Meet the candidates for Raritan mayor and where they stand on the issues
With incumbent Zachary Bray declining to run for a second term as Raritan mayor, two veteran Borough Council members are vying for the seat.
Council President Nicolas Carra, a Republican who has served on the Council since 2017, is opposed by Democrat Pablo Orozco, who has been on the Council since 2018.
It's Orozco's second bid to be elected mayor. In 2019, he lost to Bray by a 954-to-638 margin.
Nicolas Carra (R)
Age: 27
Years residing in town: 27
Previous government service (boards and elected office): Councilman 2017 to present (3 terms), council president 2020 to present (4 terms), planning board 2016 and 2018 to present, Raritan Finance Committee 2017 to present (chairman all seven years), commissioner of Somerset Raritan Valley Sewerage Authority in 2023, Somerset County Regional Center Partnership 2017 and 2022 to present.
Volunteer activities: Somerville Elks Club, Jack’s Kids
Why are you running for mayor?
As council president, I have worked with our legislative and congressional representatives to secure more grants to keep taxes low and keeping projects under review with the state progressing forward. I feel I have had the experience to lead our governing body and help shape the future of Raritan. After spending seven years on council, I believe I have what it takes, and I am the best person on the ballot for the job. As mayor, I will always advocate for a quick turnaround when dealing with state agencies. As mayor, I want to be the point person in town for any questions residents may have. My goal is to make sure anyone who wants to know what is going on with the governing body or at Borough Hall has a straightforward way to find out.
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Communication and transparency are my top priorities. Once the new building is set up, we will be updating our camera and audio equipment, so we have better recordings of council meetings. Also, I would like to begin recording and broadcasting our various boards and committees. Residents can keep up with all aspects of town happenings. This includes the return of live streaming of our meetings online. While the TV option is great, more people are cutting the cord. We had a lot of participation during Zoom meetings when we were under lockdown, so I would focus on bringing this option back to the public. I also want to heavily invest in our parks, we have begun some of that this year, but if elected I want to improve the current locations while adding new programs for recreation, and this would include things that are not just sports, like teaching computer science and robotics.
Why should people vote for you instead of your opponent?
Before my plan came to fruition, the town was kicking around the idea of building a new police station at the former Washington School location. When we first talked about this in 2017, many things happened that changed its feasibility. Once COVID happened, material prices increased and interest rates skyrocketed, making an $8 million project balloon to $12 million. I knew Raritan could no longer afford this without a significant increase in municipal taxes. So back in February of this year, I asked the council to let me establish a subcommittee under the finance committee that I chaired. My goal at the time was to explore the feasibility of purchasing the former PNC Bank on Somerset Street for borough use. For the first month I looked at the amount of space, pricing, and condition of the building and determined that this would be a crucial asset to acquire for the town. I then went back to the council to ask for approval to hire a realtor and make an offer on the building. With that approval our team moved quickly to make sure the deal went through. We had many special meetings to make sure we met all deadlines set in place by the seller and we were successful in obtaining the building for Raritan. This is the biggest thing we have done as a council in recent years and is such a benefit to the Borough.
Currently, my subcommittee is now collaborating with our engineer and architects to design the new floor plan to make it our new town hall. This includes a community room for our seniors and residents and our various boards and committees. This plan also adds 40 spots for public parking right off our main street for residents to visit our downtown businesses. With our services moving to the new building, this allows us to provide our current town hall entirely to our police department. Once we knew this, our committee also was quick to connect with Congressman Tom Kean Jr’s office to apply for his community development grant. Thanks to my previous relationship with key members of his staff, we were able to have him sponsor our project. We thank him for helping us secure a $2.275 million grant to rehabilitate that building. The building will become a modern police headquarters that will serve residents well for the next several decades. And many agree this is where the police need to remain. Overall, my plan for both buildings significantly cut our costs down from the previous plan that was chaired by former Councilman Paul Giraldi. In 2022, we were looking at $12 million in costs. Now, we are all in for approximately $4 million, which is half the maximum amount we could afford. Going back to our old plan would be the most fiscally irresponsible decision anyone could make. Councilman Pablo Orozco has also indicated he has not always been in favor of this project, that he would like to have seen the former bank remain a business property. Also, he and former councilman Giraldi also believe we should not use our grant from Congress and build a police station at our current municipal building, despite the fact we can’t afford it. The grant from Congress cannot be used at the Washington School location (their preferred plan) since it was only awarded for our property at 22 1st St.
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After talking to residents, what is their biggest concern, other than taxes?
The biggest concerns besides taxes as I walk door to door and speak with residents is the rate at which apartment buildings are being constructed. The second biggest thing is better communication about town happenings and events. Residents feel we do not do enough to get the word out about new activities and events that the town does throughout the year (the exception being the John Basilone Parade). This also includes better transparency and access to town meetings and decisions. Lastly, speeding and pedestrian safety is brought up often. We have requested the county look into reducing county road speed limits to 25 mph. I have also worked with Recreation and RideWise to have pedestrian safety flags installed along Somerset Street at most of our crosswalks to make people more visible to traffic. We will look further into making certain roads one-way and restricting left turns at intersections with a lot of traffic or poor sightline visibility.
What are the three biggest challenges facing your town and what is the best approach to solving them?
Affordable housing and apartments
Revitalizing Somerset Street. I think the biggest thing we can do for Somerset Street is make it more attractive for potential businesses. Without this, we will never achieve what many hope for with our main street. I spoke to several business owners in town and some from Somerville. The biggest issues we face are parking (which I began to address with the new municipal building – 40 spots). We need to make sure we continue to find more places for parking and create a fund to be at the ready with purchasing land. I have begun to investigate establishing a parking utility to help us with this specific task. I also want to change the zoning for buildings on Somerset Street. I do not want us to be like Somerville with five-story buildings, but I would allow new types of buildings for better business variety. We receive complaints from residents about the myriad number of hair and nail salons in town. I welcome any business who wants to open in Raritan, but the reason we do not have more restaurants (besides parking) is our storefronts are too small for this type of business. We need to get buildings with larger spaces for different types of businesses.
Senior Recreation Programs. A lot of seniors would like more programs for their age group and activity level. Currently, we lack what neighboring towns offer and I would like to either replicate those programs here or work out agreements for our seniors to utilize them without a cost to them. This also goes back to my earlier comment about having recreation programs that aren’t just sports related.
Do you have any special projects you would like to achieve in office?
Redesigning and improving our parks
Parking Utility for our downtown
Riverfront Plaza/Walking Street (Like Division Street in Somerville) at the Nevius Street Bridge. Also, we would have a great tie-in to our great neighbors at Duke Farms.
Economic development improvements to help our Main Street businesses, helping reinstitute a Chamber of Commerce and zoning improvements.
Seeing through the completion of our new Municipal Building and Police Station.
What should be done with the Raritan Mall?
I have been involved with several conversations with the new owner of the Raritan Mall and our town professionals. There has been a lot of back and forth about what he would like versus what the town would like to see. These talks are still ongoing, but I think the top priority would be a new grocery store. Having Wegmans and ShopRite nearby makes it hard for a supermarket, but a smaller store may be open to establishing a location here. This was one thing that was conveyed to the new owner and from all accounts he is making good on that request. Overall, I would like to see a retail component remain at this property too. There are also conversations about improving our drainage systems in this location at the expense of the owner with a community development payment.
What would you propose for the revitalization of Somerset Street?
Repeating the previous answer, I think the biggest thing we can do for Somerset Street is make it more attractive for potential businesses.
Is there a need for more apartments in Raritan?
I have heard from many residents about their concerns regarding the scale and speed of construction of these new luxury apartment buildings. Many feel it will take away from the character of Raritan. I would love to see our town retain its small, family-oriented character. I do not want to see our downtown become a little city with apartments everywhere. That would be too much density for Raritan, its residents, and our stormwater systems. As for affordable housing, the town is obligated by court order to build a certain number of units. I have heard from residents at town meetings and our seniors during my visit to their organization that we should look at new ways to meet these obligations. While apartment projects can provide 15% of their units as affordable units, we can also look at different projects where it can be a much higher percentage. Back in May I reached out to our county affiliate for Habitat for Humanity; they can build single-family homes, as well as duplexes that maintain the look Raritan currently has, but provides modern housing that is considered an affordable unit and meets our legal obligations. So frankly stated, we do not need more apartments.
Pablo Orozco (D)
Age: 49
Years residing in town: 30+
Previous government service (boards and elected office): Councilman since 2018 (liaison to the Fire Department, Environmental Commission, Board of Education), Board of Health Member, secretary for the Somerset County Governing Officials Association.
Volunteer activities: Toys for Tots, John Basilone Parade Committee
Why are you running for mayor?
For almost as long as I remember, every September my family attended the John Basilone Parade. John Basilone's story of his incredible sacrifice was imprinted on me as the ultimate example of citizenship and love of country. I remember watching the young Marines dressed in their Dress Blue Uniforms and wanting to be just like them. I also remember seeing Mayor [Anthony] DeCicco and the Borough Council carrying themselves with such class; you could tell that they really cared about their constituency by the attention they gave everyone. These were some powerful examples that I was given as a child. It was quite a lot to live up to but soon after graduating from Immaculata Highs School, I shipped off to Parris Island, South Carolina to become a member of the United States Marine Corps. I served in the USMCR until 2000. My parents were immigrants, and my mother always told me stories of my grandfather serving in the military and politics. Between my parents instilling a sense of service in me and the rich tradition of service in Raritan, I was inspired to run for office. I won my council seat in 2017 and was reelected again in 2020. Being that this is my last year on council, I am asking Raritan to allow me to continue serving my community as its next mayor.
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Why should people vote for you instead of your opponent?
Experience. The easiest way to control municipal government expenses is shared services. I served as the first Shared Services Coordinator for Somerset County, where I helped towns in Somerset County acquire exploration and implementation grants that are available through the Department of Consumer Affairs. That role helped teach me how to navigate municipal government "red tape" to help municipalities pool resources to save taxpayer dollars. Raritan is currently in a successful shared services program with Manville, and I would like to see us take advantage of grant opportunities that are available to explore future shared services opportunities. I was elected to Borough Council in 2017 and reelected in 2020. I am the secretary of the Somerset County Governing Officials Association. In contrast, my opponent has been part of the majority on Raritan Borough Council for the better part of the last two decades. The more I knock on doors the more I hear that people are not happy with the overdevelopment, the empty stores on Somerset Street, the dilapidated Raritan Mall, lack of investment in parks, lack of recreation options resulting in residents paying out-of-town rates to join activities in other towns, the list goes on and on. The last Carra-Tozzi Ticket ran in 2017 as well. The slogan for that campaign was "Revitalize Raritan." I would like to ask if they succeeded in that revitalization.
After talking to residents, what is their biggest concern, other than taxes?
Overdevelopment and its strain on the borough's infrastructure. Specifically traffic, schools and sewers. In the process, the residents fear that Raritan is starting to lose its small-town feel.
What are the three biggest challenges facing your town and what is the best approach to solving them?
Traffic. Thoroughly scrutinizing any housing developments that will add to the traffic problems that currently exist.
Empty storefronts in Raritan. Having an active Chamber of Commerce, I believe, would be extremely helpful in solving this problem. As mayor, I would push for the Somerset County Business Partnership to help Raritan businesses start a Raritan Chamber of Commerce by assisting them with the start-up legwork, which is where this has stalled in the past.
Recreation. As a parent I can tell you first-hand that there are not enough recreation opportunities for children. This would be an easy problem to fix. I would like to partner with surrounding communities to find shared services opportunities for recreation.
Do you have any special projects you would like to achieve in office?
I would like to build a new firehouse. This year we purchased a beautiful new ladder truck. Our firefighters were forced to shoehorn the truck into the current firehouse with just inches between the truck and the wall. Our volunteer fire department deserves a bigger and better firehouse. Raritan Borough has not updated the fire facilities in decades. There are grants available to help with the building and planning expenses.
What should be done with the Raritan Mall?
I want to see a supermarket to anchor the Raritan Mall. That would attract other businesses. When we lost Stop & Shop, we slowly lost the rest of the stores. The short answer is that I would like to see retail space in the Raritan Mall. The way it used to be.
What would you propose for the revitalization of Somerset Street?
I would like to create a Chamber of Commerce. The business owners are the best resource to inform the governing body on the needs of businesses.
Is there a need for more apartments in Raritan?
I would be cautious about adding more apartment buildings in Raritan. I would like to see more single-family homes be built.
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: Raritan Borough NJ mayor election candidate profiles
