Dems Win Council Seats In N. Caldwell For 1st Time In 100 Years

NORTH CALDWELL, NJ — It’s been more than a century since North Caldwell elected Democrats to the borough council. But according to certified results from the county clerk, the borough’s Republican council members will have to make room for some new voices at the table.

Last week, challengers Anthony Floria-Callori and Matthew Atlas emerged victorious over the Republican incumbents, Cynthia Santomauro and John Chiaia, in a tight race that was decided by less than 100 votes.

• See related article: 2020 Election Results In The Caldwells: Council, BOE Winners

It’s the first time in more than 100 years that Democratic Party candidates have fought their way to such a victory in North Caldwell, the New Jersey Globe reported.

The Progress hosted a candidate forum in October. Learn more here, and watch a video here.

Floria-Callori and Atlas teamed up on the North Caldwell Forward Together ticket, gaining the benefit of a listing on the “A” line of the ballot along with President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill.

The pair gained endorsements from local Democratic leaders such as former governor, Sen. Richard Codey and Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., as well as progressive advocacy groups such as NJ 11th for Change.

On their campaign website, Floria-Callori and Atlas said their platform was based on three core issues:

Increased Transparency and Communication

• “We will stream Council meetings and allow residents to participate remotely.”
• “Residents will have more opportunities to engage with Council members.”
• “We will improve the Council’s responsiveness to resident questions and concerns.”
• “The Borough’s website will provide visibility into current Borough projects and their status.”

Responsible Planning and Development

• “Projects will have pre-defined objectives with known costs prior to their commencement.”
• “We will proactively seek resident input with development and financial expertise to ensure the best outcome.”
• “Challenging issues like drainage will be tackled head on.”
• “Improvements to our sidewalks, connectivity, and reception will be sought.”

Collaborative Education Planning

• “Increased collaboration with North Caldwell and West Essex Board of Education to properly plan for the increase in school-age population.”
• “Meetings will not overlap with Borough Council meetings so residents do not have to choose one over the other.”

When asked where the current council has “fallen short,” Floria-Callori and Atlas offered the following statement:

“There is a pattern of short-sightedness on projects where either the least expensive option is chosen and it costs the Borough more later (e.g. improper re-surfacing of tennis courts that quickly cracked), or, where projects are started without proper planning and additional resources are later required (e.g. North Caldwell Recreation Foundation covered the Borough’s shortfall to replace the dirt for the Mountain Ave field). The Council does not seek the input of residents with subject matter expertise and the deals negotiated are sub-par (e.g. improper protection from Pulte’s development negligence).”

SANTOMAURO AND CHIAIA: ‘NORTH CALDWELL FIRST’

Santomauro and Chiaia have been serving on the Borough Council for 18 and 15 years, respectively. Both candidates are attorneys with their own law practices.

The pair campaigned on the North Caldwell First platform, which included “fiscal responsibility and green space preservation,” among other key issues.

"John and I have been successful in helping avoid tax increases for nearly all of the past 10 budget years, and we worked on the borough's purchase of Walker's Pond to save it from development," Santomauro said.

• See related article: Celebrities Help North Caldwell Mark New Era For Walker's Pond

Their overall platform included:

• Restore Walker's Pond – They successfully advocated for the purchase and restoration of Walker's Pond; plans are to offer this open space as a public park with fishing and walking/jogging paths for passive recreation around the pond and across Mountain Avenue to connect to Liberty Park.
• Improved cell phone service – They are working to contract with new cell phone service providers so all sections of town will have strong, uninterrupted service.
• Save Green Brook Country Club – They feel strongly that every effort must be made to maintain the rural/suburban character of North Caldwell; this includes saving Green Brook Country Club from development and preserving it as a golf course, using State & County open space resources.
• Eliminate power outages – Institute and require an improved PSE&G tree pruning standard around power lines for the dual purpose of creating well-shaped trees that pose no risk to the supply of power during future storms.
• No tax increases – A commitment to continuing their multi-year track record of no municipal tax increases, following good government practices to maintain the quantity and quality of town employees and services without raising municipal taxes.
• Traffic and public safety – Santomauro and Chiaia were instrumental in having a traffic light installed at West Essex High School and a left turn lane created at the busy Route 23 intersection; they are pushing for more safety measures at the Greenbrook triangle, speed humps to control speeding on local roads, and installation of security cameras and emergency phone poles at recreation fields.
• Technology upgrades – To improve resident convenience, the candidates support upgrading online bill pay opportunities for all Borough fees.
• Recreation for all residents – Santomauro and Chiaia brought major upgrades to North Caldwell with the new Liberty Park turf field and walking track, the new dog park off Mountain Field, a new splash park at the town pool, improved senior recreation programs and the acquisition of Magnussen Field for $1.

“Local politics is non-partisan, it is about putting North Caldwell First,” Chiaia said in September. “Our voting record, commitment to low taxes, proven accomplishments and vision demonstrate our dedication to preserving an excellent quality of life for all North Caldwell residents.”

• See related article: Santomauro, Chiaia For N. Caldwell Council: 'Taxes, Green Space'

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