South River Republican mayor faces primary challenge
SOUTH RIVER – The mayor since 2012 is being challenged in the Republican primary.
Mayor John Krenzel, who received the South River Republican Organization's endorsement, will face Councilman Peter Guindi, who is running under the Republicans for Change banner, in June’s primary.
The winner is expected to face Democrat Shaun Haussermann, a former borough councilman, in November’s election.
A lifelong borough resident, Krenzel, an attorney, was elected to the Council in 1990. He served three terms before leaving politics to help take care of his elderly parents.
Krenzel lost the election for mayor in 2003 and was appointed back to the Council in 2004, where he served on and off until he was elected mayor in the 2011 election.
The mayor said he has taken South River through Superstorm Sandy and the COVID pandemic.
“I have seen the rebuilding of South River, which saw the loss of over 100 houses because of Sandy,” he said. "Through my fiscally responsible budgets, I have kept South River on a steady course even though Sandy cost the borough millions in lost revenue.”
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Krenzel’s reelection bid is focused on “responsible redevelopment.”
“There are plans for housing on Reid Street and Main Street which have been approved,” he said. “There is, hopefully, another development for Main Street that will soon be put into effect. I want the Causeway cleaned up. Too many trucks blocking access to the river, community park, and community garden. I want water infrastructure improvements to continue. I want the town to benefit under the battery storage project that is now up and running. The battery storage project is one of the first, if not the first, in the state."
In extreme heat, instead of buying electricity from the marketplace, when it is very expensive, the borough can take electricity from batteries, Krenzel explained.
"It shaves off the cost and saves us money," he said.
Guindi, also a lifelong borough resident, served on the Council from 2009 to 2015 and was elected again in 2019.
He’s a safety, fleet, and compliance manager at C3 Technologies in North Brunswick and owner and CEO of Perfection Imaging in South River. He’s also a member of the South River Fire Department, serving as treasurer of Engine Co. 1.
He’s served for more than three decades on borough committees and organizations, including the Planning Board, Board of Education, Economic Development Commission, Board of Health, Committee of Utilities, Mayors Advisory to Persons with Disabilities Public Works and Public Safety.
Guindi said he feels the time for change is now.
"While the current governing body has taken some steps to bring the borough into the future, I feel that there are many opportunities for growth that can be and must be implemented so that we can move toward a prosperous future," he said. "We have learned many lessons from our past, which I feel should now guide our progress toward a better and improved future for all borough residents."
Guindi said it’s important to embrace the idea of looking ahead and moving forward together in a way that will benefit the borough.
"It is of utmost importance to pave the way toward new development within the borough so that new businesses can thrive and secure tax revenue for the borough," he said. "This must be done in a way that encourages growth rather than stalls progress with unnecessary red tape."
Guindi added he wants to offer fresh ideas so that South River can move forward into a better future.
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: South River Republican Mayor John Krenzel faces primary challenge
