To the editor:
One of the hardest parts of my decision to run for NJ State Assembly this year was worrying about who might take my place on the Emerson Borough Council, where I have served for the past three years.
Knowing that two lifelong public servants, Brian Downing and Patricia Dinallo, are running for Emerson council this year fills me with confidence.
I strongly urge my fellow Emerson residents to vote for Brian and Patricia this Nov. 5.
Under the current makeup of our council, which allows Mayor Danielle DiPaola to cast the deciding vote on any and all contentious issues, the progress our town had been making has been stopped in its tracks.
After two years of stable municipal taxes, the mayor’s budget forced a tax increase last year and is on track to force another this year. Key efficiencies (such as combining the Shade Tree Commission with the Environmental Commission) are being undone at taxpayer expense. Important steps to broaden our tax base and revitalize our town, such as smart planning and steps to attract new businesses are being blocked, rejected, or delayed. On top of all this, a tone of incivility and passing the buck has come to dominate our municipal government.
We need a change. We need Brian Downing and Patricia Dinallo on the council.
Their lifetimes of service as a law enforcement officer and an educator demonstrate not only their dedication to helping their community, but also their ability to deal with challenging circumstances and potential conflict with judgment, care, and intelligence. We need more of that kind of practical problem-solving in Emerson, and less of the partisan bickering we are too often experiencing now.
As a candidate for Assembly it will be a great honor to see my own name on my ballot Nov. 5.
As a lifelong Emerson resident who loves this town and wants to see it prosper, it will also be a great honor to cast my vote for Brian Downing and Patricia Dinallo for Council.
Gerald Falotico
President, Emerson Borough Council