One of the greatest challenges we face is managing the municipal budget. Kinnelon is approximately 97% residential, with very limited commercial ratables, which places the majority of the tax burden on homeowners. Addressing this challenge is an ongoing priority.
As Council Finance Chair, the Council began by reviewing the overall budget and existing contracts. We successfully renegotiated our garbage and union contracts to ensure fairness for both parties, while also extending renewal terms from three years to five years to provide greater financial stability.
Additionally, we have taken steps to strengthen our fiscal position by strategically utilizing our municipal fund balance and adopting a more “pay-as-you-go” approach to capital spending. These measures help reduce long-term debt while keeping the borough on a sustainable financial path.
Before being elected to the Kinnelon Borough Council in 2023, I brought with me a strong record of public service. I previously served as a Councilman in Elmwood Park and spent over a decade on the Elmwood Park Planning Board, in addition to serving on the Kinnelon Planning Board.
When I moved to Kinnelon, I made it a priority to truly understand our community. For four years, I regularly attended Council meetings, reviewed every municipal budget, and studied the challenges our residents face. This commitment ensured that I was ready to serve effectively from day one.
I believe that leadership starts with listening and learning. My experience, combined with my dedication to Kinnelon, has prepared me to make informed decisions that put our residents first and keep our community moving forward.
To support a stronger and more vibrant economy in Kinnelon, I believe we must focus on both protecting our existing small businesses and creating opportunities for new ones to succeed. While our commercial base is limited, every business in town matters and strengthening them means strengthening our community.
That’s why I am committed to reviewing our zoning and permitting processes to make sure they are fair, efficient, and business-friendly not overly burdensome. I also want to encourage partnerships between the Borough, local businesses, and community organizations so that we can work together to create growth that benefits everyone.
By supporting our small businesses and fostering smart, responsible development, we can keep Kinnelon a community where residents have the services they need close to home, while preserving the character we all value.
I do not see this as a current issue within the community but more than happy to discuss if the concern were to arise.
Kinnelon is known for its natural beauty, and protecting that character is a top priority for me. I believe we can improve our environmental quality while also meeting our infrastructure needs by focusing on smart, balanced planning.
That means investing in maintaining and upgrading our existing roads and infrastructure instead of overdeveloping, and ensuring any new projects are done responsibly, with minimal environmental impact. I support exploring green initiatives, such as improved stormwater management, energy-efficient municipal projects, and expanded open space preservation.
When it comes to development, my approach is simple: Kinnelon should grow responsibly, in ways that benefit residents without sacrificing our natural resources or the small-town character we all value. By working together with residents, planners, and environmental experts, we can strike the right balance protecting Kinnelon’s environment while keeping our infrastructure strong and our community moving forward.
As an independent, middle-of-the-road candidate, I see fiscal irresponsibility as the most pressing challenge facing our town. This manifests in unchecked spending on redundant programs and positions, leading directly to higher taxes. For instance, the council routinely approves budgets between some, and not all of the council members, which are bloated with unnecessary administrative roles and pet projects that don't deliver value, forcing tax hikes and bonds to cover deficits. My plan: Conduct a thorough audit of expenditures to cut waste, prioritize essential services like public safety and infrastructure, and implement zero-based budgeting where every expense must be justified annually. This approach will stabilize finances without burdening residents, fostering sustainable growth.
My background uniquely equips me for council service. Over 20 years ago, I deployed to Iraq, receiving a Purple Heart after being wounded in combat. I managed troops under intense stress, honing leadership in life-or-death scenarios. Today, as a Captain in New Jersey's third-largest fire department, I lead firefighters through hazardous emergencies and actively engage in our officers' union, negotiating contracts and budgets to ensure fair, efficient operations. In every role—military, firefighting—I've sworn an oath to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution, serving selflessly. As your councilman, I'll bring that same commitment: impartial, dedicated service to our community's needs.
To bolster our vibrant economy, I'll focus on fiscal prudence to keep taxes low, attracting businesses and residents. By curbing fiscal irresponsibility, we'll eliminate wasteful spending—such as redundant municipal positions that drain taxpayer dollars without adding value. I'll advocate hiring an independent auditor to scrutinize operations, ensuring transparency and efficiency at the highest levels. This will free up funds for targeted investments in local infrastructure and small business incentives, like streamlined permitting, without raising burdens. As an independent, my middle-of-the-road approach balances growth with accountability, supporting jobs while protecting household budgets.
From my observations as a community member and independent voice, federal immigration policies have not noticeably impacted our municipality on a local level—no strain on resources, schools, or services that I've seen. It would be irresponsible to speculate or propose solutions for issues not affecting us here, as that could divert attention from real local challenges like fiscal management. Instead, I'll focus on what matters to our town: inclusive, practical policies that unite us, regardless of background, while respecting federal guidelines.
As a lifelong conservationist and staunch supporter of the Green Acres program, I'll prioritize keeping our town lush and green more than any other candidate. My plan balances environmental protection with necessary transportation and development by promoting smart growth—integrating green spaces into infrastructure projects, like bike paths and eco-friendly roads. A key example: When Green Acres land was misused for storing crushed asphalt, road millings, and paving equipment—violating EPA and DEP regulations and contaminating protected wetlands' groundwater, plus nearby towns' drinking water—I led a successful collaboration with both agencies to halt it, restoring the site's integrity. This proactive stance will guide my decisions, ensuring sustainable progress.
For all municipalities in New Jersey without large commercial districts the most important challenge is how to keep the tax burden on local residents as low as possible while still maintaining the solvency of the Borough. Inflation is a main contributor to tax increases as are financially unsupported state mandates like the Storm Water Mapping Program that all municipalities in New Jersey have been required to provide by January 1st of 2026. To deal with the increasing demands of the State plus the maintenance of our roads, sewers, water supply conduits, ball fields, tennis courts, etc., Council reviews every expenditure we make and every professional service provider we engage to ensure that money is being spent wisely. Regular review of the way the Borough apportions tax money guaranties that the “pie” is fairly and appropriately spread amongst the many areas that require funding. The Fire Company, Police Department, DPW, Library, Recreation, Water and Sewer all must be funded. Borough Council looks at immediate financial needs and projects out needs for 5-10 years to plan for the future. It is this Council’s goal not to be caught off guard by unexpected expenses.
In the Borough of North Plainfield, I served on the Historic Preservation Commission for four years; Chairman of the commission for two years. While there I was the lead author of a proposal to revise the Local Preservation Ordinance, part of the Local Land Use Law. I have a real interest in Land Use Law and am grateful for the opportunity to Chair the Ordinance Committee here in Kinnelon as of January of this year. While on the Preservation Commission in North Plainfield, I attended many seminars put on by the State to support and improve the education of Preservation Commission members. I enjoyed an almost unlimited access to the help and advice of George Chidley who heads the State program. On Kinnelon Council for the last two years I have served as Personnel Chair and helped to successfully negotiate three Union contracts. I also availed myself of New Council Member classes offered by the state and workshops put on by the League of Municipalities to educate myself on the various duties, responsibilities and things to avoid on the job. It has been a huge help in making informed decisions and bringing back ideas to ensure our tax dollars do more for less here in Kinnelon.
Kinnelon must maximize the occupancy of its limited commercial space within the Borough so that resident taxes can be kept as low as possible through the influx of commercial taxes. The Council considers all proposals for development with an eye toward encouraging businesses that enhances our community and bolsters the tax base. Since Kinnelon has only a small amount of Commercial Property, vibrancy is best reflected in the condition of our open space and outdoor amenities like lakes and recreational facilities. Kinnelon residents value the availability of open space as well as opportunities for outdoor recreation. Council has just commissioned and received a Recreation Vision Plan and is reviewing several projects as ways in which to improve the recreational opportunities here in Kinnelon. Council is looking at the cost, potential location and funding opportunities for these projects and looking for Recreation Commission and resident input as to what is the highest priority. I especially encourage input from the public. Come out to our meetings on the second and third Thursday of each month and make suggestions on how we can improve.
Current Federal Immigration policies have little direct impact on Kinnelon and are not something the Council has put on its radar as an issue that needs to be immediately addressed. Many of the issues that are being debated at the Federal level are not issues that have direct impact on the day-to-day operation of the Borough. Our chief duties as Council members in Kinnelon are to keep the public informed, and improve the quality of life for our residents by spending taxpayer money wisely.
Kinnelon Borough resides in an area known as the Highlands here in NJ. Water used by the municipalities south of Kinnelon, specifically Newark, comes from aquifers in the immediate area. There are stringent regulations in place to limit development so that clean, fresh water is available to those municipalities. In Kinnelon, we take that very seriously and remain compliant with State regulations. Regarding electric vehicles, Kinnelon does not have public transportation that could be electrified but we do have a small fleet of police vehicles. Discussions with the Chief of Police about converting to electric vehicles have taken place. The consensus is that the extended recharging period needed for each vehicle would not be a practical solution for our department. I led the Borough's effort to look at ways to utilize clean energy and we are currently being considered by NJCEP for a clean energy audit. Any recommendations that are made as a result of the audit will be considered by Council. Council has reached out to the management at Butler Electric, Kinnelon's electric provider, to look at possible ways to incorporate renewable energy sources into the municipalities power grid.
The most important challenge facing Kinnelon is restoring checks and balances to a Borough Council that currently has none. When one voting bloc controls every decision, residents are shut out of the process and diverse perspectives are ignored. This lack of openness erodes trust and prevents better solutions from emerging.
We will address this by streaming and publishing all council meetings and workshops, and by advocating for the Kinnelon Library to serve as the custodian of these public records. We will also require the council meeting agenda to be published on the Friday following the workshop so residents can prepare and participate meaningfully.
Another major challenge is the rising tax burden. We will bring fiscal discipline by eliminating wasteful spending, reducing unnecessary layers of government, and ensuring vendor contracts are awarded through open, competitive processes rather than political connections.
As independents, we are not tied to any party. Our sole commitment is to the people of Kinnelon, and our focus will be on accountability, lower costs, and giving residents a stronger voice in shaping our community’s future.
My wife of 22 years and I have lived in Kinnelon for 11 years, where we raised our family. For those 11 years, I have been honored to serve our town every week as an Assistant Scoutmaster in Kinnelon Troop 277. As High Adventure Coordinator and the proud father of an Eagle Scout, I have organized trips for our Scouts to learn leadership and service directly from Cadets at West Point, Midshipmen at the Naval Academy, and Coast Guardsmen in Nantucket. This role reflects my commitment to preparing the next generation and giving back to our community.
Professionally, I am a technology professional, entrepreneur, and CEO of a profitable business I founded 18 years ago. I will leverage management consulting techniques and technology solutions to bring much-needed automation and efficiencies to the Kinnelon municipal government. Running a business has given me the skills to manage budgets responsibly, hire and develop the right people, and communicate new ideas effectively.
These combined experiences in community service, business leadership, and technology prepare me to bring integrity, fiscal discipline, and accountability to the Borough Council on behalf of all Kinnelon residents.
A vibrant local economy begins with supporting businesses that want to start and grow in Kinnelon. As independent candidates, we will work to create an environment where small businesses feel welcomed and supported, because strong local businesses strengthen our community and help ease the tax burden on residents.
We also believe major financial decisions must be made with full transparency and community involvement. That includes any proposals related to low-income housing development or the use of PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) programs. These programs can have long-term consequences for both taxpayers and local businesses, and residents deserve to understand and weigh in before decisions are made.
By eliminating wasteful spending, promoting fiscal discipline, and ensuring open communication with residents and business owners alike, we will help create a stronger foundation for Kinnelon’s economy — one that is fair, transparent, and built for long-term success.
As independent candidates, our focus is on local issues that directly affect Kinnelon. While federal immigration policy shapes the national landscape, our responsibility as council members is to ensure all residents are treated with dignity, respect, and fairness under the law.
Kinnelon is stronger when diverse perspectives are welcomed and considered in building local policies, because the variety of experiences and viewpoints in our community is a strength that leads to better solutions.
At the municipal level, we will foster an inclusive, safe, and respectful environment for all residents, and ensure that local programs, services, and community engagement initiatives reflect these values. Our goal is a cohesive community where every resident feels heard, valued, and empowered to participate.
Kinnelon is critical for the region's drinking water supply, and preserving our natural environment is one of our most important responsibilities as elected officials. We are committed to keeping our waterways and public lands clean, enforcing environmental regulations, and holding violators accountable.
We promote conservation projects through Kinnelon Troop 277 and other volunteer organizations, teaching residents — especially youth — the value of environmental stewardship, conservation and service.
At the same time, we will support thoughtful development and transportation infrastructure that meets the town’s needs without compromising our natural resources. By carefully reviewing proposals, prioritizing sustainability, and engaging the community in decision-making, we can balance growth with preservation, ensuring that Kinnelon’s natural beauty remains a cherished asset for generations to come.
