Democratic voters to choose two of three
Arminio challenges incumbents Nalitt, Koppel-Egierd
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

MONROE - Tuesday's primary election will decide which two out of the three Democratic candidates for Township Council will get the party line this fall.

Incumbents Irwin Nalitt and Leslie Koppel-Egierd are both sponsored by the township's Democratic Committee, while newcomer Michele Arminio is running on the Democrats for Citizen Participation ticket.

In November, the Democrats will face Republicans Carlos Lopez, who ran unsuccessfully in 2005, and Karen Scarpa, a first-time candidate, for the two at-large council seats. Also this fall, Democratic incumbent Mayor Richard Pucci is seeking re-election, challenged by Republican Tom Nothstein.

"Monroe Democrats have a rare opportunity to elect a Democratic Township Council member who wants to be their voice, not just another political yea-sayer singing the tired anthem of the status quo," Arminio said. "I am a voice for constructive change, for new beginnings, for hope. Most of all I will stand for true ethical integrity in Monroe's governance and future."

Arminio, a vocal participant in the town's governmental workings, said many residents are not aware that she is running for council. She said she considers education and protecting the environment two of her major priorities.

She is a member of the Sierra Club, Edison Wetlands Association, Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership and the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions. As part of her environmental work, Arminio seeks to protect Monroe's open space and wetlands, she said.

She is also a member of the League of Women Voters.

Arminio works as a real estate agent and has received awards in her field. She said her dedication to serving clients in her career will translate to serving the residents of Monroe. A regular at meetings of the council and other township boards, Arminio said her knowledge of township issues will prove invaluable to the residents she wishes to represent.

"These are the boards that control our money, make decisions on land use, create the ordinances and policies that affect our families, that determine not only our present but our future as well," Arminio said. "It is time for the people's voice to be heard."

A 26-year resident of the town, Arminio lives with her husband, Bob.

Nalitt, a 20-year council veteran, said the council has made major strides for the town during his time as a member, and the council has not been satisfied with the status quo.

"I could understand someone saying that if the council wasn't doing anything, but the town has seen the greatest growth and development over the last 20 years," Nalitt said. "We're there because we have the best interests of the residents at heart, and we will continue to work for their benefit."

Nalitt cited his work with the township's library and senior center, as well as the preservation of open space, as accomplishments on the council. Serving on the library board of trustees, Nalitt was on the original task force that drew up plans for the library, and he said he was a key player in the hiring of Library Director Irene Goldberg. As council liaison to the township Office on Aging, Nalitt worked for its original expansion, and is seeing through the process of constructing a new one.

He served as council president for three terms, and was a member of the township Planning Board for eight years. Nalitt is also on Monroe's master plan committee. A leader in the fight to prevent a rail line from being constructed in the township, Nalitt said he will continue his efforts against it.

A widower, Nalitt has lived in Monroe since 1982.

Koppel-Egierd was appointed in September to fill the unexpired term of longtime Councilman John Riggs, who resigned to take on the job of township environmental protection manager.

Since 2005, Koppel-Egierd has served as president of the Barclay Brook/Brookside PTA, and she was a founding member of Kids 1st, an organization that works to improve educational opportunities for children in Monroe.

Her other involvements in the community include membership in the township's Democratic Club and the League of Women Voters. She is employed as a closet designer and saleswoman with The Closet Doctor in Medford.

Upon taking her post on the council, Egierd said her goals were to keep district schools at high standards, and to preserve the town's open spaces.

"I love living in Monroe Township," Egierd said. "Three generations of my family live here, and I want to keep it a great place to live."

Egierd, a lifelong Monroe resident, lives with her husband, Michael, and their three children, Jacob, 11, Remi, 7, and Averi, 2, on the same piece of land where she was born. Her parents, along with much of her extended family, also live in Monroe.