PARK RIDGE, N.J. — Mill Pond restoration, drinking water quality, property taxes and development are central issues for four candidates seeking two three-year Borough Council seats in the Nov. 3 general election.
Democratic incumbents Robert Metzdorf and Michael Mintz face Republican challengers Marc Weinberg and Sebastian Hennessy, who replaced Councilmen William Fenwick and Gregory Hoffman on the Republican ticket.
All four candidates support restoring Mill Pond, also known as Electric Lake, but emphasize different approaches to financing the work and planning future improvements.
Mill Pond: Restoration and costs
The borough’s 2025 nonbinding referendum asked voters whether Park Ridge should pursue $5 million or $10 million in borrowing to dredge Mill Pond, or leave it undredged.
According to the explanatory statement adopted by the council Aug. 5, 2025, the corresponding project estimates were $6.5 million and $11.5 million, with a previously awarded $1.5 million state grant accounting for the difference. The referendum was intended to guide subsequent council decisions.
Metzdorf moved the resolution placing the question before voters, Mintz seconded it, and all six councilmembers voted in favor.
The pond was last dredged in approximately 1979. The borough’s explanatory statement cited sediment accumulation, reduced stormwater capacity, flooding concerns and poor water quality as reasons to consider the work.
Pascack Press asked the candidates what future uses and improvements they would favor beyond dredging.
Mintz and Metzdorf pointed to the $1.5 million in grants already secured and said they would seek additional assistance.
“It is my hope that we can obtain additional grants and make Mill Pond a premier recreation area,” the incumbents said in a joint response.
They envision recreational fishing, kayaking and continued protection of the pond’s wildlife habitat.
“We hope to stock Mill Pond so that residents may use it for recreational fishing. We further hope that it would be open for recreational kayaking and that the pond, which now attracts abundant wildlife, would flourish as a natural habitat for wildlife,” they said.
Weinberg and Hennessy emphasized reducing the project’s cost to taxpayers. They said they would pursue available state funding, including financing through the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank, before committing additional borough funds.
Borough Engineer John Dunlea of Neglia Engineering said in June that the borough had applied to the Infrastructure Bank for loans to help finance the work.
The Republican challengers also proposed pursuing legal action against parties identified as responsible for polluting Mill Pond or its water supply.
They suggested that sediment removed from the pond could have commercial value, saying testing indicated the material “is usable in commercial applications.” They proposed selling it to offset project expenses or arranging for its removal at no cost to the borough.
The candidates contended that sediment removal accounts for approximately half the project’s total cost. The potential proceeds or disposal savings remain unresolved; Pascack Press sought clarification from Dunlea but had not received a response by press time.
Weinberg and Hennessy also said “Our residents have said they would like to see a park area built at the site to celebrate the pond’s history. This is something we will bring to the council and NJDEP, to ensure our residents that their feedback has been heard and acted upon.”
Incumbents cite taxes, services and public safety
Metzdorf and Mintz identified property taxes, quality of life and public safety as their three leading priorities.
“Mike and I voted against raising property taxes three years in a row [and] we’ve secured over $4.5 million in state grants,” Metzdorf said.
The incumbents pointed to their opposition to overdevelopment, preservation of open space and investments in municipal facilities.
“We have provided new lights for our playing fields, rejuvenated the fields and the historic train station. We have preserved open space to protect from over-development,” they said.
The borough celebrated the reopening of its restored historic train station Oct. 20. The project received $412,000 from the Bergen County Historic Preservation Trust Fund and $147,000 through a New Jersey Transit Village grant.
The incumbents also cited the borough’s municipally operated electric and water utilities, which they said provide reliable service at rates below those charged by other regional providers.
On public safety, they highlighted efforts to lower the speed limit on Park Avenue, add police officers and special law enforcement officers serving local schools, and strengthen municipal computer security against cyberattacks.
Metzdorf serves as the council’s police commissioner.
Challengers focus on water, spending and development
Weinberg and Hennessy identified drinking water quality, fiscal oversight and opposition to large-scale development as central campaign priorities.
They said the borough must complete treatment improvements addressing contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, in its municipal wells.
“Our priorities for Park Ridge include ensuring that our residents have clean water and that the contaminated wells are fitted with water treatment equipment to ensure that the PFAS contamination is remediated and we can put an end to the state mandated notices that concern and confuse many,” the challengers said.
They called for stronger oversight of the water utility and infrastructure improvements to ensure drinking water quality.
In an update provided to Pascack Press, Mintz said the borough has invested millions of dollars, much of it from federal and state funding, in PFAS treatment improvements.
According to Mintz, 15 of the borough’s 21 wells are supplying water with PFAS concentrations well below state limits. Of the six remaining wells, he said, two are out of service because of elevated PFAS levels, two are operating with levels below state limits, and two seasonal wells have temporary PFAS filtration systems.
The borough is working to install permanent PFAS treatment systems on as many as five wells using federal and state funding, Mintz said.
On spending, Weinberg and Hennessy pledged “to keep a mindful eye on our residents’ tax dollars to ensure that Park Ridge remains affordable for all of our residents.”
They also pledged increased support for senior programs and improvements to municipal athletic fields.
The James PILOT draws criticism
The candidates differ over the borough’s 2017 payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, agreement for The James, a 240-unit downtown apartment complex named for the late actor and Park Ridge native James Gandolfini.
Weinberg and Hennessy criticized the agreement as a tax benefit for developers.
“We believe in tax breaks for our residents, and not for developers unlike our opponents who voted in favor of a tax PILOT program for the developer of The James building,” they said.
The challengers also pledged to “protect Park Ridge from runaway overdevelopment, push back against Trenton’s attempts to limit local zoning authority and preserve Park Ridge.”
The PILOT agreement was approved May 23, 2017, by a 5-0 council vote, with one member absent. Both Mintz and Metzdorf voted in favor.
Asked about the agreement, the incumbents said The James replaced a waste transfer station that had generated approximately $40,000 annually in property taxes. They said the PILOT generates approximately $897,000 in borough revenue for 2026 and pointed to broader economic benefits associated with the redevelopment.
Those figures represent different revenue categories: property taxes from the former use and borough PILOT revenue from the development.
The James includes 240 apartments, 24 designated as affordable housing units.
The challengers did not specify in their response what form their proposed residential tax breaks would take or how they would be financed.
Candidates’ backgrounds
Metzdorf has served nine years on the Borough Council, including as council president and police commissioner. He previously served on the Planning Board and coached youth football, basketball and baseball.
His council assignments have included liaison responsibilities involving the utility board, public safety, senior citizens, the Golden Age Club, the DARE program and the Tri-Boro Food Pantry.
Mintz has served six years on the council. His previous public service includes membership on the library board, utility board, pool commission and zoning board.
He also served as senior citizen liaison during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping coordinate assistance for older residents and support for first responders. In youth athletics, Mintz served as wrestling commissioner and secretary of the Twin County Wrestling League.
The Democratic incumbents’ campaign information is available through the Park Ridge United Facebook page at facebook.com/ParkRidgeUnited.
Weinberg serves on the Park Ridge Planning Board. He and his wife of 20 years have three grown children who attended Park Ridge schools. He previously coached recreational baseball and soccer.
According to his campaign biography, he has more than 35 years of business experience involving organizational leadership, financial management and team development.
Hennessy is married and has three young children. His campaign biography cites more than a decade of experience in the insurance industry, including leadership and risk management. He has also volunteered with Read Ahead, a youth literacy and mentoring organization.
The Republican challengers can be reached at PreserveParkRidge@gmail.com.
The election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early in-person voting runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 1.
— Additional reporting by John Snyder