Westwood Borough Council Election Profile: Christopher Montana

WESTWOOD, NJ — Christopher Montana, in his own words, on why he's running for a seat on the Borough Council.

Age (as of Election Day)

54

Position Sought

Council-Member Borough of Westwood

Party Affiliation

Republican

Family

Married to Maria - 30 years, blessed with 2 daughters Amanda & Alexa

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

BA Marketing & Business Management - Stockton University Of New Jersey

Occupation

Executive / Sales & Business Development - 25 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Westwood Zoning Board of Adjustment - Board Member

Campaign website

www.alwayswestwood.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am a problem solver, a listener, empathetic to the needs of my constituents and have been a committed volunteer in Westwood. I have committed myself to our community through my involvement in sports, charitable and municipal programs, committees/boards. I am asking Westwood residents for the opportunity to serve another term to build on my accomplishments that have kept municipal spending in check, reduced borough debt (down 5+Million in my 6 years), and continue to improve our borough parks, improve roads and focus on public safety. These initiatives have begun to take root and with my continued stewardship and guidance can become part of the fabric of our governance and community.

The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

COVID-19 impact on municipal services & finances and what I intend to do about it. The shut-down Impacted many of the services the borough provides our residents. Benefits many took for granted including parks, recreation/sport programs, how the governing body meets and interfaces with residents, were upended and continued to be limited. From the start of the pandemic, I have worked with our Mayor, our Borough Administrator and Council Members to re-think everything from resident services, how we interface with residents to ensure safety and how we plan and budget for the future. As we go into the planning season for 2021, the reality that tax revenues will be challenged due to lower home and commercial valuations, possible cuts in state funding and outside investment in our community that drives non-tax revenue, will require a steady, knowledgeable and experienced eye to mitigate the negative impacts on our community. . I plan to continue working closely with our Grant Writer and our Borough Engineer to review outside funding opportunities for program and infrastructure improvements. I will also review our 5-year capital plan with these possibilities in mind to identify what investments can be deferred and what can be jointly purchased with other municipalities to reduce costs. Lastly, we need to continue to offer residents online access to Mayor and Council meetings as well as committee and board meetings. Outside of Covid-19’s impact, I will continue to build upon our WPD’s HART & Pedestrian Safety initiatives as well as outline road resurfacing programs that will help us expand the number of roads we fix at reasonable costs.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Over 25 years of business experience has taught me how to listen to people and to identify opportunities, challenges and possible disaster down the road. Getting out and meeting with my constituents at community events, while out walking, during public comment at Mayor & Council meetings etc., has helped shape my thoughts, policy and decision making. I have held liaison roles for Recreation & Health, Finance & Personnel, Senior Advisory and Police & Public Safety. My initiatives to improve pedestrian safety, launch the Heroin Addiction Recovery Team through the WPD, pay down over $5-million in borough debt and reestablishing a municipal financial strategy that protects tax-payers while improving the financial health of the borough is a direct result of this. Hearing the needs of residents, what they like and what they don’t like to develop our initiatives and solutions that benefit our community’ is one of the most important traits I bring to the table. I believe the key to successful leadership is to ensure we have the best team in place, on the dais and municipal operations, and empower them to succeed. Politics at a local level should be about ensuring all boats rise with the tide. Providing a fair and level playing field for residents to realize their "slice" of the American Dream in Westwood is something I strive and plan for each day.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

If given the opportunity for another term I plan to work with our Engineer and governing body on the expansion of our road resurfacing program and laying out an economical and responsible way to introduce solar energy to Borough owned buildings in order to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce energy costs. I also plan to work with our department to increase recreation programming and infrastructure for residents of all ages and abilities. I’d like focus on expanding the Boroughs Senior Transportation Program.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

• Established the Pedestrian Safety Taskforce that was responsible for identifying problem areas through police and resident input and implementing numerous improvements throughout town to increase pedestrian safety and quality of resident life. We improved lighting around several heavily used crossing locations, added or improved cross-walks around our CBD and residential areas, installed digital speed signs that notify drivers when excessive speeds are reached and implemented the Street Smart NJ program to educate both pedestrians and drivers.
• Secured grant funding to remediate and improve the elevated sidewalk and railings along Westwood Avenue between Terrace and Dean Street.
• Secured grant funding to improve the sidewalk on Old Hook Road Between Sand Road and Lexington Ave. This improvement ensures pedestrians have a safe and accessible walkway.
• Implemented with WPD the Heroin Addiction Recovery Team (HART) – This program, run in partnership with the Bergen County Prosecutors Office, ensures our community provides help and resources to individuals and their families seeking help and treatment for addiction.

Recreation & Health

• Worked with Recreation to upgrade the tennis courts at McKinley Park using Trust Fund and County funding. I was involved with the many significant upgrades to the Community Center improvements and worked with the Friends of Hegeman Park and members of the Governing Body to fund long overdue improvements using grant and taxpayer funding.
• Worked with our Health Department to increase the age to purchase Tobacco in the Borough, long before the state did. Implemented a license fee for businesses selling vaping products and using the funds to educate our children on the risks of vaping and e-cigarettes.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"Perfection is often a moving target, strive for progress and always give it your best effort".

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I appreciate the opportunity to serve our community for the past six years. I hope they see the value in what I have accomplished and ask for their vote for the 2020 elect