Meet the candidates for Highland Park mayor and where they stand on the issues
A longtime borough official and a political newcomer are vying to become Highland Park's mayor for the next four years.
Elsie Foster, a Democrat who became mayor earlier this year after serving as a borough councilwoman for more than two decades, is being challenged by Republican candidate Leora Wenger, an artist and web designer.
Foster is running with Democratic Councilmen Matthew Hersh and Jason Postelnik. Wenger is running with Republican Council candidates Deborah Israel and Concetta Bongiovanni.
Elsie Foster (D)
Age: 62
Years residing in town: 29
Previous government service (boards and elected office): I currently serve as mayor of Highland Park, a post I assumed in January of this year after the resignation of the prior mayor. Previously I served as member of the Borough Council for 21 years. In that role, most recently I served as council chair for the Department of Public Safety, which oversees the Fire Department, First Aid Squad, Police Department, Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and Community Response Team (CERT). In prior terms I was council liaison to Recreation and Arts, Finance, Department of Public Utilities, Economic Development and Planning, Health and Welfare. Additionally, I served as borough council president for nearly 10 years and acting mayor for several months.
Why are you running for mayor?
I believe strongly in strengthening municipal services, advancing redevelopment initiatives that respect the values of our town, engaging in regular communication with the public, and leveraging technology to enhance public access to decision making in town. I’m committed to inclusive and transparent government. I’m running for mayor to build on our successes in these areas and to expand the governing body’s engagement with the public on pressing issues like redevelopment.
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Why should people vote for you instead of your opponent?
I have been an active partner in Highland Park’s thoughtful efforts to bring in redevelopment projects that best serve the interests of our town and I’m well positioned to continue this work.
For more than 15 years, the borough has been pursuing redevelopment of our downtown to make our commercial corridor a vital and sustainable place to live, work and shop. Building upon its updated Master Plan, the borough kicked off an effort in 2020 to create a redevelopment plan for four tracts in downtown Highland Park.
I have put the borough on a path to achieve goals such as developing outstanding public spaces, implementing better transportation and affordable housing options, and improving walkability throughout the downtown.
After talking to residents, what is their biggest concern?
I’ve learned that bringing in a new grocery store is a top priority for many residents, especially for seniors and those of modest means.
When Stop & Shop announced in 2022 that they were was not renewing their 15-year lease, the community was left with a vacant property without a grocery store. With Stop & Shop’s unexpected departure, I’m working with our redevelopment team and the community, and we have put together a comprehensive redevelopment plan that ensures that, working with the property owner, Highland Park will soon have a grocery store that stays here for years to come.
The property owner is currently negotiating a contract with a prospective grocery store operator. The borough's role was to broker the relationship between potential operators and the property owner, and we will see the results of that mediator role soon in the form of a new grocery store.
Nothing is more important than ensuring Highland Parkers have access to convenient, fresh food at a location that employs local workers.
What are the three biggest challenges facing your town and what is your approach to solving them?
Smart downtown redevelopment stands as the most effective means to revitalize our city center, providing vibrant public spaces and diverse commercial and residential opportunities for residents of all ages. Furthermore, increased economic activity leads to more job opportunities. Moreover, heightened commercial activity generates essential tax revenue and promotes reinvestment in our local economy.
Recreating public spaces, expanding services, and holding activities that bring our different communities together is an essential drive in our very diverse town. I’ve initiated a plan for our borough that steers us toward achieving crucial objectives like creating exceptional public spaces, enhancing transportation options, ensuring affordable housing, and enhancing walkability throughout downtown.
Lastly, we need to engage more residents in the work of government, so that more people understand the mechanics of local government and more people are invested in the work on their town.
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Do you have any special projects you would like to achieve in office?
Implementing a municipal electrical grid would supply power to all municipal buildings within our borough, in the event of an emergency. Furthermore, it would ensure electricity for all households and apartment residents during power disruptions.
What is your vision for how Raritan Avenue should be redeveloped and what would be the key feature?
Revitalizing our downtown area, while respecting the character of our town, stands out as the most effective approach to enhance our city center, providing opportunities for public amenities, businesses, and residents in ways that cater to people of all ages and backgrounds. Moreover, increased economic activity can lead to more job opportunities.
Leora Wenger (R)
Age: 60
Years residing in town: 30
Previous government service (boards and elected office): I did not serve on a board or in an elected office, but I did create and manage the Environmental Commission website for over 10 years. I also created and managed the Highland Park Public Library website for over 10 years. I am the chair of the Highland Park Republican Committee and the Middlesex County Republic representative for Highland Park District 10 (one of two).
Volunteer activities: I currently serve on the Board of Congregation Etz Ahaim and as the Etz Ahaim Youth Committee chair. I serve on the Etz Ahaim hospitality, events, charitable deeds, and house committees. I am working with board members to rewrite the Etz Ahaim website.
I created and manage Highland Park New Jersey News (www.highlandparknjnews.com), and I have taught art, social media and given tech talks at the Princeton web developers group.
When a baby is born or a person dies in our community, I sometimes cook a meal for the family. I have also organized meal trains for families.
Why are you running for mayor?
As a new set of eyes and ears to the problems facing our town, I can work with my constituents and colleagues to craft possible solutions.
We started a Republican group about two years ago because many of us were unhappy with the one party that has been ruling Highland Park for too long. Several in the group have run for office before, and we wanted to run as a slate instead of as individuals. I agreed to take the slot of mayor. I think of myself as representing all those unheard people in our borough who want change but are too busy with their lives to make the necessary changes. I am at good point in my life; my children are no longer living at home, and I have improved my health to the point where I have more energy to take on this difficult task. I am hoping to improve the lives of citizens, especially those who feel they have no voice in how our government is run.
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Why should people vote for you instead of your opponent?
If I thought everything was running fine in our borough and in our country, Elsie Foster is a great choice. For example, she really cares that we need a supermarket back in our downtown; I hear it in her voice. She has served in the government for many years, and she has a kind and warm nature.
However, if one feels taxes are too high, one wants to understand what is going on behind the scenes, one feels too many laws have been passed that restrict our freedoms, one wants more locally owned thriving businesses on Raritan Avenue, or one feels like no one is listening, we now have a viable alternative. You would not just be voting for me … you would be voting for the many people in this borough that have great ideas on how to make this once again a thriving town. I would be listening to lawyers, government experts, engineers, store managers, financial and tech wizards; these are among the many people that I have come to know in our borough.
After talking to residents, what is their biggest concern?
Taxes are too high.
What are the three biggest challenges facing your town and what is your approach to solving them?
Our downtown has too many empty stores and no supermarket. We need to figure out how to deal with all the stubborn landlords who make life difficult for store managers. We definitely should not be charging small, local business owners high taxes or imposing fees or giving them competition with cheap goods from China in front of their stores (this has happened at street fairs).
Many people in our town have more traditional, conservative values. They feel uncomfortable speaking up when the Borough Council imposes values on them that make them uncomfortable. We need to ease that discomfort.
Figuring out to lower taxes is not going to be easy. Getting to the point where we can actually lower taxes will take time. In the meanwhile, we need all the help we can with transparency and gathering lists of where all the money is getting spent. Eventually, when we have more people that actually represent the majority on the Borough Council and on the Board of Education, we can hopefully start the process of lowering taxes.
Do you have any special projects you would like to achieve in office?
Make a transparency list – how much does everything cost? The main project would be transparency. How much is being spent, why and where. Also, it would be good to document all the complaints against landlords and make lists of ideas on how to get local people once again feel comfortable opening up shops, especially ones that involve necessities like food, clothing and shoes.
Who makes the decisions to implement plans like the redevelopment plan? How can we possibly unravel it and give the borough downtown back to the people, who do not seem to want five-story buildings, a large parking garage, and all sorts of fancy shops.
Find others to run for office.
What is your vision for how Raritan Avenue should be redeveloped and what would be the key feature?
Encourage privately sponsored, publicly available events. Figure out how to deal with the landlord problem, so more local people will once again open up shops. Perhaps a fee for abandonment or lack of use for landlords on Raritan and Woodbridge avenues would work, although I fear a stronger response will be necessary. The key feature is up to the people who are brave enough to do the hard work of reopening shops once the landlords are more amenable to the small local business managers’ needs.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Highland Park NJ mayor election candidates profile
