Paterson City Council
The candidates for the Paterson City Council answer questions posed by the Herald News.
Reporting by Alexander MacInnes and Denisa R. Superville, Herald News.
* denotes incumbent
QUESTIONS
1. What will be your top priorities if elected to the City Council? Be specific on issues you feel need to be addressed in your ward?
2. With the city likely to have to make do with less state aid next year, how can legislators either curb spending or increase revenues? What ordinances or programs would you either reject or approve?
3. Policing is a function of the administration, but the City Council has had two chances to address residents’ concerns about crime — the curfew and an ordinance to shut down eateries earlier. These initiatives have stalled. Would you push for a vote on these, and if they come up, how will you vote?
1st Ward | 2nd Ward | 3rd Ward | 4th Ward | 5th Ward | 6th Ward
1st Ward
Anthony E. Davis*
1. Youth, crime, cleaner homes and streets. Restore pride and hope to Paterson’s residents.
I will continue to work with our youth to find ways for a venue for them, to teach them the pitfalls of life and have them respect life.
And the enforcement of laws.
2. Yes, we need to curb our spending, and we need to start a true shared services system that will help Paterson increase revenues. One way is to have a stronger enforcement program in recycling.
3. I will have more community meetings on curfew and overnight eateries to iron out all avenues that will not cost this city a court hearing and look for real ways to enforce these activities.
2nd Ward
Aslon Goow Sr.*
1. My priority is to provide the residents the services they pay for — good roads, clean sidewalks, enforcement of zoning codes, and quick response from emergency services. I will ensure that future redevelopment and rehabilitation projects for Areas 9 and 11 (St. Joseph’s Hospital and Garret Heights) come to fruition.
2. During the last few years, this council has increased fines and penalties in anticipation of less state aid in addressing quality of life issues. Only if and when Paterson becomes clean and safe will we be able to continue to attract new ratables.
3. Only when this administration provides adequate recreation and quality park grounds for our youths and families to enjoy, will I consider a curfew. I will only support legislation to regulate businesses in our city if it is across the board and includes barbershops and liquor stores.
John Larko
1. Create an open and transparent government. Get our dedicated police car back in the ward. Increase fines on illegal multi-rental homes that devour our resources. Get our fair share of the Water Resources Development Act to resolve the sewer overflowing problem.
2. Focus on current vendors and create competition in the bidding process. Introduce the toughest pay-to-play ordinance in New Jersey. Contracts will then be awarded on merit instead of political contributions. I have not taken a dime from big money, so I am only indebted to the people of Paterson.
3. Ordinances on curfews and limiting hours on a narrow group of businesses have been ruled unconstitutional in this country. Instead of wasting tax dollars on legal challenges, I will focus on providing the people adequate police protection. We must utilize our resources by adding more police.
Elizabeth Rosado
1. CRIME: I want to see more beat officers, especially in the Hillcrest area, Main Street and Union Avenue.
RECREATION: We need to maintain our parks and make sure that they are properly used, not abused.
CITY FINANCES: We have to cut wasteful spending and make sure we don’t spend what we don’t have.
2. We have to focus on departments that produce income such as the courts, Community Improvements and the Parking Authority, and work with them on improvements so they can produce more income. We need to continue to bring in more business and projects like Center City, to places like Route 20 and Bunker Hill.
3. I will support the curfew. It’s time we do so. Too many young, innocent kids are dying in the streets. I believe eateries should not be open 24 hours. I will sit with my colleagues on the council and put a time for closings that are reasonable for the business but also good for the residents.
3rd Ward
Miguel Diaz
1. To make municipal historic tax credit available to eligible residents by creating a five-year tax incentive promoting rehabilitation of our most historic structures, which will also increase revenue through job creation due to renovation.
2. The fact that there are large homes in the 3rd Ward provides opportunity for residents to sublet their homes and rent to multiple people. An increase in fines would discourage illegal subdivisions and increase revenue.
3. I, and the residents of the 3rd Ward, approve the curfew. McKoy, the current councilman, as member of the ad hoc committee, failed to act.
As Planning Board commissioner, I believe in targeting eateries in hot spots to avoid deaths like Officer Franklin’s and last week’s shooting on Broadway.
Kim Freeman
Did not respond to questions.
William McKoy*
1. I will to continue working to implement revitalization efforts in Paterson. I’ll insist on:
- Request for Proposals for the lower main area,
- Upgrading radio room,
- Expanding camera and gunshot detection systems,
- New technology to improve police response time,
- Supporting DPW and Community Improvement initiatives.
2. The council will continue to assist with both curbing spending and identifying additional revenue. We have held the line on the city’s borrowing. Many income-producing projects have sprung from the council’s decision to financially support the Home Depot project, enabling the developer to complete the project as planned.
3. I’d put them back on the agenda to allow for a full hearing of the issues associated with these quality of life concerns. Legislators must reserve judgment until all parties have had their opportunity for a fair hearing, as required under the due process doctrine. Outcome would determine my vote.
4th Ward
Vera Ames-Garnes*
1. I’ll keeping fighting to reduce the 4th Ward’s high unemployment rate by advocating for more training opportunities and up-stepping my expungement program so more residents can obtain decent jobs that meet household income needs. I’ll remain committed to fighting for our youth and addressing issues that increase quality of life.
2. Combining programs currently duplicating services will not only help stretch resources without negatively impacting citizens, but actually make them more effective. Currently, thanks to stronger oversight by the Council our budget is air-tight, but we must continue to aggressively seek new rateables to keep down taxes without cutting vital services.
3. I support a curfew which effectively deters youth-related crime and violence, but it must addressed after more information on successful implementation has been publicly disseminated to gain community support, Earlier restaurant closings should be re-addressed. We must work together with our merchants to ensure a fair, enforceable solution is reached.
Kisha A. Manning
1. My top priorities upon election are crime and rising taxes within the 4th Ward. In 2007, our ward experienced over 400 robberies, burglaries and aggravated assaults combined. Violence from gang activities are at an all-time high. By improving public safety, homeownership will increase and the overall tax burden will decrease.
2. I believe we have to learn how to effectively do more with less. Funding for programs related to education, recreation and decreasing crime should take priority. In addition, honoring our commitment to work with the various unions and providing adequate services to our citizens should be equally important.
3. I believe the administration and council should work in concert to effectively address decreasing crimes across our city, especially in the 4th Ward. I would advocate for further discussion related to issues surrounding the proposed curfew and encourage a voter referendum on legislation regarding small eateries.
Wilkin Santana
1. My top priorities will be: safer neighborhoods, quality of life and revitalization of the 4th Ward.
2. As councilman, I will work 100 percent to make the 4th Ward a clean and safe place to live, therefore, stopping the exodus of homeowners and small businesses relocating outside of the 4th Ward due to the high crime and the filthy streets.
3. I would support everything that can improve the quality of life and lower crime in our neighborhoods. I will work with our parents, local schools, small businesses, faith based organizations, community leaders and cultural organizations, recreation and the police department in order to come up with solutions bested suited for our community needs.
5th Ward
Richard Perez
1. I will force a stop to hanging out on corners, dealing drug, prostitutes, loud music, fixing streets, street cleaning and removing snow and making our nights better to sleep for the hard working people. We need walking cops for our streets.
2. Will have to wait and see if elected.
3. I will vote yes on both initiatives and closing liquor stores at 10 p.m. and barber shops at 10 p.m. and bars at 2 a.m. There are too many problems in the city at night.
Julio Tavarez
1. I will bring stakeholders into the decision-making process. By bringing all stakeholders together to work on solutions, we are able to engage the community to identify priorities and expectations and to build relationships, which is about creating long-term partnerships and community development. Collaboration is our key to responsive government.
2. I would like to collaborate with the many developers and other business entities doing business with our city to seek alternate sources of funding for our recreation and perhaps our after-school programs. Ideas progressive as these are the type I will advocate in collaboration with my fellow colleagues.
3. Although the idea of a curfew may seem to be a great one, it may also be one that our Police Department would not have the personnel or ability to enforce.
I believe we need to engage these business owners into a meaningful conversation to come up with a solution to the violence that continues to plague some of these locations.
Juan Torres*
1. Strive to turn the armory into a mega recreational center for our youths.
Secure K-9 unit drug sniffling dogs in order to catch drug dealers and implement foot and bicycle police patrol.
Continue to build affordable housing.
Secure cameras to monitor illegal dumping.
Continue to fine absentee landlords for housing code violations.
2. We can take departments and consolidate share services, try to secure more retail businesses in order to increase revenue and coordinate with Passaic County in order to secure a share services agreement.
3. I support the curfew and will push for its passage; however, the council in the past has been resistant to implement it.
I was the one who introduced an ordinance to shut down the eateries by 12:01 a.m. Although the courts have overturned the ordinance because of technicalities, I will continue to push for its passage.
6th Ward
Andre Sayegh
1. After walking the entire ward, I listened to and learned from residents and merchants that the two most pressing issues in our ward are: reducing the tax burden and improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods.
I will work to encourage local commerce and attract new businesses to our ward.
2. As I alluded to earlier, our cash-strapped/starved city is in dire need of ratables. I will work with my colleagues to bring even more business to Paterson. Our city was built on industry, and our comeback is contingent upon job creation and revenue generation. Economic development will occupy a great deal of my time, attention and action.
3. A continuation of the dialogue is imperative, and therefore, I will spearhead the discussion in my ward. After gauging the interest level from the residents and merchants, we can take the appropriate action to fight crime.
Ilia Villanueva
1. To ensure that we provide additional and much needed classroom space for our 6th Ward students by continuing to advocate for our designated schools to be constructed.
2. The city is currently sharing municipal services, but consolidation of services in other areas to ensure cost efficiency is certainly worth exploring without affecting quality of service to our residents.
3. I support the curfew, but the midnight curfew would be specifically for minors under age 16.
South Paterson has a striving business community that is doing exceptionally well, as most are family-oriented restaurants. I believe it is important to be vigilant, to provide continual policing, and promote neighborhood watches.
