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 DiStefano. Opposing them are Democrats Benjamin Pollack and Nicole Marsh.
Marsh told us why she is running for office: “Woodcliff Lake has been a wonderful place for my husband and I to raise our three daughters since we moved here eight years ago. Like many families in town we chose to live here because of the borough’s focus on education, safety, and recreation.”
She said, “Giving back to my community in meaningful ways has always been important to me and I have spent years volunteering my time to support our parents, teachers, children and other residents.”
She has served as a board member of the Parent-Faculty Association for the last five years as hospitality chair and parent liaison.
Moreover, she has served as parent coordinator for the special education parent advisory committee, a school trustee, and vice president of the Temple Emanuel Executive Board.
She said she was running for council “because I believe local government has the power to make a real difference and improve the quality of life in the place we all call home.”
Marsh said, “My priority is to work towards unifying our residents around a collective vision for this moment and the future. I am committed to achieving this goal through transparent, respectful and constructive dialogue. Through my volunteer work and background as an attorney I have proven to be a highly collaborative, resourceful problem solver capable of finding common ground that taps into the passion and expertise of my fellow residents.”
She said, “The vast majority of our residents have shared interests in issues including sensible and sustainable economic development, working with our first responders to maximize public safety, and increasing the availability of community programming.”
She said, “I believe we can preserve the charm and character of our town while adding amenities like shops and restaurants that will ensure vacant buildings are revitalized to improve our quality of life. It’s imperative that we work with our police and provide them with modern communications equipment needed to ensure that people in our town feel as safe as they once did.”
She added, “We need to better utilize our current resources to offer more recreational programs and activities for residents of all ages. Our town resources and programs must be inclusive and accessible to all.”
Voters can visit Pollack & Marsh for Woodcliff Lake on Facebook, or vote411.org, for more information.
Pollack said his wife and him chose the borough to raise children “partly because our families grew up here, but more importantly for the quintessential small-town charm and strong sense of community that is characteristic of our borough. I am running for council to make sure my neighbors, family, and residents continue to have a town they are proud to call home — one that is a safe place to live, grow, and play.”
He said, “My priorities are on public safety, enhanced resources for residents of all ages, and quality-of-life improvements. To achieve these goals, while also managing tax rates, I will start by better leveraging town and county resources.”
He said as an example, moving the 9-1-1 dispatch center for Woodcliff Lake to the county-wide facility “will yield a lower annual cost and improve emergency response coordination.”
He noted, “An increase in public/private partnerships and grants will offset much-needed infrastructure improvements and ensure sensible development that complements our town’s aesthetic and residents’ vision. Championing an increase in the number of streetlights, properly abating ‘zombie’ properties, and improving resident communication are three of the quality-of-life issues that need immediate attention.”
Pollack said he brings 15-plus years of business and public sector work experience that “gives me the ability to balance the public and private needs/perspectives and drive positive outcomes for our borough.”
He said, “I am running because I care – about this town, its residents, and its future. This election is consequential. The decisions made now will not just impact us in the short-term but will secure the legacy and identity of Woodcliff Lake for generations to come.”
Republicans Stern, DiStefano offer views
Republican council candidate Joshua Stern, and his wife, moved to Woodcliff Lake in 2018, which was his wife’s hometown since 1991. He said they could think of no better place to raise a family. “With small town charm and great schools, Woodcliff Lake was a natural pick.”
As a commercial litigator for 20 years, Stern said he has extensive experience not only trying cases, but also in avoiding lawsuits and in risk management.
“One of the reasons that I decided to run is because I believe that my legal and litigation experience can make a big difference. Over the last five years, Woodcliff Lake has been sued numerous times and spent millions of dollars on wasteful legal fees and settlements. This is millions of dollars that the Borough could have used to fix the current state of our ballfields, resurface the tennis courts, or fix roads. Our council needs to do a better job in managing risk,” said Stern.
He said what his priorities would be if elected: improved recreational offerings; better town pool oversight and more events; to fight against high-density housing; and support police with additional resources.
He said this includes “improved recreational offerings, including resurfacing of tennis courts and better fields for our kids to play baseball and softball. There is simply no excuse for the poor state of our fields and offerings, particularly when compared to neighboring towns.”
“Over the last several years, we have seen a severe decline in how the pool and all of parks & rec is run, and membership and attendance has been way down. We can’t just rely on our parks and rec director. The council needs to be involved in making sure things run better,” said Stern.
Moreover, Stern said he would “fight against high-density housing.”
However, after a nearly five-year battle in what turned out to be a losing fight for Park Ridge, the borough spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to oppose high-density housing sought as a result of its affordable housing settlement.
Finally, after years of legal and financial losses, the borough in late 2020 agreed to permit a 448-apartment complex, with dozens of affordable units on a 30-acre former Sony site.
Stern said, “High-density housing is a problem for the entire Pascack Valley. In Montvale alone, between 2020 and 2025, 1,000 new housing units (a one-third increase) were or will be constructed.”
He said, “In 2025, our state mandated affordable housing settlement expires. This means that Woodcliff Lake will be open to builder’s remedy lawsuits who will want to construct large high density housing in our town. We need elected officials with the right type of experience to help negotiate favorable results.”
He noted that he would “support our police by providing additional resources to fight the increase in crime.” He did not provide specifics.
His running mate, Brian DiStefano, voiced support for similar goals, although he did not mention high-density housing in his platform.
DiStefano said he is “passionate about his family and his community and is a committee member for the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life event and enjoys including his 11-year-old daughter in all volunteering events and opportunities.”
DiStefano is a director at Osmose Utility Services, a large utility services company. He recently moved to Osmose after a 15-year career at Con Edison, where he managed large operational groups responsible for safe and reliable delivery of electricity in all of Manhattan and Staten Island.
He also has extensive experience managing multimillion-dollar capital projects throughout New York City, said a statement he provided.
DiStefano said he is running for council for two reasons: “The town council is lacking in areas of my expertise. What I am able to bring to the council in areas of engineering and construction is unique to our town and is a valuable resource to Woodcliff Lake as we continue to manage municipal projects. I am also running because I love our community. I believe our town, and its residents, deserve the strongest representation and leadership possible.”
Ballot question on open space
In addition to council, Woodcliff Lake voters will be asked to approve continuation of its Open Space Fund, with an added public use as noted on the ballot question under Section D: “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.”
The dedicated local Open Space fund charges taxpayers one cent for every $100 of assessed property valuation. Officials said, if approved, this will allow them to use local Open Space funds to pay down interest on bonding required to complete the Galaxy Gardens park.
Registered voters break down as 1,675 Democrats, 1,319 Republicans, and 1,991 unaffiliated voters.