Meet The 2019 Edison Township Council Candidates

EDISON, NJ — There is a contested election for Edison Township council this fall, and Patch caught up with the candidates ahead of the general election.

We asked the eight candidates the same five questions:

1. Why are you running for office?
2. What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?
3. What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?
4. What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?
5. What inspires you?

The candidates were sent the questions at the same time, and were given the same deadline to submit them. They were given no minimum or maximum word count, and encouraged to write as much as they needed, or to keep the answers brief if they wanted to. Answers were submitted by email and are presented here as submitted.

Wayne J. Mascola, Republican, did not respond to multiple requests for comment by press time.

Ajay Patil, Democrat

Why are you running for office?

I am seeking re-election to continue an agenda of transparency and accountability in local government. I was a vocal opponent of the proposed 40-year Suez water and sewer deal. I believe our water and sewer systems must be owned by the township.

I also believe that the township must regulate developers who build multi-unit residential properties, work with the Edison Board of Education to solve the overcrowding crisis, clean up our parks, and reinvest in our infrastructure (e.g. roads, sewer system) with a smart growth plan.

What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?

There are multiple issues that are impacting resident’s quality of life and all of them are linked. For students and parents, the most significant challenge is the overcrowding of our schools. A decaying infrastructure is also an issue, especially with traffic congestion due to multi-unit housing and warehouse construction.

I introduced an ordinance holding big banks accountable for abandoned properties. Along with Councilman Coyle, I voted against a proposed tax increase, citing systemic fraud, waste and abuse in the budget. I will continue to work and push to amend master plan for smart and efficient growth, work with Board of Education to solve school overcrowding issues by providing skills, resources etc. via shared services approach.

What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?

I am an experienced engineering and Computer professional. I am a community organizer who understands the issues that matter the most to the tax payers. I have gained a significant government experience by participating in various township boards and commissions. I had set the tone to improve government operation by introducing eGovernance program that will identify wasteful spending and increase transparency for residents.

What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?

Conduct periodic townhall meetings for residents and keep them engaged and involved in the issues and ideas that would be mutually beneficial to town and residents.

What inspires you?

There are a lot of people who need help in our world and there are a lot of people out there doing their very best to give it to them. I am inspired and honored to be part of the things that I can serve the community and work hard to create change or make life better for people.

Gerald T. Shine, Republican

Why are you running for office?

The reason I'm running for Edison Town Council is to restore Accountability and Transparency back to a Council that's been lacking these two factors for many years.

What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?

The biggest challenge facing Edison is overcrowding of our schools. Once elected to the Town Council I'll be spearheading a effort for monthly meetings with the Board Of Education and Zoning Board to rectify this important issue affecting our students and teachers.

What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?

My work ethic and devotion to Edison is second to none. I was a leader in the fight Suez which we were successful. I'll bring the same spirit, enthusiasm and dedication to Town Council as I did to the fight against Suez.

What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?

Once elected I plan on having 2 monthly meetings with the community. I really look forward to hearing the positive and the issues that we must work on as a Town Council to improve Edison as a town.

What inspires you?

What inspires me is to make Edison a better place to live and raise a family.

Joseph A. Coyle, Democrat

Why are you running for office?

I look forward to continuing my work on the council. I believe we must hold our government accountable on behalf of residents. This means making sure every tax dollar is spent wisely, that residents get the best service, and that we look for meaningful opportunities to attract small businesses that do not take away from the local character of our neighborhoods.

On the Council, I voted against Suez, I introduced legislation to clean our parks, and introduced legislation to create a real economic development program. I also voted against tax increases that were not justified.

What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?

We need to make sure that the residents of South Edison are treated fairly with respect to the new water commission. We need transparency in that process. The township owning and operating the water and sewer system is not an excuse to raise rates exponentially or to award contracts to political friends. I will stand up against that.

What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?

I have a proven track record of fighting for what's right. I have a proven track record of advocating for residents. I have and always will be available to the residents to help solve their needs. I believe in working together to solve problems. This is a large town, but we are one community and we must pool our resources to solve the pressing needs of our town including repairing infrastructure, stabilizing taxes, solving school overcrowding, and improving quality of life.

What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?

Communication with Edison residents has been and will always be a priority. I will continue to offer one to one meetings every Saturday from 6 am to 11 am.

On that same Saturday expect to meet at a project we are beautifying.
I also Offer Monday’s at 4 Pm before every council work sessions.

My cell is 7328094827 on from 5 am to 10 pm at night. Residents can choose text or email opportunities to connect or to send a complaint.

As for follow up, I ask we together continue communication up until we find an answer or a solution to your complaint.

Building a better Edison will take a team, I look forward to your feed back to address what your see as a tax payer that’s important.

What inspires you?

The people of Edison are my inspiration. I have been a life long resident of Edison. I grew up in Clara Barton, where I live today. I am humbled to serve as the President of the Edison Chamber of Commerce where I give back to my town every day. I truly appreciate our residents, how they give back to the community, how we can each grow together. Edison has so many resources, so much to offer. We need the right leadership to make sure we get the results we deserve.

Maria Orchid, Republican

Why are you running for office?

I am running for office to make our township government more transparent and accessible to our residents.

What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?

I see the over development in our community leading to our overcrowded schools. I would foster more collective talks with the Board of Ed and other Government Agencies to see how we can solve this issue. Inadequate balance between residential/business development overall.

What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?

I am passionate about my community, I volunteer to clean, help and support my township regularly and work with many other town organizations in various capacities.

What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?

I would employ social media to reach out and share any links to various meetings. I would seek to redesign our web site and better communication with the free papers, blogs and Patch.

What inspires you?

My awareness as a resident of the problems our township faces and the feeling not enough is being done.

Please feel free to send me an email at Morchid4@yahoo.com, or speak to me on the street.

Richard Brescher, Democrat

Why are you running for office?

I am compelled to try to make Edison a better place, I am very interested in making sure that the town is receiving our fair share of taxes form our nonresidential partners in the town and plan on taking a very active approach on this issue. I am also very interested to see that our departments are run highly efficiently and that proper funds are allocated, with proper budgeting There should be no need to have a community center fall into disrepair and have a sewer system that is at a point the administration believes it is too much to handle and should be run by outside vendors. Long term and short-term maintenance and facility plans need to be put in place to make sure the rest of our facilities are maintained and not allowed to fall into disrepair.

What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?

That is clear… school over crowding is a very big concern in Edison, this is not just a town issue or school issue and should be dealt with collectively. On the township side some things to look at are 1)our current master plan needs to be reviewed and look at, how we can tighten it up? and then we need to ask our planning and zoning boards to be stringent in keeping applicants to upholding the new plan 2) reviewing how we currently monitor the number of people that live in a one bedroom units 3) the town is due a reevaluation , with all the tax appeals we hear about it would be apparent that it is outdated and everyone should be paying their correct fair share. 4) everyone has heard that Edison has students that do not live in Edison but attend our schools and they get caught and then leave. The township can help with passing some type of fines when people are caught, so it may dissuade others from trying the same thing

What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?

my record is what I would like to run on. I was elected to the BOE 3 years ago, since that time I was personally involved with getting Edison a additional 3.5 million dollars per year in extra state funding, we did this when we were told it could not be done. We also had a performance audit done, to check the BOE on its ability to manage itself, with those findings the BOE has been able to implement management strategies, to now allow for checks and balances so the public can be assured that funds are spent wisely. While I was on the BOE we were able to review vendor cost that to date has reduced vendor cost by approx. 4 million. While on the BOE we have returned to the public 1.4 million dollars in unused funds and stayed under the cap of 2% by approx. 10 million over the last few years. Also, while on the BOE we formulated a plan to address the overcrowding, that included research and formulating a plan to put forward to the public. On the BOE we also introduced new building techniques that have the potential to save 40% on construction cost, These items were accomplished with keeping the quality of education in Edison at the top ,yet Edison has one of the lowest cost to educate a child in the state of nj.

What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?

I believe I do this now as a school board member, I do not think you can find a resident that will tell you I am not accessible

What inspires you?

My family and my community

Cathleen Lynch Kilic, Republican

Why are you running for office?

I continue to see our Edison community transform into an overdeveloped, overcrowded township with less regard for the resident’s quality of life that live here. I want to make a difference and bring transparency and accountability to our residence for the decisions that are made on behalf of this community. Affordability is very important, and I want our seniors and families to have the ability to continue to reside here. There must be smart economic development to control the overcrowding of our schools and reduce the traffic grid lock on our roads. I have sat on other boards and committees and know how to get things done. You must come in with the attitude knowing there is nothing we can’t resolve if we work together

What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?

Overdevelopment which relates to all the issues that were having in our community. Quality of life, overcrowding of our schools, traffic and road repairs. I want to work collaboratively with the all the other committees, Edison officials and the residents to ensure that due diligence for each project has occurred and our community has easy access to information in the planning stages BEFORE projects are started and it’s too late for public opinion.

What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?

I get things done. Ask the right questions, research the issue and formulate a plan to attain the goal. I know how to work with others on committees to come to a resolution. I stand up for what I believe is right and speak up when I believe things are wrong. I am not a Yes person and do not play games with important issues. I am a resident of this community for nearly 30 years, wife, mother and professional that goes to work each day and knows we can do a better job to keep Edison the community that all families, retirees and seniors want to live and stay in for years to come. I don’t give up and continue to try different ways to resolve issues that others walk away from. The council is an elected position and is accountable to our residence and we must work hard to ensure our community ensures the quality of life is the best for our families and seniors. My footprint in life is that I like to make a difference.

What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?

I would like to ensure that everyone in the community from busy working families that don’t have any time to spare, retirees and stay at home parents all have access to information on what is happening in Edison. As the fifth largest municipality in NJ we should have at the minimum a quarterly newsletter completes with dates for all Council meetings, Planning and Zoning meetings, Board of Education meetings and Library meetings etc... Also, include news and events in Edison with dates and times so our residences have the opportunity to attend and be part of the process and informed in the community before events occur not after.

What inspires you?

The passion and resilience that our residence that continue to strive to keep Edison the community that they know and love. Parents who want to continue to live here after their children are finished with school and Working families raising their children in a community where neighbors care about each other. I want to be able to afford to live here years from now and continue the quality of life is slowly being taken away from everyone that they knew before the transition of town turning into a city. We can do better with smart economic growth.

Joyce Ship-Freeman, Democrat

Why are you running for office?

I am running for an office to increase access to government services for residents and to cut wasteful spending on vendors and special interest groups. As a trustee for the Libraries, I worked on expanding the hours of operation for the Clara Barton library. I also identified tens of thousands of dollars of wasteful spending in the libraries through a performance audit. I fought hard to keep water and sewer publicly operated and campaigned against the proposed Suez water and sewer deal.

What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?

As an experienced educator, I believe that it imperative for the Township to work with the Board of Education to solve the school overcrowding crisis. I also understands the importance of offering parents full day kindergarten, something Edison currently does not have.

What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?

I am Ret. Educator ; Local NJEA representative and Master degree from Kean University. I serve on Edison Public Library as a Board of Trustees, Treasurer and Fundraising Chairperson for the Edison Y.M.C.A., President Emeritus – Perth Amboy Association of School Employees. Passionate to serve the community and most important thing is I can give most of my time for public service.

What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?

Involve youths early on in the government process. Publish news articles to engage and educate residents on the various developments happening in the town.

What inspires you?

Giving back to community - as a retired teacher, I have more time and I can spend quality time to help people.

Wayne Mascola

Why are you running for office?

To be a voice for the residents of Edison, for too long their voices have not been heard. The Suez contract is a perfect example of how the administration attempted to push it forward. The residents fought against it and won.

What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?

The biggest challenge facing Edison residents are taxes and overcrowding in our schools, neighborhoods and the excess traffic. I will address it by making sure that Edison is receiving its fair share of funding from Trenton. And, that businesses that come into Edison are good neighbors.

What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?

My work ethic and devotion to the people of Edison and their needs is a priority. It is my desire to help lead Edison into the right direction and making it a great place to live, also I have served on the council for 2 terms. When I am presented with an issue I always research on all sides before making a decision that is fair and best for the residents.

What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?

Most families are busy with work and children activities so they don’t have time to attend council Sessions. I would like to hold informal meetings with two or three council members (Sunshine laws) On a Saturday morning, and possible we could get personal from the administration to sit in. It would be like “Coffee with our Police” or “Coffee with Council members” and we would change locations to so that it is held in a different location throughout the township making it convenient for all.

What inspires you?

To make Edison a better place to live and raise a family, also to help seniors stay in Edison and keep taxes at bay so that they can stay and not be forced to move away.