Meet the candidates for Old Bridge mayor and where they stand on the issues
Democratic Councilwoman Jill DeCaro and Republican Council Vice President Debbie Walker are vying to become the next mayor of Old Bridge.
Republican Mayor Owen Henry is not running for reelection, instead making a bid for a state Senate seat in the 12th District.
Running with DeCaro for three four-year Council seats are Krista Fischer, Kevin Ahearn and David Merwin.
Running with Walker are incumbents Anita Greenberg-Belli, Mary Rita Sohor and Erik DePalma.
Jill DeCaro (D)
Age: 59
Years residing in town: 25
Previous government service (boards and elected office): Curriculum, Athletics/Food Service, Policy and Personnel subcommittees; Board of Education 2018-2022, including serving as president and vice president.
Volunteer activities: Various executive board positions, PTAs and smaller committees since 1996; vice president in charge of fundraising for the Sayrewoods South Rebels; Parish School of Religion teacher for 10 years; executive committee in charge of volunteers for superstorm Sandy telethon.
Why are you running for mayor?
I’m running for mayor because I believe Old Bridge is in need of a fresh perspective and fresh vision.
Why should people vote for you instead of your opponent?
I take an inclusive approach in dealing with all things. I will not make decisions based on party affiliation and I will work in a bipartisan manner for the benefit of the Old Bridge residents.
After talking to residents, what is their biggest concern?
Our residents are concerned with the overdevelopment popping up along Route 9 and the traffic it will bring. They are afraid we are losing the integrity of our town. They are also concerned with keeping taxes stable and increasing services.
What are the three biggest challenges facing your town and what is your approach to solving them?
Balancing the large development projects, and the traffic it will bring, while keeping our residents safe and making sure their quality of life is not affected.
Maintaining a stable tax rate.
Working with EPA to remediate the issues at the beachfront in Laurence Harbor due to the Superfund site.
Election 2023: Here are the groups behind NJ election ads and how much they spent
Do you have any special projects you would like to achieve in office?
We have a wonderful Parks and Recreation Department and I would love to see that grow so that people of all abilities can have access to all the wonderful things Old Bridge has to offer.
Do you think the lack of a police chief is hurting the police department?
We have had a constant rotation of acting police chiefs for well over two years now. This affects the morale of the Police Department by not providing consistency in the workplace. We need to appoint a permanent Police Chief to instill a sense of stability and to form a more cohesive environment
Do you think Old Bridge has reached a tipping point in terms of development along Route 9?
Absolutely! We need to take a step back and control the overdevelopment currently happening on Route 9 East and West. Old Bridge is a wonderful place to live because of its residents and families. We need to protect the integrity of our town and look forward to what we want the future of Old Bridge to be.
Debbie Walker (R)
Age: 68
Years residing in town: 37
Previous government service (boards and elected office): 12 years on Township Council, six years as a fire commissioner for District 2, Planning Board.
Volunteer activities: PTA, Cheesequake Ladies Auxiliary, Cub Scout Leader, Mid Madison Womens Club, Historical Society
Why are you running for mayor?
I am running for mayor because I love this town. I’ve lived in town for 37 years, I’ve raised my family here, owned a business here. I have volunteered with many organizations including the Cheesequake Ladies Aux, PTA, and many youth and recreational programs. I have served proudly on our Council for past 12 years and previous to that served six years as a fire commissioner. I know our challenges and our opportunities for the future. As mayor, I will fight with everything I’ve got to keep Old Bridge the best place to live, work and retire for generations to come.
Why should people vote for you instead of your opponent?
I hope that our residents will take a hard look at our records, our positions, and our campaigns and make an informed decision. I am proud of my 12 years of experience on the Council – cutting municipal taxes, supporting our local law enforcement, preserving more open space to fight overdevelopment, improving our quality of life and increasing our recreation opportunities. Old Bridge is a very large town and needs an experienced leader, and I have that experience.
After talking to residents, what is their biggest concern?
Affordability and quality of life. The dilemma for any local government is that no matter how much we cut the municipal taxes that we control, when the state and county raise their taxes our residents’ tax bills still go up. We also need to aggressively preserve more open space to fight overdevelopment and invest in traffic improvements and traffic safety.
What are the three biggest challenges facing your town and what is your approach to solving them?
Affordability. We will continue to find innovative ways to do more with less to lower our municipal tax burden and fight against state mandates that make it more expensive to live here.
Safety. I’m proud of our record increasing the number of police officers in Old Bridge from 76 to 105 during my tenure on the Council, and I will continue to stand with local law enforcement to keep our community safe as mayor.
Traffic. We must preserve more open space to fight overdevelopment, continue to hold those developers already underway accountable for promised road improvements, and seek major investments in infrastructure upgrades.
Local: 'The Rose', Old Bridge's new $15 million public golf course, has opened
Do you have any special projects you would like to achieve in office?
I will form a traffic safety committee to address speeding on our roadways.
I love our open spaces and recreational opportunities. When I’m not knocking on doors or working on Council duties, you can typically find me playing pickleball on our local courts. Preserving more open space and creating more facilities for sports and play improve our quality of life, increase home values, and build a sense of community. I’ll never stop looking to support and grow those opportunities.
Do you think the lack of a police chief is hurting the police department?
I have tremendous confidence in, and respect for, our talented, professional, and capable police force. That has continued under the direction of the acting chief. As a councilwoman, I was proud to support the growth of our department from 76 officers to 105. As mayor, I will appoint a permanent police chief in my first 30 days.
Do you think Old Bridge has reached a tipping point in terms of development along Route 9?
Unfortunately, the driving forces of the issues along Route 9 come from outside Old Bridge. The road literally bottlenecks right outside of town when it turns from three lanes into two, a problem that has only been exacerbated by mandated affordable housing adding more cars and residents on the road.
With Mayor Henry in the state Senate, Old Bridge can have a powerful voice in Trenton helping us to get the changes we need to fix those problems. I look forward to partnering with him to do just that, while also fighting to preserve more open space and hold developers accountable here in town.
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: Old Bridge NJ mayor election candidate profiles
