Mayoral race will pit Bradford v. Skarzynski
Council incumbents will seek new terms in November election
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

Gloria Bradford

MILLTOWN - While two council members will try to hold on to their seats this fall, a third will challenge Mayor Gloria Bradford in her bid for re-election.

Bradford, a Republican, will face Democratic Councilman Mike Skarzynski for the four-year term. Council President Eric Steeber and Councilman Bill Deinzer, both Democrats, will battle it out with Republicans Brian Harto and Stacey Waters for three-year terms on the council.

A lifelong borough resident, Bradford served for three years on the council before being appointed mayor after the death of then-mayor Raymond Duke Graulich in 1999. She was elected mayor later that year and was re-elected in 2003.

A former employee of Johnson & Johnson, Bradford said she reached a crossroads in her life 10 years ago when she retired and her husband passed away. At that time, Bradford said, she felt it was time to give something back to the community.

"I feel I can offer the township a mayor that is available," she said.

Bradford said she is 100 percent devoted to her post as mayor, and is able to be there for the residents because it is her only job. Seeing through the redevelopment of the Ford Avenue site and bringing a new firehouse to the town are among her top priorities if re-elected, she said. She said she would also like to continue the maintenance work throughout the town, especially focusing on older neighborhoods.

Mike Skarzynski

"We're an aging infrastructure, and we need to address that, and I think we're doing that," Bradford said.

The mother of two grown children, both schoolteachers, Bradford is also the grandmother of three. She was the first woman to become an elected official in Milltown.

"One thing I've proven is that Democrats and Republicans can work together very, very smoothly," Bradford said. "I'm proud of the fact that we have done that."

Skarzynski has served 11 years on the council and is in the second year of his current term. Retiring from his position as chief of staff at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center, Skarzynski said he feels ready to serve in the position he has long wanted to pursue.

"Now I have the opportunity to devote 100 percent of my time to the borough as a full-time mayor," Skarzynski said.

The 10-year senior citizen liaison and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) representative cited numerous accomplishments during his time on the council. Skarzynski said he has secured grant money for important projects in town, including open space preservation, the senior center, and creating a playground for children with special needs.

"That's one of the proudest things I ever did," Skarzynski said.

Skarzynski said he was inspired to pursue funding by meeting a mother who had no place to bring her daughter to play. He was able to obtain $77,000 in a grant from the county for the creation of the park last year, he said.

"If I brought in all that money as a councilman, imagine what I could bring in as mayor," Skarzynski said.

In 1998, Skarzynski served as acting mayor for nine months. In his career, he worked his way up through the ranks to become the second person directly under the warden, in charge of more than 300 staff members. A qualification gleaned from his work, he said, comes from helping control the second-largest budget in the county.

Regarding the controversial Ford Avenue project, Skarzynski said if elected, he would give monthly status reports at meetings in order to inform the council and residents of its progress.

"I've had to make many hard decisions while on the council, but I've always prided myself to fight for the people, especially in quality-of-life issues," Skarzynski said. "My opponent is a nice lady, and I'm going to run a clean campaign."

Married 18 years to his wife, Diane, Skarzynski has two children - Jake, 16, and Monica, 15. He has coached Little League baseball and basketball, and has been a resident of Milltown for 16 years.

Deinzer, 47, a lifelong borough resident, has served on the council since 2001. He is employed as director of consumer affairs with the Middlesex County Department of Weights and Measures. On the council, he serves as the utilities liaison, as well as liaison to the zoning board.

If re-elected, Deinzer said he would like to continue working hard for his fellow Milltown residents, and move forward with goals in line with his past accomplishments.

"My goal when I was elected was to stabilize taxes, and I think we've been able to do that," Deinzer said.

Deinzer also obtained a number of grants for various projects while on the council, including the construction of two new restroom facilities and two new concession stands in borough parks. He also secured five grants for major road construction projects, as well as one that funded modernized lighting in town to lower costs for taxpayers, he said. In the future, he said he would like to update the town's electrical facility.

His involvement with the community has included coaching Little League in the town. Deinzer resides with his wife, Cynthia, and two children - Zachary, 14, and Hailey, 8.

Harto, who has lived in Milltown for all of his 46 years, said he has always wanted to serve on the council, but job responsibilities and civic commitments got in the way. Now, he said, he has more time to become involved in the town's government.

A 30-year employee of Brownsworth Engineering, Harto works as an electrical project designer. He is also co-owner of eSoldAuctions on Main Street. His community involvement includes being a member of the borough fire department for 28 years, including two-time service as chief. He has also coached Little League and served on historical committees in the town. Harto is the curator of Eureka Fire Museum, and was photo editor of the "Images of Milltown" book.

Harto said, if elected, he would like to see the Ford Avenue project expedited. He also said the need for a new firehouse needs to be addressed. He took issue with the proposed 6 percent tax increase, saying the council originally claimed it would offer residents a flat tax rate this year.

"It's just too much," Harto said. "Enough is enough."

Harto lives with his wife, Anne, and dog, Jack.

Steeber is nearing the end of his third three-year term on the council. The 43-year-old Milltown native is employed as a land surveyor with an engineering firm.

"I love serving on the Borough Council," Steeber said. "Civic duty is a long-time tradition in my family. I really do love the work, and the challenge that it brings."

Among his accomplishments on the council are helping to create an Office on Aging, bring about the School-Age Child Care program (SACC), and along with former councilman Gerard Cappella, initiate the creation and construction of Mill Pond Park.

The park's creation, along with a rendering of the site's potential that Steeber created at former Council President Kevin Bosworth's request, helped to get the ball rolling on the Ford Avenue redevelopment plans, he said.

"It got their creative juices flowing, I believe," Steeber said.

Steeber said he also helped with the development of a master plan for the parks, as well as initiating the town's curbside recycling program.

Moving forward, Steeber said he would like to continue the townwide footpath project, which will link all public properties to one another as well as to the downtown.

"We're trying to encourage people to exercise … and it really creates a safer atmosphere for the people around town," Steeber said.

Like several of the other candidates, Steeber said the Ford Avenue project should come to fruition, and in a way that will satisfy residents. He also sees the need for a new firehouse, he said.

Regarding the possible 6-point tax increase, Steeber said the council is making every effort to decrease it as much as possible. The council is doing what they can to minimize department expenditures, he said, and they are waiting to hear how much state aid they will receive.

"I don't promise anyone anything, because as a councilman, you can't promise anyone anything," Steeber said. "You have goals and dreams and aspirations of things you want to accomplish for the community. There are six council members in the decision-making process.

Steeber lives with his wife, Desiree, and four children.

Waters, a lifelong resident, is an administrator for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in Piscataway. She serves as chairwoman of the town's Historic Preservation Advisory Committee. Other community involvement includes serving as secretary of Milltown's Historical Society and treasurer of the town's revitalization committee.

A few of Waters' goals, if elected, would be to represent residents on issues like preserving Milltown's history, the Ford Avenue project, public safety, and spending, according to a press release from the Republican Party.

Waters could not be reached for comment.