Oakland mayor, councilman facing off for leadership post in November election

Marsha A. Stoltz, NorthJersey.com
·2 min read

OAKLAND — Mayor Linda Schwager and Councilman Eric Kulmala will again square off for the borough's leadership post in the Nov. 7 general election.

Schwager, a Democrat, is seeking an unprecedented fourth term as the mayor of a Republican Borough Council, which Kulmala previously led as president.

There are also contests for two full-term council seats. Incumbent Republican members Russell Talamini and Pasquale "Pat" Pignatelli are seeking new terms against Democratic challengers Andrea Levy and former Councilman John Biale.

Oakland Mayor Linda Schwager is seeking an unprecedented fourth term in November.
Oakland Mayor Linda Schwager is seeking an unprecedented fourth term in November.

Schwager was first elected to the Borough Council as a Republican in 1990 and won two more terms before she was defeated in 1999 by Biale, her council running mate this fall. She lost her first bid for mayor as a Democrat in 2007 but won in 2011. She defeated Kulmala for a third term in 2019.

Kulmala was elected to the council in 2013 and served a second term in 2016 before losing to Schwager in 2019. He was reappointed to the council in September 2020 to fill the unexpired term of Lew Levy. He has served with the Oakland Volunteer Fire Department since 1984.

Oakland Republican Councilman Eric Kulmala will once again challenge Democrat Mayor Linda Schwager for the borough's top elected post in the November 2023 elections.
Oakland Republican Councilman Eric Kulmala will once again challenge Democrat Mayor Linda Schwager for the borough's top elected post in the November 2023 elections.

Cannabis on the ballot

Recent council concerns about cannabis businesses in the borough are reflected in two non-binding questions on the ballot:

Question 1: “Do you support allowing cannabis businesses to operate in the Borough of Oakland for cultivation, manufacturing, wholesaling and distribution of recreational cannabis defined as Class 1, 2, 3, and 4 cannabis licenses by New Jersey state statutes and regulations?”

Question 2: “Do you support allowing cannabis businesses to operate in the Borough of Oakland for the retail of sale of recreational cannabis defined as a Class 5 cannabis license by New Jersey state statutes and regulations?”

The third question is a binding referendum on continuing the Open Space Trust Fund, which was originally approved in 2003. There is no increase in the current tax levy rate, only authorization to continue collecting up to $0.01 for each $100 of the average assessed home value to finance the land purchase fund. The owner of the average home, assessed at $408,700, would pay a yearly open space tax that would not exceed $40.87.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Oakland mayor, councilman to face off in 2023 election