Montclair Public Library, in partnership with Montclair Local, held a candidates forum on Sunday, April 7. Thirteen out of the 15 candidates participated in the forum (Rahum Williams and Patricia Hurt were not able to attend). Janet Torsney moderated the event.
The candidates were grouped by individual ward, then at- large candidates and finally, the two mayoral candidates. Torsney gave each candidate an ice-breaker question, then asked them to respond to a specific question on key issues including diversity, township legal issues, affordable housing and parking. When all the candidates had completed a round of questions, Torsney offered the opportunity for questions from the public.
On Thursday, April 25, the candidates will participate in the League of Women Voters Montclair Area forum, presented in partnership with Montclair Local, AAPI Montclair, Aging in Montclair, Latinos of Montclair and Montclair NAACP.
Save the date for Tuesday, April 30. Montclair Center BID and Upper Montclair Business Association (UMBA), in partnership with Montclair Local, will present another opportunity to hear from the candidates. The event will take place at Porta Montclair. Details to follow. Find our most recent election coverage and more on our Election Hub.
Thank you for hosting this forum. I’m concerned about the answer given by Dr. Baskerville in response to the question of what her number one priority will be as Mayor. Her response was that her top priority will be to get her transition team installed with “world class people I’ve been talking to who are interested in becoming part of the team along with the team who is elected,” in order for those unnamed individuals to then determine the Township’s priorities. Who are these unnamed individuals who will determine our Township’s priorities? Are they paid consultants with taxpayer dollars? Are they Montclairians? Why would we elect someone who can’t tell us the priorities without deferring to unknown people or who tells us they have chosen people to set our priorities but does not tell us who they are? We have outsiders telling our Town Council what to do today, this election should be about moving away from operating that way.
Dr. Baskerville then listed a second priority for the Council to go on retreat(s) to discuss and learn how to talk to each other. Why would our tax dollars be used to send the Council to retreats?
Our Township has urgent needs and this answer raises serious concerns about how they will be met if Dr. Baskerville is elected Mayor.