Meet the candidates for Manville mayor and where they stand on the issues
For a borough facing serious issues – the ever-present potential for another devastating flood, the revitalization of Main Street and the future of the Rustic Mall site – the mayor of Manville faces difficult challenges while facing daunting odds.
It may be one of the most trying elected positions in Somerset County, but three candidates, including the incumbent, are engaging in a rare three-way race for the top spot in Manville.
Mayor Richard Onderko, who has served two terms as mayor running on the Republican ticket, is running for a third term as an independent. Onderko won a narrow victory in 2015, but four years later got 66% of the vote in his reelection effort. He is being challenged this year by Republican Borough Councilman Joseph Lukac III and Democrat Roberta Walters.
Richard Onderko (I)
Age: 62
Years residing in town: 62
Political experience: Two terms as a Republican councilman and two terms as mayor.
Volunteer activities: Past member of the Manville-Hillsborough Elks. I give back my mayor’s $6,000 annual salary to our community by contributing to the Manville High School Scholarship Fund.
Why are you running for mayor?
I have some very important unfinished work to accomplish in 2024. I remain dedicated to helping my hometown acquire as much federal aid as possible to recover from Hurricane Ida, that hit in September of 2021. To date, we have not received $1 of federal HUD aid to help my residents recover. Now is not the time to be changing mayors. I want to continue to fight for Manville’s fair share of federal aid. At least $20 million more will be available during 2024. And with the recent change in New Jersey Office of Emergency Management policy of not funding home elevations in Manville, I need to continue to fight for my residents. State officials have told me that disaster recovery takes a long time; sadly, two years after Ida, we still are waiting. I want to continue my efforts fighting for Manville’s future, improve our storm resiliency, and enhance our public safety.
Why should people vote for you instead of your opponents?
I am retired after a successful 33-year career and act as a full-time mayor involved in lots of work, especially seeking grants to improve our town. I have the passion, leadership, and experience to get Manville the most aid possible because the town was forgotten in prior major flood events and received very little federal aid. My opponents work full-time. Being mayor of Manville is a full-time job if you really want to make a difference. I’m fully committed to helping my beloved hometown.
After talking to residents, what is their biggest concern other than property taxes?
Residents are concerned over the flooding Manville must deal with as we participate in the Blue Acres program. They are also concerned about the future of our Main Street, which is also impacted by flooding. Residents are also troubled by the overdevelopment in upstream communities of new warehouse and apartment buildings, which send all their stormwater runoff to Manville. Residents are worried by the fact that nothing is being done to mitigate stormwater runoff to help lower floodwater levels. I am the only candidate running for mayor who has been very vocal on this issue. I have attended other area town meetings, including Somerset County Commissioner meetings, to voice my concerns.
What are the three biggest challenges facing your town and what are the best approaches to solving them?
Manville's three biggest challenges are to make the town more storm resilient, revitalize our Main Street business district, and for Manville to receive more state and federal aid because of the flooding issues we must deal with. Residents love this town and want to stay. We need to develop more housing opportunities and move our emergency services to high ground. It is all done by using federal and state grant monies, not raising local property taxes.
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Do you have any special projects you would like to achieve while in office?
I have several important ongoing projects, but one is particularly near and dear to my heart. I acquired a 2023 federal grant for $350,000 to create a “Freedom Plaza” on our Main Street next to our American Legion Post 304. We are one of only a few towns with no monument to our first responders, 9/11 remembrance, and our military veterans. Knocking down an old gas station we acquired through foreclosure and replacing it with a welcoming “Freedom Plaza” will greet everyone to a very patriotic “Purple Heart” community. I would love to see this project through to completion.
How do you think the Rustic Mall site should be developed? Any other areas in town ripe for redevelopment?
The 12-acre site, formally known as the Rustic Mall, should be utilized for housing opportunities and moving the town’s emergency services to a section of the property to make them more storm resilient. It is high ground and does not flood. It is critical to Manville’s future as we must deal with the realities of climate change and more intense rainfall events. We need to acquire the property using federal funds under HUD’s “Smart Moves” and “Resilient Communities” grant programs to revitalize our town’s center. Manville is only 2.5 square miles in size. We are 99% built out with limited open space that is not in or near a flood zone. All open-space Blue Acre lots are prohibited from redevelopment too.
What do you think is the future of Lost Valley?
As for the future of “Lost Valley,” the state of New Jersey wants to knock every home down via a buyout program. I do not agree with their logic that it is too risky to live there. In certain areas of town, elevations do make sense, and in other areas buyouts make sense. To knock down any home that had basement-only water or, homes already elevated, or homes that never flooded makes absolutely no sense. I will continue to fight the state’s recent decision not to allow federal funding of any home elevations in Manville. This policy change was done with no advance consultation with the municipality and destroyed the hopes of many residents. Privately funded elevations are underway, which adhere to our flood damage prevention ordinance. Landowners have rights that allow for elevations. It is allowed under FEMA’s flood insurance program, so how can the state say otherwise?
What can be done to revitalize the Main Street downtown area? Are you in favor of a special improvement district tax?
Manville’s Main Street needs to be accepted into the New Jersey Designated Main Street program to open the door for grants. Gov. Murphy’s Main Street revitalization program is needed here in Manville. Hopefully, new enrollments of towns will be allowed soon. As a fiscal conservative, I really do not favor an additional SID tax on our small business community that has to deal with flooding. Over 83 businesses flooded during Hurricane Ida. Some never reopened. They received no help from the federal government. With New Jersey's large budget surplus, now is the time to allow Manville to join the Designated Main Street program. We certainly deserve more aid for a town that has suffered the effects of major floods.
Joseph Lukac III (R)
Age: 55
Years residing in town: 55
Previous government service: Manville Borough Council president, member 2018-present); Manville Board of Education member, 2007-2010.
Volunteer activities: Manville Republican Municipal Chairman, 2016-present; Manville Pop Warner football; 12 years in the Army Combat Engineer Corps.
Why are you running for mayor?
Manville is facing a number of serious challenges right now that are not being successfully addressed, and we need a stronger advocate in the executive position of mayor. We need as much funding as we can get from our county, state, and federal governments to mitigate flooding and raise houses. The proposed buyouts would raise everyone’s taxes significantly and kick families out of town who want to stay. We need a concrete plan for offsetting rateable losses that will result from the buyouts, which is not being addressed by the current administration. We need to do what’s right for all residents.
Why should people vote for you instead of your opponents?
During my time on the Borough Council, we eliminated a great deal of mistakes and errors made by prior Democrat administrations. Republicans created a budget surplus after digging us out of $10 million in debt and stabilized taxes. Unlike my opponents, I bring to the table respected leadership in the county, state, and federal government in both parties, because getting results for the people of Manville is non-partisan.
After talking to residents, what is their biggest concern, other than property taxes?
The proposed buyouts in the Lost Valley. The state is telling residents to pack up and move, even if their houses are elevated or have never flooded. The rest of our residents would be hit with an average tax increase of $1,800 to make up for the loss of rateables. The common sense solution for all residents is to raise houses.
What are the three biggest challenges facing your town and what is the best approach to solving them?
Flooding. Get the Royce Brook project done to alleviate flooding and help the river flow properly. Secure funding to raise houses in the Lost Valley instead of kicking families out who want to stay.
Pedestrian safety. On the Borough Council, we initiated the Street Smart Campaign and procured state grants to improve pedestrian safety in our community. The next project we need to undertake is pedestrian safety on the rail lines. I am working on getting a walkway over the tracks near the VFW.
Taxes. During my time on the Council, we created a budget surplus by implementing strict spending controls and leveraging shared services. As mayor, I will continue to work with the Council to keep taxes as low as possible.
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Do you have any special projects you would like to achieve in office?
The first is the Royce Brook Project, which I worked with state legislators to secure funding for. This $30 million federal project will dramatically alleviate flooding in town and make the river flow properly. The current system of water retention between Hillsborough and Manville no longer supports the volume of water during a storm due to recent overdevelopment in surrounding towns creating more runoff.
The second is rail safety. I worked with Operation Life Saver to secure a grant for a walkway over the rail tracks near the VFW, one of the major crossing points in town. Now we are working on getting it built.
How do you think the Rustic Mall site should be developed? Are there any other areas in town ripe for redevelopment?
After years of prior administrations talking about it but not taking action, as council president I led the governing body to pursue the condemnation of the Rustic Mall, which is in progress. I would like to see it become mixed-use. Additionally, I would like to undertake some beautification projects on Main Street like Somerville has.
What do you think is the future of Lost Valley?
We have to give people the option to get out of harm’s way. We should be fighting harder for those residents at the county, state, and federal level. We need to work with the county to create an incentive program for buyouts that offset rateable losses, something that other counties have.
Other than the long-awaited safety improvements on Main Street, what should be done to revitalize downtown? Are you in favor of the creation of a Special Improvement District?
We need to increase funding of our economic development committee, who have many great ideas on how to help Main Street. We need grant writers. I am open to the idea of becoming a Special Improvement District, but I need some questions answered about stipulations the state would place on us to see if it’s right for our town.
Roberta G. Walters (D)
Age: 54
Years residing in town: 24
Previous government service: Democratic county committeeperson for Manville District 5; member of the Somerset County LGBTQ+ Advisory Board; member of Manville Recreation Committee; Office of Emergency Management as the Manville CART liaison.
Volunteer activities: Manville Food Pantry where I volunteer monthly. I am a certified therapy dog handler and I host a monthly program at the Manville Library for children to come and read to my therapy dog Bella. We also do therapy dog programs at the schools.
Why are you running for mayor?
I love my town. I grew up here and my mother Loretta was a beloved teacher here. I was away from Manville for a few years due to marriage and work, but I wanted to come back to Manville, and I want to give back to my community. I feel after years of seeing so much inaction, that we need new ideas and new energy to help motivate the residents and get Manville back to the town we know it can be. I have a specific plan for Manville, which I laid out in my campaign.
Why should people vote for you instead of your opponents?
My opponents have been serving as mayor and councilman for years, and left residents of Manville with inaction and broken promises. I am not a politician. I am a resident who works hard to bring programs to town to support our residents and fill the gaps our elected officials seem to ignore. As one basic example, Borough Hall lately has been understaffed and that basic problem doesn’t appear to be a priority for the current mayor and council to address. I have both professional and volunteer experience bringing together high-performing teams to actively tackle problems like food insecurity, community safety, and hurricane preparedness. Staffing Borough Hall isn’t rocket science, but it needs to be a priority to get it done.
After talking to residents, what is their biggest concern, other than property taxes?
The residents I have been speaking with are tired of our current mayor and council doing nothing to address their concerns. They feel that it is the same people in the same role and that nothing is getting done. It’s been a longtime issue in Manville, but especially in the wake of Ida everyone is concerned with flooding. Even residents not directly impacted by the flooding have concerns for their neighbors, their basements, and what will happen to Manville. It took weeks to call a town meeting after Ida, and most of the effort seems to be around buyouts. That’s not what residents want.
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What are the three biggest challenges facing your town and what is the best approach to solving them?
Flooding and storm resiliency. We cannot solve this problem alone. We need help from county, state, and federal officials. I have spent years building relationships with our elected officials and I plan to engage them and work with them and other partners like Rutgers and the Watershed Institute to put into place efforts to help mitigate the impacts climate change and these storms are having on our town.
Morale and personnel at Borough Hall. The staff at Borough Hall are not happy and we have seen good people quit or be driven out resulting in the assignment of multiple job duties to those who remain. As a result, morale has suffered, and the work too has suffered. Bills that are late or incorrect, phones that didn’t work for weeks, and no staffing at the front desk are just some examples. As someone who has hired and managed staff, I have experience in how to hire and retain the best employees and how to smartly institute job-sharing functions to allow staff to learn new things and to ensure there is adequate coverage when someone is on vacation.
We need leadership with a vision on how to solve problems, and the ability to build relationships to accomplish objectives. It’s easy to complain to the county or Trenton – any citizen can do it. Manville needs leadership that can pull together a clear plan to take to the county or state to convince them to earmark the resources that we need the most.
Do you have any special projects you would like to achieve in office?
When I was growing up in Manville, I remember a strong sense of community. We had street fairs and events that brought out residents who got to know each other and have a good time. I would love to have more community events, whether they are street fairs or diversity festivals, I think Manville is at its best when the entire community comes together. I would also like to be able to address the lack of activities for young adults and bring in programs that give them a sense of purpose and that are fun too.
How do you think the Rustic Mall site should be developed? Are there any other areas in town ripe for redevelopment?
My feeling is that this site will need to be mixed-use with some type of housing to help offset those we have lost and may lose if Blue Acres buyouts continue. I would be hesitant to bring in apartments that are not the best option to fill the need. I think we should consider 55-plus housing that would help older adults looking to remain in town while not stressing our school systems. I would love to see some type of performing arts space, space for restaurants, and maybe even a grocery store or marketplace. I believe we have a tremendous opportunity here to add to the tax base and help alleviate the burden our residents have been dealing with for so long. Republicans dismissed a plan from years ago, so we have nothing in place on that property generating revenue and adding benefit to the town. Instead, we have an ugly empty space and the added costs of lawsuits brought on by the current administration.
What do you think is the future of Lost Valley?
Lost Valley has always seen flooding, but nothing like it has in recent years. The safety of our residents must take priority; however, that does not mean buying out all the homes and creating a large green space. First, I disagree with the state’s decision to stop funding the raising of homes. Ida impacted residents were led to believe they would have access to programs to help with the raising of their homes and to remove that without much warning is not acceptable. I plan to fight to have that reconsidered. We also need to work with our Emergency Operation teams to lay out plans for evacuations before major weather events. There are towns all over the state and at the shore where this is done with much success. We should learn from those already doing this well and work to adopt best practices here. I would like to establish a program for new residents who move into a flood-prone area so they can be educated about any risks and how they can react when a storm happens.
Other than the long-awaited safety improvements on Main Street, what should be done to revitalize downtown? Are you in favor of the creation of a Special Improvement District?
Main Street needs a facelift. The storefronts are reminiscent of the days when a small mom-and-pop shop could easily fit in the space. However, today, they don’t work for modern stores and shops that need more space. I would like our Economic Development Committee to be empowered to work with business owners and landlords to look for ways to modernize and improve buildings and storefronts. We need an influx of businesses to draw in visitors. I look at downtowns that work – Somerville, Metuchen, Raritan – they all have an eclectic variety of shops and businesses that are engaged with the community. We need to instill pride back into our downtown. I would consider the creation of a Special Improvement District if it were done correctly, with full transparency, and with the plan clearly laid out and approved. I believe that no option should be immediately dismissed if there is an opportunity for it to improve our community and the well-being of our residents. We should examine all options to make sure they are right for Manville.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Manville NJ mayor election candidate profiles
