Dems, GOP hash out issues in South River Two of six council seats available in Nov. 7 election BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer SOUTH RIVER - Candidates can be found going door to door as the Nov. 7 election approaches for two Borough Council seats. Democrat incumbents Anthony Razzano and Richard Reichenbach are being challenged by Republicans Michael Trenga and John T. Trzeciak "We have been to over 1,700 houses door to door," Trenga said. "We got a really positive response from people." Trenga, 42, has lived in South River for six years. "I love the small-town feel here," he said. "It is a very warm and welcoming community." Taxes and utility rates were two concerns Trenga cited as major problems for residents. Trenga added that he and Trzeciak are calling their campaign "Back to Basics." "It has been unbelievable, between utilities, one of the largest tax increases in the history of the borough last year, and this year's tax increase was significant as well. Electric and water utilities are through the roof, which is a major concern for people on fixed incomes, especially senior citizens." Trenga noted that the borough is one of the few towns in the state that has its own electric utility. "That, in itself, is a gift," Trenga said. "It is an opportunity to regulate the rates. They are not set by PSE&G, but [council members] have been squandering it." The bike park and the separately proposed bike path are not popular expenses, Trenga said, because there are other issues in town that should be prioritized over those projects. "We need to concentrate on the issues in town. We need to take care of basic services." Trenga said the council has gone several million dollars over the projected cost for improving and upgrading municipal buildings. "If you were in the private sector and you went over budget by $5 million, you would not have your job," he said. Trenga expressed concern over the redevelopment process as well. "The owner of the Eckerd building on Main Street has told the mayor that they have prospective tenants and they are not going to be selling the property to the borough. That leaves one alternative, eminent domain. The South River Republicans will never resort to eminent domain." Parking is a pressing issue on Main Street, Trenga said. "We have a shortage of parking. Before people talk about doing anything on Main Street, we have got to solve the parking problem. There should be a foot patrol and bike patrol law enforcement there as well. You have to create an environment for business people to want to come to town and be successful." Trenga said he and Trzeciak support pay-to-play reform. "We are going to take the politics out of contracts in South River," he said. Residents, Trenga said, will notice a significant difference if he is elected. "We are going to do the things that need to be done and that the people want done. It is not about me personally, it's not about power, it's not about a job, it's not about anything other than wanting to do things the right way, honestly. Instead of talking about what could be, let's make it be," he said. Councilman Anthony Razzano also has strong feelings on the redevelopment issue. "I feel that there are other ways than eminent domain out there," Razzano said. "I think South River is in need of revitalization. There are ways to do that with business owners." Razzano said the public's input is crucial in the redevelopment process. "Specifically, what I would like to see is a group of business owners, downtown property owners and a group from the general public at large with one or two council members in attendance, form a committee to revitalize the town." Razzano, who taught in South River schools for 35 years, said he would like to see the borough attract more professional businesses such as dentists, doctors, lawyers and architects. He added that beautifying the business district is a priority. "You need a little bit of eye candy to get people to stop in," Razzano said. "The guys from Krauszer's did their front. It looks great." Razzano supports the bike path and river walkway. "The river walk is a good investment for the town that will make it look better," Razzano said. "We are not going to the extent that South Amboy did because we cannot afford to, but if we do it a little bit at a time, the perception of the town gets nicer." Razzano said the governing body should continue to make improvements to the borough gradually as it receives funding. "We can do it a little bit here and there, and property values will go up," he said. Razzano wanted to set the record straight on fliers distributed criticizing the Board of Education. "It looks like an attack on the Board of Education, but I never saw it before it came to my house." The fliers call on the board to stop unnecessary spending. "I never approved the fliers," Razzano said. "There has been a rift between the council and the Board of Education for many years, and one of the things that I want to do is to heal that. We are working for the same thing, a better South River, and I want to work with the Board of Education for the betterment of the town." Razzano said he would like to improve services in town. "Manpower is stretched and we need to consolidate with other towns. There is a better way to go. We do not have to add manpower, which will add to taxes." On the budget, Razzano, who sat on the budget committee, said he thinks it was fair. "We looked over every penny and there was nowhere else to cut for this year, but for next year if we can consolidate some services, we can find some savings there." Republican John Trzeciak said he and his parents are lifelong residents of the borough. The 32-year-old South River High School graduate earned his bachelor's degree in economics at Rutgers University and is now working in the securities industry. "I would definitely like to make better use of taxes," Trzeciak said. "The way we are spending money is just not right. We are not making proper use of our economic resources." Trzeciak said an audit should be done to find out where taxpayer money is going. He added that more research is needed for current and future projects. "We need to take a step back instead of going forward with projects. ... The streets and roads are in disrepair. They have not been paved in years. We do not have a rotating plan." Poor planning is the problem with the redevelopment process, Trzeciak said. "I think that instead of going against the public of South River," he said, "we need to come up with public input on this process. There are other areas that can be deemed [in need of] redevelopment ... I would scrap the whole plan and come up with a new one." Councilman Richard Reichenbach was born and raised in the borough. The 72-year-old retired teacher went through South River's public school system and received a master's degree at Seton Hall University. Reichenbach also served as chairman of the Planning Board from 1976 to 2000. He first served on the council from 1969 to 1974. "I am well aware of the town, being here for 72 years and active in civic duties," Reichenbach said. The municipality should provide tax abatement incentives to commercial and residential owners to encourage them to rehabilitate their properties, he said. On the issue of paving roads, Reichenbach said work was completed on Hillside Avenue and Washington Street with the improvements to water and sewer lines this year, Reichenbach said. "The town, every year, is trying to continue repaving and resurfacing the streets," he said. On the budget, Reichenbach said he and the finance committee worked to keep the tax increase down to a minimum. Last year, the council had programs that had to be financed, including paying off debts and bonds. "We have not cut or stopped any services," Reichenbach said, "and it has only gone up seven tax points." The council is in the process of completing a $5 million program to expand the borough's electric utility to meet the future demands of residents by the spring of next year, Reichenbach said. "Everybody has TVs, computers and air conditioning," Reichenbach said. "That has to be increased to meet the increased demands. Not that it was inadequate, but it is something that we had to do." Reichenbach said the council had three lighted recreational facilities rebuilt - Grekowski Park on Whitehead Avenue, Veteran's Park off Kamm Avenue, and Dailey's Pond Recreational Area by Prospect Street. He added that the council hired a certified parks supervisor to maintain the fields. "The present mayor and council have tried to improve the quality of life for everyone in the borough," Reichenbach said. "We rehabilitated the Washington Street municipal building, the police station, and now the human resources building. Since I have been on the council the last six years, these projects are just about complete."