way I can.

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

Our town needs to recognize and address the coming strain on our infrastructure from all of the development that is currently underway and potential new projects that can be greenlighted while large swaths of our town remain designated “in need of development.” From discrete issues, such as imagining how to turn into Trader Joe’s from Prospect Street once the Sophia project is built, to broader dilemmas like mitigating the cumulative impact of traffic congestion that will be brought on by the slew of new developments, our town is going to be challenged in the upcoming years. We need to be thoughtful in our decision-making and refrain from being misled by high-paid consultants who will try to convince us that the Earth is flat if we pay them enough.

By way of example, and to demonstrate that I am not being hyperbolic, in the lead-up to the approval of the One Westfield Place project, the developer rolled out a team of consultants to convince us that their planned traffic mitigation measures would actually reduce traffic congestion in town. They relied on assumptions such as a significant number of town residents riding bikes or walking to work or shopping once the development was built. After questioning the data behind this particular assumption, the consultants admitted that their data set did not control for people who rode their bike for exercise or walked because their dog needed to do its business. In other words, they had no data to support the conclusion that Westfield residents will be walking or riding bikes to One Westfield Place. Similarly, the consultant tried to convince us that a significant percentage of the new workers in the commercial office space would be taking the NJ Transit train to work before he was forced to acknowledge that he was relying on national data, not data related to the limited Raritan Valley line or even New Jersey. Perhaps most telling, however, was his response to the question of whether he ever refused to approve a development plan after he was paid to perform one of his traffic studies, he replied he did so only once—for a development planned for the town next to where he lived.

My point is that we need to think for ourselves, act prudently and build meaningful consensus before embarking on major town-altering decisions.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

It is essential that members of our Town Council seek data, challenge assumptions, and embrace robust (but respectful) dialogue. As a practicing attorney with 25 years of experience, I'll bring that level of diligence, debate, and compromise to the Council.

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

I started this campaign with the core principle that “process matters.” To make that principle come to life, my campaign has been laser-focused on ground-up decision making and balanced approaches to the key issues we face in Westfield. My positions are not predetermined by political affiliation, which is why have I received support from residents who are Democrats, Republicans and Independents. I’m incredibly proud of that fact, and I wouldn’t want to run my campaign any other way. If elected to office, I will conduct myself as a member of the town Council the same way and draw upon the thoughts and ideas of all the residents in my Ward.