Montclair, NJ – Mayoral Candidate Sean Spiller announced a slate of candidates running together for Montclair Town Council Monday.
Dubbed the Montclair 2020 Team, the slate has three of Spiller’s current council members and two additional candidates:
Sean M. Spiller for Mayor
Bob Russo for Councilor At-Large
Roger Terry for Councilor At-Large
Bill Hurlock for 1st Ward Councilor
Robin Schlager for 2nd Ward Councilor
Lori Price Abrams for 3rd Ward Councilor
Roger Terry should be familiar to many Baristanet readers. Terry is a former councilor who served as deputy mayor of Montclair as well as deputy police chief.
Spiller writes in his announcement: “Montclair is more than a place. It’s an ideal. Our values, our diversity, and our activism make Montclair such a special place to live, work, and raise a family. Residents are proud of Montclair’s national reputation as one of the foremost progressive American communities. The Montclair2020 team is committed to working together, cohesively, to preserve the things that make Montclair special. By standing up for our values, investing in our future, and continuing to make Montclair more financially sustainable, we can secure the Montclair ideal for generations to come.”
no one for the 4th ward?
“no one for the 4th ward?”
Spiller wants to run unopposed for mayor.
Michael Joseph–But isn’t Baskerville also already running for Mayor?
If this is how Montclair will be run between 2020 and 2024, then I do not see a good future for the town. This is more of the same. What we have is basically a slate of five career politicians and one career lobbyist. Four of the five are incumbents. If Mr. Spiller is now elected mayor, at least the first year of him being in office will be occupied with court actions, at the Montclair taxpayer’s expense, sorting out his conflicts of interest.
These current incumbents may have held taxes level for two years and reduced the debt (Trump claims much the same), but their lack of transparency and engagement does not bode well for the future. The town will only be assured of more cheap building projects that benefit only the developers, more of the same from the Board of Education with endless conflicts and School Superintendent searches, and black people and the poor further and further marginalized and pushed out of town.
Between Lackawanna Plaza in limbo and the upcoming election, the New/Mission/Elm Streets Redevelopment Plan is on the back burner for now…but, it is first up for the next Council. It is never too early for everyone (including the BoE) to put their stakes in the ground for what it should or should not be. My stake? The RDA plan should require a historic plaque to show the site of the former American Legion hall.