Meet the candidates for Milltown mayor and where they stand on the issues
Milltown Democratic Mayor Trina Jensen Mehr is being challenged by Republican George Murray for reelection.
Mehr is running with incumbent Margaret O'Donnell and Joseph Pietanza, who are seeking the two three-year seats on the Borough Council.
Running with Murray on the Republican slate for Council are Gary Posnansky and Frank Manco.
Trina Jensen-Mehr (D)
Age: 62
Years residing in town: I grew up in Milltown and have lived here for the past 25 years.
Previous government service (boards and elected office): Four years on the Milltown Board of Education, final year as vice president; elected to the Milltown Borough Council in 2017 and elected Mayor in 2019.
Volunteer activities: I co-founded and was the first president of the Milltown Education Foundation. I served as a trustee for eight years. I volunteered in the local schools and organized numerous fundraisers for the Foundation, PTA and eighth grade class.
Why are you running for mayor?
I am running for mayor to continue to serve all the residents of Milltown and to carry on with efficient planning for improvements to our beloved hometown.
Why should people vote for you instead of your opponent?
I have a proven track record of commitment and service to the borough. There have been many improvements to the borough in my tenure as mayor. Additionally, I have collaborated with local, county, and state officials to benefit the residents of Milltown.
After talking to residents, what is their biggest concern?
Tax and utility rates are a major concern. During my four years as mayor, the municipal tax increases have been minimal and there have been no utility rate increases. My administration has carefully planned and budgeted during these inflationary times to keep rates stable while still making many improvements in town.
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What are the three biggest challenges facing your town and what is your approach to solving them?
Aging force main sewer line and water infrastructure is a challenge. I highlight my approach to solve below. Another challenge is to attract businesses to provide additional services for Borough residents and to support the existing businesses in town. The goal is to create to a flourishing marketplace for people to gather and shop. The South Main St Rehabilitation Plan and exploration of Borough parking options will assist in achieving these goals. Completion of the development of Ford Ave has been a challenge to the Borough for many years. I was happy to engage with the County to acquire approximately 50% of the site for open space to facilitate the completion of the project.
Do you have any special projects you would like to achieve in office?
At town halls and talking to residents, I have heard many times that folks would like to have a centralized gathering space for a variety of activities. I will form a steering committee and gather stakeholders to discuss options for a Milltown Community Center. I also will continue working with our engineers and MCUA to advance the sewer main project.
What will you do to improve water quality and water and sewer infrastructure in Milltown?
I have been concerned with water quality and water and sewer infrastructure since I served as chair of the Utilities Committee while a councilmember. Since I became mayor, Milltown has received $5 million from the state for water line improvements. We have completed two water line replacement projects to improve water pressure and eliminate brown water. Other projects are scheduled for next year. I also asked for and received $1.2 million in funding from the county for plans for a new sewer line. The MCUA has confirmed analysis of the project to move ahead to next steps. This will allow the borough to proceed, with assistance from MCUA, to replace the force sewer main which is 100 years old.
George Murray (R)
Age: 51
Years residing in town: 51
Previous government service (boards and elected office): Councilman 2010-2013.
Volunteer activities: Currently serving as Boy Scouts scoutmaster for five years and involved in Scouting for more than 10 years; Farmers Against Hunger; Habitat for Humanity.
Why are you running for mayor?
To make a positive change for Milltown and get Milltown moving in the right direction. There will be no more status quo.
Why should people vote for you instead of your opponent?
I am trustworthy, loyal, and helpful and with my leadership abilities and my love for Milltown. I will prove to the residents that it is all about Milltown and they will clearly understand that Milltown comes first.
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After talking to residents, what is their biggest concern?
Taxes, water quality and pedestrian safety.
What are the three biggest challenges facing your town and what is your approach to solving them?
Safe routes to school/speeding. I reached out to the property owner of Ford Avenue (Mr. Lawrence Berger), and he provided me a letter of intent that he is willing to give the borough the railroad trestle and sell the borough the right of way lots between the post office and borough building, so we can replace the trestle with an arched ADA bridge and construct a paved walkway from Washington Avenue to Main Street. There will also be working crosswalks across Washington Avenue. This will also alleviate the flooding when the water rises and hits the trestle. Work with the police and install speed humps, which will greatly reduce the speeding in town.
Lack of businesses. I will look at the electrical demand charges and water tier rates and provide a strong sensible very achievable plan that will attract and retain businesses in town.
Failing infrastructure. I will dig into the current way the infrastructure is being addressed and figure out how we can do a better job in a more reliable way without breaking the back of the residents.
Do you have any special projects you would like to achieve in office?
Railroad trestle replacement with a safe route for children and pedestrians, cleaning up Ford Avenue so that it has a park with a green environmentally friendly amphitheater for concerts and room for farm stands, food trucks and our local businesses.
What will you do to improve water quality and water and sewer infrastructure in the borough?
I would first look at fixing the current leaking infrastructure and then work with the department heads to figure out the best and most cost-effective way to improve the infrastructure. As far as the forced sewer main, this has been in the planning stage, and I would like to see if we can move this up to the design and execution phase.
Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com
Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Milltown NJ mayor election candidate profiles
