PASCACK VALLEY— Nearly 58,000 registered voters in our eight Pascack Valley towns will be able to vote early in-person starting Oct. 29 through Nov. 6 as they cast ballots for a congressional race, Bergen County executive, three Bergen County commissioners, and a slew of regional and municipal council and school board races in the Nov. 8 General Election.
As this is an off-year election, not featuring a presidential or gubernatorial race for statewide voters, turnout may be lower than a presidential election but also feature heavy turnout in contested and sometimes contentious local elections.
Nine countywide locations will be open for early voting, similar to 2021 when New Jersey first offered early voting.
In the Pascack Valley, voters can visit River Vale’s Community Center at 628 Rivervale Road and Woodcliff Lake’s Tice Senior Center, at 411 Chestnut Ridge Road, to vote.
Also, registered voters may visit any early voting location, including ones in Fort Lee, Garfield, Hackensack, Mahwah, Paramus, Rutherford, and Teaneck. The early voting sites are open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For a complete locations list, visit the Elections & Voting menu at the Bergen County Clerk’s Office website, or call your local town clerk.
Pascack Press recently featured candidates in regional school board races — our local school board candidate profiles, including those in the very competitive Park Ridge district — wrap Oct. 17.
Our municipal elections profiles and public questions overview are in the works.
Here’s a look at what Pascack Valley’s voters will decide, whether via a mail-in ballot, early voting, or in person on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Up-ticket races
Voters will choose between two-term Fifth District Congressman Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat who touts himself as a bipartisan dealmaker, and Republican challenger Frank T. Pallotta. Pallotta is challenging Gottheimer again, following a loss to him in 2020.
On the county level, voters will choose between incumbent County Executive James J. Tedesco III, a Democrat elected as county executive in 2014 and a former county commissioner and Paramus mayor, versus Republican Todd Caliguire, a former two-term county commissioner and a former legal and policy adviser to Gov. Tom Kean. Tedesco lives in Paramus, Caliguire in Midland Park.]
Running for three open county commissioner seats are incumbent Democrats Thomas J. Sullivan, Montvale; Mary Amoroso, Mahwah; and Germaine Ortiz, Emerson.
Challenging them are Republicans Douglas Holden, Saddle River; Ronald Lin, Franklin Lakes; and Dierdre Paul, Englewood.
The county executive candidates will square off in a virtual debate on Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m., the proceedings sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Bergen County. A link to the Zoom debate will be posted on the League’s website.
Here’s a summary of our area’s municipal races:
Emerson
The borough’s 5,704 registered voters (data via Bergen County Clerk’s Office Sept. 28, 2022) will decide the only mayoral challenge in the Pascack Valley.
First-term mayor Danielle DiPaola, a republican, took office in early 2109 after campaigning in part against the late 2018 approval of the 147-unit “Emerson Station” downtown redevelopment. She is now challenged for the gavel by Jeanine Lamatina, wife of immediate past mayor Louis Lamatina.
Jeanine Lamatina is listed as office manager and paralegal in her husband’s law office, in Paramus.
Redevelopment progress continues slowly, and DiPaola recently updated residents noting the project was “moving along” despite unresolved lawsuits and a legal dispute over $500,000 in construction services that the redeveloper reneged on claiming the borough did not meet a contractually agreed deadline.
The money was promised in exchange for the borough’s deeding the former ambulance corps property to Emerson Redevelopers Urban Renewal.
See “Emerson Station ‘moving along,’ says mayor,” Pascack Press, Oct. 3, 2022.
We reached out Oct. 2 to the campaigns of DiPaola and Lamatina seeking platforms and positions. DiPaola replied requesting more time. We did not hear from the Lamatina team.
Moreover, incumbent Republican councilmembers Jill McGuire and Nicole Argenzia are being challenged by Democrats Jose Organ and Richard Dinallo.
Registered voters break down as 1,497 Democrats, 2,167 Republicans, and 2,040 unaffiliated voters, said the Bergen County Clerk’s Office.
Hillsdale
The borough’s 8,591 registered voters will see a ballot with two uncontested council seats as Republican incumbent Janetta Trochimiuk, currently council president, and newcomer Justin P. Fox, run unopposed by Democrats.
Registered voters break down as 2,670 Democrats, 2,432 Republicans, and 3,489 unaffiliated voters, according to the Bergen County clerk.
Montvale
The borough’s 6,760 voters find an uncontested race for three council seats, as incumbent Republicans Timothy Lane, Christopher Roche and Theresa Cudequest, run unopposed by Democrats.
Registered voters break down as 2,008 Democrats, 1,960 Republicans, and 2,792 unaffiliated voters, according to county clerk records.
Park Ridge
The borough’s 7,279 voters have a contested race for two council seats as incumbent Democrats Robert Metzdorf and Kelly Epstein are challenged by Republicans Bruce Goldsmith and Gregory Hoffman.
Registered voters break down as 2,151 Democrats, 2,205 Republicans, and 2,923 unaffiliated voters, said the county clerk’s office.
River Vale
The township’s 8,495 voters face an uncontested local race, with incumbent Republican Mark Bromberg, currently council president, running unopposed for mayor.
Two-term Republican Mayor Glen Jasionowski, a presence on the Township Council dais for a decade as mayor and councilman, decided to pursue other opportunities. (See “Jasionowski Out Of Race; Bromberg Campaigns For Mayor,” Pascack Press, April 1, 2022.)
Running unopposed for two council seats are incumbent Democrat Denise Sieg and Republican James Tolomeo Jr.
Registered voters break down as 2,482 Democrats, 2,577 Republicans, and 3,436 unaffiliated voters.
Township of Washington
No mayor or council races are on tap for the township’s 7,632 voters. Registered voters break down as 1,998 Democrats, 2,814 Republicans, and 2,820 unaffiliated voters.
Westwood
The borough’s 8,422 voters face a contested council race, at least partly, as incumbent Republicans Robert Bicocchi and Beth Dell face a challenge from Democrat Lesley Whyard for the two open council seats. Only one Democrat was nominated. Registered voters: 3,014 Democrats, 2,374 Republicans and 3,034 unaffiliated.
Woodcliff Lake
The borough’s 4,985 voters will face a contested election for two council seats, left vacant by the departures of one-term incumbent Republican Stephen Falanga and longtime Democratic incumbent Angela Hayes.
Republican council candidates are Joshua Stern and Brian DeStefano. Opposing them are Democrats Benjamin Pollack and Nicole Marsh.
Moreover, voters will be asked to approve continuation of the Open Space Fund, with an added public use as noted on the ballot question under Section D. The dedicated fund charges taxpayers 1 cent for every $100 of assessed property valuation. The new use includes:
“Open Space Trust Fund monies may also be used to pay debt service on indebtedness issued or incurred by the Borough for the purposes set forth in Section B and C above.”
Officials said that if this passes this will allow them to use local Open Space funds to pay down interest on any bonding required to complete the Galaxy Gardens passive park.
The other public question sections read:
“B. These funds shall be used for the purchase of open space so as to preserve such land as open space, and to keep said land in its natural state. C. If no open space is available for purchase, then the monies in said fund shall be used for such other passive recreation, conservation, farmland preservation or historic preservation purposes as may be permitted by law, to be determined following a public hearing.”
Registered voters break down as 1,675 Democrats, 1,319 Republicans, and 1,991 unaffiliated voters.
Throughout the eight Pascack Valley towns, as of late September, there were a total of 57,868 registered voters.