Goldsman Ramps Up Campaign For West Orange Town Council: 2026 Election

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Justin Goldsman could have thrown in the towel after his second-place finish in last year’s special election for town council. But instead of “slinking away in defeat,” he doubled down on his commitment to make the town a better place to live – and now he’s hoping that tenacity will pay off with a victory in November.

Goldsman is among the candidates competing for a seat on the West Orange Town Council this year. Learn more about his background and campaign platform here.

Goldsman has served as a congressional assistant under the late U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., and as the chief of staff to policy chair of the New Jersey Assembly, Gary Schaer. The native West Orange resident serves on the town’s Environmental Commission, Public Relations Commission, the West Orange Scholarship Fund, and the leadership of the West Orange Hispanic Foundation. He is a member of the West Orange Kiwanis Club, and is a former commissioner on the town’s Human Relations Commission.

According to Goldsman’s campaign team, his platform includes:

Environment and Open Space – “Our town should invest in renewable energy options like solar carports on municipal parking lots as well as be more aggressive in county, state, and federal grant applications and our approach to Green Acres Funding to safeguard our environment, lower utility costs, and help offset the town’s debt. Conducting a free energy audit by tapping into the state’s free consultation program could help us save up to $700,000 per year in utility costs as other towns such as Willingboro have done. Justin wrote an ordinance to amend our Land Use Regulations to ban data centers in town in order to protect the character of our community and was vocally outspoken at numerous meetings in his opposition to the West Essex Highlands proposal.”

Supporting Our Small Businesses – “I support doing all we can to help grow our local small businesses, such as expanding the shop local programs which attracts customers for our local businesses and gives residents a return on their property tax bill, developing a vacant storefront registry for prospective businesses, and committing to continuous engagement with our businesses about the issues they are facing. Cutting through the bureaucratic red tape that often hinders our businesses to excel due to lengthy time constraints is another priority.”

Government Reform and Transparency – “I plan to improve transparency and provide greater options for community input during council meetings and hosting monthly ‘Council on your Corner’ meetings to hear concerns directly. I also firmly believe that you should be able to see your tax dollars in action. It is why I have listed on my website proposed online trackers for ordinances so you can see where legislation stands, status of grant applications and fulfillments, annual contract reviews, and infrastructure project updates. Our town must also greatly enhance our communication efforts, both in terms of proactive messaging and how and when we communicate with residents. It is why I wrote and presented to the council an ordinance for non-emergency sidewalk and roadway repairs, to ensure residents of impacted project areas have a clear understanding of the work being done and the details surrounding the project.”

Taxes and Revenue – “West Orange must implement multi-year budget projections so our town can have short, mid, and long-term revenue and cost expectations and clear plans of how we intend to use your tax dollars, as well as a more community focused process to improve budget transparency. Many households know what an expense is for this year, that in two years they may make their first payment for college tuition, and in five years a mortgage payment. Our town can and should approach our budgeting processes with multiple years in mind ... We also need to do a better job of attracting ratables in town, which would be made easier by having an in-house town planner that is intersectional and comprehensive in approach.”

Transportation and Safety – “I will work to make our town more transit accessible, expanding our available options to better serve our residents’ needs, such as affordable, innovative microtransit options for residents to get around town. We also need to make West Orange more safe and friendly for pedestrians by constructing new sidewalks near school zones to achieve the goal of Vision Zero, four-way stop signs at any intersection within quarter mile of a school when possible, and ADA curb ramps to assist those with disabilities to travel between roadways and sidewalks safely.”

>> Are you a local candidate running for office in West Orange? Send campaign updates and news releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

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