Mayoral candidates sound off on S.R. issues
Szegeti, Eppinger, Londensky on ballot in Nov. 6 election
BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer

SOUTH RIVER - Mayor Robert Szegeti doesn't need to be reminded of the significance of this year's borough election.

The Democratic incumbent has during the past year broken several tied votes from a Borough Council that is split evenly with three Republicans and three Democrats.

"It's frustrating, because we are trying to move forward and bring in new plans," Szegeti said, "and our opposition strong-arms us and says no, then offers no suggestions or ideas."

Republicans such as Szegeti's opponent, Councilman Raymond Eppinger, on the other hand, have been critical of the mayor's actions.

Eppinger and Szegeti will vie for a fouryear term as mayor along with independent candidate Arthur Londensky, who served on the council for two terms as a Democrat before Eppinger defeated him in 2005.

Londensky, 60, said he is concerned about what he sees as a lack of open government and public input, as well as the outsourcing of the borough's building department.

"We need new leadership, because after being on the [governing body] as long as he has, [Szegeti's] perception has become more single-minded to party politics instead of what is in the best interests of the residents," Londensky said. "That shows by some of the issues that he broke ties on, such as outsourcing the building department, and redevelopment issues."

Szegeti said Londensky has forgotten about grants that were earned by the Democratic majority while Londensky was a councilman.

"Mr. Londensky enjoyed the grants that we received during that time on the council and he didn't seem upset about getting grants, and now he is criticizing," Szegeti said.

Eppinger, 45, said Londensky may be running for mayor as an independent, but the former Democrat cannot shake off his prior affiliation.

"He has every right to run; it's just that he's got to come to grips with the fact that he was a part of the [Democratic] majority," Eppinger said.

Londensky said he is running for mayor due to concerns he has about partisanship.

"I think that party politics has gotten in the way of progress in South River," he said, "and I think that the only [people] that a mayor should answer to are the residents of the borough.

"My ideology now is completely independent," Londensky added. "I take each issue as it comes."

Londensky raised concerns about the surplus generated from the electric budget, and said the municipality should explore more ways of reducing the cost of power.

"I'd prefer to see the surplus used to reduce property taxes, than reduce the expenditure for buying the purchased power," Londensky said.

Eppinger said the governing body has known about the significant electric rate increase that is coming since April, and has failed to take action on it.

"They don't have the political guts to deal with it," Eppinger said. "They're waiting for imaginary numbers."

Dealing with the electrical rate increase by using the surplus to pay for the electric power purchase is financially irresponsible, Eppinger said, since the municipality would have nothing to fall back on.

"It's fiscal suicide," Eppinger said.

Szegeti said the anticipated 60 percent increase might not translate into a direct 60 percent increase to the general public.

"Once we get the numbers, the auditor will have a better idea of the numbers we are working with," Szegeti said.

Szegeti, 48, a funeral home director who has been mayor since 2000, said he is confident about his chances in the election.

"I'm sure that the people, as they drive around the community, can see a lot of the programs in regard to all of the fields, the upgrades of all the buildings," Szegeti said.

Water, sewer and electric utility improvements all began during his first term, Szegeti said, but the permit processes are outrageously long.

Electric improvements were completed in September, increasing capacity by 30 percent from the last time work was done in the 1970s, Szegeti said. He added that 26,000 feet of new water pipes were laid down, replacing pipes that were almost 100 years old.

"Unfortunately, they can't see the millions of dollars spent for infrastructure, which is unfortunately taken for granted," Szegeti said.

Eppinger said he and the Republicans are concerned about the cost of projects for which the Democrats have seized grants without fully assessing the bottom-line cost to the borough. He added that the Republicans' effort to win the council majority is a "back-tobasics campaign."

"Our belief is that the streets, roads and infrastructure have been neglected for a number of years, and that's the type of thing that needs to be done," Eppinger said.

Szegeti said that road paving is done based on the recommendations of the director of the department of public works and the borough engineer, who select areas from a needs-based list.

Eppinger, who is married with four children, has served six years on the South River Board of Education and works as a reinsurance professional at Cambridge Integrated Services Group, Cranbury.

"I feel that the town is in desperate need of a change in leadership," Eppinger said. "The Democrats have been in control for 13 years. It is time for a new direction, new ideas."

Eppinger said a loss will be incurred with the eventual sale of the Obert Street property, which the borough purchased for the purposes of building a new human resources building.

"We have to think projects out before we start," Eppinger said.

Szegeti reiterated that the Republicans have not brought in the grants that the Democrats have, nor have they presented alternatives to the plans that they oppose.

"All the Republicans have done is criticize the work we've done, and brought nothing to the table," Szegeti said.

Londensky, a lifelong borough resident, has been involved in the South River Fire Department for over 30 years and is a fire protection subcode official for South Brunswick Township. He said he is funding the campaign himself along with small donations from individuals, not professionals.

"I have been getting a lot of support from the public. Running as an independent is a very difficult thing to do," Londensky said. "You find yourself up against two parties that are able to spend more and have more resources."

Democrats Peter Guindi and Borough Council President David Sliker are running with Szegeti, seeking two three-year terms as councilmen. They face a Republican ticket that includes Michael Trenga, who lost by one vote last year to Councilman Anthony Razzano, and Jim Hutchison.