Four Vie for Two Committee Seats

Wyckoff residents are assured of two new faces on the governing body in 2010.

Decisions by Township Committee member Richard C. Alnor and Mayor Joseph B. Fiorenzo not to seek re-election to their expiring seats opens the field for four candidates who are competing for two, three-year terms aboard the five-member committee. However, unlike most municipalities, Wyckoff residents will not vote to elect their mayor. Under the committee system of government, governing body members vote to choose a colleague to occupy the mayor's seat for one year, and that person does not enjoy any special powers.

While the winning candidates will be new to the committee, all are active in the township, and two have mounted bids for office in recent elections. Republicans Kevin J. Rooney and Christopher P. DePhillips face Diane Sobin, an independent, and Brian Hubert, a Democrat, both of whom have previously run for committee seats.

Both teams share many of the same goals and interests, such as protecting open space, stabilizing the municipal budget and promoting Smart Growth. While Rooney and DePhillips feel that they have the experience and expertise to foster such initiatives, Sobin and Hubert believe that they have a record of activism and accomplishment that is being co-opted as platform goals.

For example, Hubert said he was "taken aback" when he saw the GOP team's platform. "Where have they been?" he asked. DePhillips said he and Rooney are the "fresh faces" who are "knowledgeable on numerous issues" and will be "responsive to the community."

"We want to be accessible to all the different factions in town," Rooney said.

Sobin, who is co-chair of the Friends of Wyckoff, said Rooney, the chairman of the zoning Board of Adjustment, is "part of the problem, not the solution" when it comes to open space preservation and Smart Growth.

Rooney/DePhillips

Rooney, a 20-year resident, has been on the zoning board for 10 years and heads the Shade Tree Commission. He is a partner in a real estate development and management company, HMS Global Holdings LLC, and co-owns Holland Hills Farm LLC in Allendale. He enjoys various certifications as an arborist, real estate agent, pesticide applicator and is a certified tree expert while holding memberships in several equestrian and tree organizations. Rooney says he's supported and contributed to the police, firefighters, ambulance squad, Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club and VFW throughout the years.

A lifelong Republican, Rooney said he was approached by the party to run this fall.

"I was honored to be asked to do it."

DePhillips, an eight-year resident, is a partner in the law firm of Porzio Bromberg & Newman, where he specializes in product liability, toxic tort and pharmaceutical liability cases. Additionally, he is a registered lobbyist who advises clients on election law and pay-to-play regulations, according to Porzio's Web site.

DePhillips was familiar with Wyckoff before moving to the township, having been active at St. Elizabeth's Church. He is on the board of the Wyckoff Education Foundation and has supported the PTO at Sicomac School, in addition to being a recreational sports coach and supporter of the Wyckoff Family YMCA. Other than his bar and legal association memberships, he is on the board of Community Blood Services and the northern New Jersey chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

He feels that serving on the Township Committee is a civic duty. "You have a responsibility to your neighbors," DePhillips said.

Sobin/Hubert

Sobin, a 13-year resident, is a financial analyst and senior portfolio manager with Columbia Management, a division of Bank of America. She helped found and co-chairs the Friends of Wyckoff and is a member of Concerned Citizens Against Maple Lake Development. She also has served as a recreational sports coach.

Sobin has run for Township Committee the past two years as a Republican. While she still regards herself as a member of the GOP, she decided to mount an independent bid this year after Rooney and DePhillips were selected for the Republican line, which she said "came out of the blue." 

Her platform and interest in open space preservation and responsible development remain virtually the same, despite the shedding of the party label. Regardless, she said the "governing party... in no way resembles Republicans or Democrats." Instead, she said the "entrenched party" holds power, and that she and Hubert would represent the average Wyckoff resident's concerns.

Hubert, a nine-year resident, is an executive at Morgan Stanley who previously held office in Ridgefield Park. There, he served as the commissioner in charge of the Department of Public Works and Parks & Public Property and gained experience negotiating police contracts. He also served on the Ridgefield Park Board of Adjustment. Locally, Hubert has been a recreational football and basketball coach and is the past president of the Wyckoff Football Boosters Association.

He unsuccessfully ran for office in 2006 and 2008, although his last running mate, Brian Scanlan, won election to the committee last year. Although he is a Democrat, Hubert did not hesitate to partner with an independent candidate, pointing out that Ridgefield Park has a nonpartisan form of government. He is again attempting to seek a seat because "there are issues that the people have to be heard on."

Both Hubert and Sobin have declined to take donations from township employees or businesses.

Issues

Both teams promise to work to stabilize taxes. Noting mandated fixed costs such as utilities, insurance and contracts, Hubert admits there is "no silver bullet" to reduce taxes, but said the township must further explore cost savings on services, as the "number one issue wherever you are is taxes." Sobin believes her professional background leaves her qualified to bring a "fresh set of eyes" to the budgeting process. She feels that the township also has had to spend too much on legal fees in recent years.

Both Rooney and DePhillips also favor looking into sharing services with neighboring municipalities and cooperating with neighbors on purchases.

"There are ways to work smarter," Rooney said.

Both teams also promote Smart Growth, which Rooney said is about "maintaining the charm and character of the town." Sobin believes Wyckoff needs a "cohesive plan for development," as Smart Growth entails "enhancing the character of the downtown." Both Rooney/DePhillips and Sobin/Hubert support giving a close look at the Master Plan to ensure that it reflects the majority's interests.

The candidates all support seeking grant money to preserve open space, with both sides mentioning as a goal the possible preservation of Russell Farms on Sicomac Avenue. Sobin and Hubert vow to make sure the committee follows through on its vote earlier this summer to seek funding from Bergen County to purchase the parcel, while Rooney and DePhillips would like an Open Space Advisory Committee to support the committee's efforts to preserve space. However, both teams agree that the township must be careful in its approach to Russell Farms, whose rehabilitation could entail costly environmental remediation. 

"You don't want to overspend and squander dollars," Sobin said.

Both campaigns promise to be accessible to residents as committee members. Sobin and Hubert believe that township meetings should be televised to foster greater awareness of township issues among the public; Rooney isn't opposed to the idea but said the potential benefits would have to be weighed against the cost to taxpayers. Sobin would like to see committee members maintain office hours at Memorial Town Hall to deal with constituent concerns. Both sides say they have developed their platforms in part by listening to residents' concerns.

All of the candidates are parents whose children are in or have gone to Wyckoff schools. Rooney said he and DePhillips want to be "proactive" in terms of furthering a mutual relationship with the independent Board of Education so the kids "get the best education available."

Although both teams employ lawn signs and go door-to-door meeting with residents, it remains to be seen whether there will be a public forum for the candidates to debate the issues. Sobin and Hubert would like such a forum held. Rooney said he and DePhillips are "accessible" and meeting with different community groups, but said "debate is only as good as the group you're debating."

Alnor and Fiorenzo could not be reached for comment.