Vote for
Elizabeth Coll for Council
My top priorities include the budget, business development and improving communication and transparency. I am enthusiastic about Glen Rock's future as we move forward with a new Borough Administrator and a separate Chief Financial Officer. I believe separating out these two roles will be pivotal in providing us with the checks and balances necessary to make the tough decisions we have ahead of us.
I successfully advocated for a dedicated CFO when our administrator/CFO retired. As a member of the Budget and Finance committee, I will work with our new CFO to improve fiscal transparency, consolidate costs, reduce excess spending, and prioritize long-term financial planning. I participated in last year’s budget process as a newly appointed council member. I learned that the budget process actually begins long before the public meetings. It begins in the Fall, when department heads present next year’s plan to the administration. This year, I intend to be involved in that process early on. I’d like to conduct a survey to gather input from all department heads and employees to identify potential opportunities for shared services, consolidation of services, joint purchasing agreements and equipment sharing with neighboring communities.
Our public safety professionals do an outstanding job, without question. In my experience, residents' concerns have stemmed from a lack of communication. It is imperative that we improve communication and transparency. As a 25-year resident, I remember when the council held work sessions on a separate night. This gave residents the opportunity to ask questions and get answers. I am advocating for a return to dedicated work session nights next year so that every resident who wants to speak has the opportunity to do so, without interruption. There have also been instances when resident emails have gone unanswered and that is simply unacceptable. I have proposed a system to track all resident emails, ensure they are responded to, and council members are held accountable.
As liaison to the Business Commission, I conducted a survey of the stakeholders this Spring- the business and commercial property owners. The survey identified our outdated parking ordinance as the number one barrier to new businesses. The Commission has asked the Council to send the parking ordinance to the Planning Board to make suggestions to revise or amend it. Also a result of the survey, we are working on a handbook for new businesses that will help them navigate the application, inspection and permit process. Business and property owners were largely opposed to creating a Special Improvement District that would impose mandatory fees upon them. Instead, they expressed an interest in developing a unified marketing strategy and hosting more events to attract shoppers and diners. We are actively working on all of their suggestions.
Glen Rock has done an excellent job of not only meeting, but exceeding, our Affordable Housing obligation. Our obligation for the 4th round, from now until 2035, is zero. How did we get from 201 to zero? Because we took the state's potential number of 201, did a careful analysis, and demonstrated we have no vacant land. That is our Realistic Development Potential (RDP) and it is zero. We have taken careful steps to control where and how many units can be built if vacant land becomes available in the future by creating an Affordable Housing Overlay Zone. The AHO includes approximately 5.6 acres in the central business district and restricts new housing to 20 units per acre. Our opponents' claim that we will need to build 14 new '175 Rock Road' complexes is false. Participating in a lawsuit is unnecessary and is not fiscally responsible.
Vote for
Maureen Coughlin
My top 3 priorities are public safety, cost control and monitoring the housing mandate that may cause overdevelopment.
1) Public safety is the top priority and I will work collaboratively with the police department and emergency services to ensure these departments have all that is necessary to keep Glen Rock safe.
2) Glen Rock has to balance salaries, pension obligations and rising health insurance costs while maintaining services and infrastructure as new sources of revenue remain a challenge. This has led to an increase in debt and higher interest costs. The municipal budget needs more cost control on expenses directly controllable by the council.
3) Regarding the housing mandate, yes, the RDP is currently 0, but the concern is if Glen Rock is not fully prepared when a large property is sold and it is not in the 2nd affordable housing overlay zone.
I would propose a zero-based budgeting approach to reassess spending, create accountability and foster a more thorough review of contracts. It can also help to prioritize funding and improve efficiencies, such as identifying overlap, and cost sharing opportunities. Following a 9% tax increase in 2024, one of the departments had a large capital expenditure budget this year. I would ask department heads to prepare a 6-year capital plan to better manage infrastructure and assets.
Law enforcement and emergency services will always have my unwavering support. I will recommend prompt dissemination of information as it relates to safety concerns. I will also recommend any topic regarding residents’ safety discussed in a work session or council meeting is clearly indicated on the agenda, in accordance with N.J.S.A 10:4-7, and properly voted on for the public to witness. I will recommend an update or panel discussion on Ridgewood Water’s PFAS removal so residents know the current status and the expected completion date. Finally, there are traffic questions centered around the opening of 175 Rock Road and the recent, unexpected double yellow lines on Doremus Ave. If a grant is available, it is worthwhile to look into a traffic safety advocacy group to implement strategies for our local roads.
I will visit local businesses and talk to the customers to learn more about needs and challenges. I will look at the regulatory process for opening a business in town and try to remove any onerous restrictions. During a LWV debate a few years back, a candidate mentioned Downtown NJ and Main Street NJ. I would like to explore these organizations and learn more about best practices for downtown economic development. In the 2014 Master Plan Reexamination Report, a Special Improvement District (SID) was recommended as well as working with the Chamber of Commerce. I would also like to work with the county/state to see if funds can be redirected to local development from incentive programs that typically favor large companies.
The housing mandate has placed an unreasonable burden on our town over the next ten years and it may jeopardize our suburban character, not to mention put a huge strain on our infrastructure. 201 affordable units equates to 1,000 apartments, based on the 5 to 1 market to affordable ratio. I plan to work side by side with the planning board, zoning board and the building department to ensure zoning laws can hold up against the legal tactics of developers. If it’s not too late, I might also recommend trying to join the coalition lawsuit which is not trying to oppose affordable housing, but rather trying to make the mandate more fair. The town council should be doing everything in its power to make sure Glen Rock is developed sensibly and responsibly so it remains “a town to come home to.”
