East Brunswick Township Council

Suzanne LeBlon Blum (R) Blum, 39, has a husband Dennis and two children, ages 5 and 3. Blum, who is employed as a schoolteacher, was born and raised in East Brunswick and returned to the township in 2004. She is a graduate of East Brunswick High School and received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Kean University, Union.

At stake: Three four-year terms on the Township Council

If there is one East Brunswick project that has been debated more than any other in recent years, it is the Golden Triangle redevelopment. Please tell us what you support or don't support about this project, and whether you think the community is well-served by it.

Suzanne LeBlon Blum

I support the idea of increased ratables; however, I do not believe the current project is the best for the township. The project was pitched to the township with misinformation and misrepresentations to sell it to the residents. The project was advertised as having 210 age-restricted units, yet this was changed to 402 units of non-restricted housing. No one can truly tell you what the impact on traffic and schools will be, not to mention more demand for services. The developer is offering a $20,000 one-time payment for each new child that generates school costs. That is insufficient for 13 years of education, which at today's rates is $130,000.

Dr. Eugene DeMarzo (R) DeMarzo, 50, has a wife Darlene and children Tara, 22, Nicole, 20, Ben, 18, Michelle, 16, and E.J., 13. A podiatrist, DeMarzo has resided in East Brunswick for the past 16 years. He received a bachelor of science degree from Fordham University in biology and philosophy. He received his doctorate degree at New York College of Podiatric Medicine.

Dr. Eugene DeMarzo

The Golden Triangle redevelopment project is a disaster. The council is selling a valuable asset while stressing the roads, school system and other services with the addition of over 1,000 people and 1,500 cars to an already congested area. The parking deck will cost $20,000-$25,000 per stall, costing approximately $50 million including finances. There will most likely be a drastic increase in permit fees for commuters, the above figures come from the D.O.T. on costs for similar projects because the council will not provide an idea of the costs even though they claim the deck will be finished in the near future.

Catherine Diem* (D) Diem, 43, has a husband, Wayne Kaplan, and two sons, ages 13 and 9. She is a national sales manager with LXR Luxury Resorts. A resident for the past 12 years, Diem has a bachelor's degree in management from Hood College. She has been a councilwoman for four years, including two as council vice president. She has served on the East Brunswick Museum Corp., Water Policy Advisory Board, Recreation and Parks Advisory Board, Future Municipal Use Committee. She is a past PTA president and serves on the Board of Directors for the Raritan Valley YMCA, as well as with East Brunswick Band Booster Association and Riptide Swim Team.

Catherine Diem

Redevelopment is a good project for East Brunswick. It is an idea that dates back to the 1980s. It is an ongoing project. Redevelopment enables us to maximize our return on an underperforming asset. In addition to providing immediate tax relief, redevelopment will increase our ratable tax base and provide a modern parking facility for commuters. This project has evolved through community input, research, debate and discussion. It is unfortunate that so much misinformation is being circulated about this worthwhile project.

Ed Luster (D) Luster, 39, has a wife Amy, and two children, Joshua 12, and Heather 11. He is president of CWA Local 1102, Verizon Communications, and has a bachelor of science degree from the College of Staten Island. A resident of East Brunswick for eight years, Luster has served as co-vice president of the Memorial School PTA, and as a member of the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment, and as a trustee with the Fastbreak Basketball Association.

Ed Luster

Property taxes ... property taxes ... property taxes. The Golden Triangle has been an undervalued, underutilized piece of prime real estate on Route 18. By selling this property for redevelopment, the township will receive over $4.5 million annually in property taxes, instead of the $500,000 annually we currently receive. The township is receiving $30.5 million from the sale of the property which is already being used for property tax relief. Fortunately, this property was sold at the height of the real estate market and has already saved the average household $750 in property taxes. There is no other way the township could generate this kind of money for property tax relief.

David Stahl

The redevelopment project, a smart growth initiative, provides for responsible financial stability for East Brunswick by dramatically increasing our tax revenues and providing funds for a community center. The average taxpayer has already received tax relief of approximately $650. The new commuter garage will provide more parking spaces and will offer indoor parking, protecting our commuters from the rain or snow. I urge the residents to disregard the misinformation and fear that has been spread regarding redevelopment because of politics. All evidence clearly states that mixed-use transit villages do not produce anything but a minimal number of schoolchildren.

Robert Tagliente

I am against the Golden Triangle redevelopment. The 400 homes could bring 400 children into our schools and increase taxes annually by $4,000,000. The high-rise development will strain our police, fire and sanitation services. They say it will bring in $3,000,000 in revenue, $2,000,000 more than the taxes and rent currently generated by the property. But current receipts are based on a lease granted in 1978. Left as is, and given the appreciation in rents and taxes over the last 25 years, revenues from the property should equal or exceed that amount when the current lease expires, without the burden of housing.

Do you support the budgets and tax rates approved by this Township Council in recent years, and why or why not?

Suzanne LeBlon Blum

Recent budgets have proved to be illusions based on smoke and mirrors. The 2004 budget had to be balanced using $4 million of open space money, which was already earmarked, because phantom money that had not materialized from Toll Brothers was not received until late 2005. Analyzing the numbers over the last 20 years, the municipal tax increase has been the greatest in the last two years, under the current administration.

Dr. Eugene DeMarzo

I do not support the budget of recent years because the CFO refused to certify two out of the last three budgets. That is highly unusual. In 2005, they used $4 million from the sale of the Golden Triangle property to close the 2004 budget. This activity put our town in jeopardy. It put Toll Brothers in command of the project. It brought the attorney general investigation. Council claims they held our tax rate down with the money from this sale, but it is misleading because it is still taxpayer money, which would equate to a 20-cent raise per year.

Catherine Diem

I have supported each of the last four municipal budgets. I have worked diligently to make intelligent cuts to keep tax rates at the lowest possible level. We must continue to review our ongoing expenditures and to work collaboratively with surrounding municipalities and the Board of Education to realize additional savings wherever and whenever possible. Residents expect the highest level of service. As is the case with personal household budgets, many of the costs associated with municipal services continue to rise. My goal is to continue to maximize the impact of each dollar spent.

Ed Luster

The municipal budget is the single most difficult task I will face as a councilman. I can see how the council has scrutinized every dollar spent in providing quality services, such as the library and our great parks system. The Democrats have worked hard to receive additional state aid even when state aid has been flat. The grants received have helped maintain our quality of life while stabilizing the municipal tax rate. I pledge to use the increased ratables from the redevelopment project to maintain extremely tight fiscal integrity. I can appreciate the difficulty officials face when balancing the costs of providing programs and services to residents with the burden these costs place on residents' property tax bills.

David Stahl

No one enjoys paying taxes, including myself. As a small businessman, I know how important scrutinizing every bill is, and to constantly be more cost-effective. As your councilman, I have reviewed the township's budget and ensured that all departments are functioning as cost-effective as possible. My valuable input has reduced the budget by offering cost-saving measures including the hiring freeze, redevelopment, interlocal financing agreements and shared services with other governmental agencies. Additionally, because of my efforts, public and private groups gave financial support for the highly successful athletic fields, thereby reducing the burden to the taxpayers.

Robert Tagliente

I do not support the budget this year because it continues to fund political patronage positions such as the special assistant to the mayor and the special economic advisor. I believe East Brunswick should award contracts to architectural, engineering, legal and other related services only on the basis of quotes (current price/service offers). The winning quote must be granted only after a thorough review of all quotes by the township's professional staff, who should be required to present and defend their recommendations to the council.