Tell me about the Allentown Borough Council Candidates

On November 8, Allentown Borough residents will be going to the polls to choose candidates that best represent their interests.

Polls will be open from 6 am to 8 pm.

The voting locations are listed below:

District 01 Allentown High School, 27 High Street, Allentown

District 02 Allentown Methodist Church, 23 Church Street, Allentown

Please read about your candidates below.  

There are 7  candidates wishing to serve on the Allentown Borough Council: Incumbents Ms. Madeline Gavin (D) and Mr. Robert H. Schmitt, Jr. (D) and candidates Ms. Stacymarie T. Falotico (R), Ms. Phyllis M. Dutko (R), Mr. Thomas Fritts (I),  Mr. John Elder (Allentown First), and Ms. Jessica Fitzgerald (Allentown First). 

MADELINE GAVIN

Madeline Gavin

I am seeking re-election so that I can continue with all the projects that have been started and to monitor the property tax situation. I have the experience and knowledge and fortitude to do what is necessary to get the job done. I am a highly qualified candidate.

ROBERT H. SCHMITT, JR.

Rob Schmitt, Jr: Life-long Allentown resident, with the exception of his military service in the U.S. Navy, college, and his first home in Ocean County, NJ.

Life-long Allentown resident, with the exception of his military service in the U.S. Navy, college, and his first home in Ocean County, NJ.

I have served the residents of Allentown as their Borough Councilman for three years with integrity and hard work. I currently serve on the Public Safety Committee, and The Personnel and Finance Committees and Chair the Communications and Legislative Committee. I am also proud of my work as the Borough Council Liaison to the Economic Development Commission–a commission that has been taking the lead in all kinds of new initiatives for the Borough’s economic health and, frankly speaking, its collective self-image.

I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Richard Stockton University with a B.A. in Literature and earned a  dual M.A. in Creative Writing and Literature from Temple University.  I taught Literature and Creative Writing at Temple University as a Lecturer and as an Adjunct Professor at Temple University in Philadelphia and at Mercer County Community College for 10 years, where I also taught youthful offenders inside NJ’s Correctional Facilities. For the past 5 years, I have worked at Trader Joes in Marlton, NJ where I am a Manager.

Earlier in my career I was a political and community reporter for The Times of Trenton, and several other newspapers. After my time as a reporter, I worked as a political speechwriter and policy advisor, and Director of Communications and Legislative Policy for the 7th Legislative District. I also served as NJDEP Spokesman under Governor Whitman. I am an active member of the Allentown Lions Club, where I have served as 1st VP, 3rd VP, among other offices, and am Chair of the Annual Allentown Lions Club Art Auction.

A lifelong resident of Allentown, like my father, and my grandparents before me, I am proud of my hometown–our village-on-the pond–so rich with history and charming in its every aspect. I love to tell people about our special town filled with engaged citizens who are as generous and kind as any you’ll find anywhere in the world. Growing up in Allentown is a special privilege where positive role models abound and certainly, such an upbringing helped shaped my worldview and my passion for community service. Scouting was a big part of my life and I earned the award of Eagle Scout as a member of Allentown Boy Scout Troop 180. I graduated from Allentown High School, where I lettered in Football and Tennis and was a member of several clubs. After graduation, I served in the U.S. Navy for four years and traveled the world far away from my hometown. After being honorably discharged from the Navy, I attended college, seeking a degree in Literature and Journalism. My wife Lisa and I have been married for 16 years and have two awesome and beautiful daughters, Abigail and Alexandra, who attend Stone Bridge Middle School and are proud and very active Girl Scouts. As a family, we like hiking, camping, travel, history–American and otherwise– Renaissance Faires and Medieval reenactments, and spend a fair amount of time down at Avon-By-the-Sea during the summer months. We purchased my childhood home at 11 Broad Street from my folks nine years ago, so that we could have the pleasure of raising our girls here. Our reasons for building our lives here and investing in Allentown are really quite simple. 1. Small Town Pride: We have the best and most unique combination of quality of life that can only happen in a small town like ours; 2. The Schools:  the Allentown-Upper Freehold School System offers excellence and educational opportunities for our children that simply don’t exist in most districts. 3. The People: I love this town; it’s in my DNA. For me, it’s all about our residents, my neighbors, my family, my friends. The people of this town are smart, kind, passionate about what they believe, and actively engaged in the betterment of their community. It’s an honor to serve you!

Why are you seeking election?

When I ran for office 3 years ago, I ran because, from the failing, sewer plant to the water facility that had become a desperate patchwork of leaky band-aids, to the broken sidewalks that led to vacant stores, it was obvious that loving care of this village was absent. It was clear that: Virtually every system we have was about to fail from age and lack of proper maintenance and that taxes would skyrocket due to neglect and the resulting costs of temporary “fixes” applied by the previous mayor and council.

As your Councilman, I have taken these challenges on head first. We successfully removed the complacent, do-nothing borough professionals who charged us for work they never completed or were failing us miserably in myriad other ways. Working with my fellow Borough Council members in a transparent, straightforward fashion, I made it my mission to replace those with professionals who want to see us succeed as an historic town. We have succeeded in establishing greater transparency in the governance of the Borough. The result? More people are speaking up. Councilwoman Anthony and I, who work on the Public Safety Committee, forged a new Police contract that came in under the 2% cap and serves the people of Allentown, supports and improves our already excellent public safety, and built bridges of mutual respect and trust between our hard-working Police Officers and the Governing Body.

Now, I am asking for the people of Allentown to reinvest in me to allow me to see these important projects through to the finish and to give me the opportunity to serve them as a member of Borough Council. First Priority: The sewer plant we planned for in 2015 must be built and come online; more efficient, cost-effective, and cleaner. Second: Continue the fight for a Fair County School Tax Assessment of Allentown; and Third:  I hope to be able to put to rest the of outstanding projects, to continue to find ways to meet our fiscal challenges. I see a brighter future ahead for our brave village-on-the-millpond–our rare, green gem. But I can’t do it without your vote!

What makes you the most qualified candidate to serve on the Allentown Borough Council?

Experience: I have served the people of the Borough of Allentown for the past three years with integrity and perseverance. By building solid working relationships with my colleagues on Council I have worked to reverse the tide of many years of negligence and ineptitude to move Allentown forward. When you elected me three years ago to sit on Borough Council, I walked into a closed clubhouse of sorts. It was an uphill fight just to get enough information to cast an informed vote. Since that time, I have fought hard to earn the trust and respect of my fellow Council Members, residents, as well as those who serve our borough. As a member of the Public Safety Committee, I worked to forge and settle a long overdue Police Contract and fought for the sorely needed Class II officer that you see out there patrolling our streets and keeping us all safe, while also lowering some of our public safety expenditures. Using Open Space funding we have successfully preserved the last acreage at risk of being developed in the Borough, thus increasing the property values of many residents while at the same time preserving our Village’s character and stunning green spaces. I have taken on overspending and budget issues, “cleaned house” of the do-nothing professionals who were soaking the Borough and its residents, and have led the charge to get our new sewer plant improvements up and running. There can be no further “Ad Hoc” delays or unnecessary distractions in the timely completion of this all important project. We need an immediate end to the silly, self-serving political posturing and extraneous committees and instead, must work together to move forward on the new sewer facility. Only then will we be able to offer some stability to with regard to water and sewer taxes. I’ve been knocking on doors and I can tell you that one thing is crystal clear and that is: The residents of the Borough have ENOUGH of the Ad Hoc roller coaster ride and want to get off. They’re looking for progress and sensible financing on our outstanding capital projects, fierce protection of our historical village, and tax stabilization.

What are the 3 most important issues in Allentown Borough that you wish to address?

1. Completion of the Sewer Plant
2. Stabilization of the County-imposed School Tax Assessment
3. Organize on-street downtown parking while also resolving the long-neglected issue of a downtown lot that will actually serve our businesses and residents and contribute to the further beautification and preservation of Allentown Borough.

Anything else you wish to share?

The Lions Club has a simple motto, “We Serve.” Likewise, serving the people of Allentown as a member of Borough Councils an absolute privilege and an honor that I hold dear. Running for office is all very well, but I feel that a candidate’s first and only priority is to serve. Period.

STACYMARIE TOTH FALOTICO

Stacymarie Toth Falotico

My name is Stacymarie Toth Falotico.  I was born and raised in Cream Ridge.  I was very fortunate to spend K-12, at the Upper Freehold Regional School District.  I like being involved in school and community activities.  In middle school, I was a part of the band.  I played flute and the piccolo, I was part of the middle school plays, Student Council, and I was on the Yearbook Committee. I was also involved in the youth group at the Allentown Presbyterian Church.   In high school, I was Vice President of the Lifesavers Club (which correlates with my Borough Committee position with the Allentown/Upper Freehold Municipal Alliance).  I was the anchor of A-Town Live, the high school’s visual news program. I completed my high school curriculum within three years.  I completed my first year of college while a Senior at Allentown High School.  I was awarded the Silver Presidential Award from President George W. Bush for my academic achievements.

I met the love of my life at the age of 23 and soon thereafter we purchased our first house in Bordentown Township.  The location was not my first choice.   Within, a year we sold our first home and saved enough money to be able to purchase a home in Allentown as I convinced by husband that Allentown would be the best choice for our family.  I am happy to be a part of the Allentown Community for the past 3 years and I want my children to be raised in the Allentown Community and attend the Upper Freehold Regional School District.

I am currently the Marketing Director and Legal Administrative Assistant for Daly Law a personal injury firm in Ewing.  I am member of the Young Professionals Committee for the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce which promotes community and professional involvement from young professionals.

I am committed to working for the taxpayers of Allentown.  I come before you with no interests involved, just a taxpayer.  I believe I would be the best candidate for Council because I grew up here.  I know what Allentown once was and I have ideas to get it back to being a prosperous village once again.  Over the years we have seen a lot of change within our town, some good and some bad.  There are a lot of issues that I feel need to be addressed within the Borough and my mission is to complete the following projects to better our community if I am elected to Borough Council:

• A parking lot for patrons of the local shops and restaurants
• Completing the Street Scape Project
• Preserving the Dorn Property as Open Recreation
• Addressing the traffic situation on Main, Church, and High Streets: Pushing for the Bypass completion
• Changes to promote local business, old town positivity and support

As the saying goes, “…it takes a village.”  I am hopeful that together we can work to “preserve our village”.

PHYLISS DUTKO

Phyllis Dutko

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Phyllis Dutko; I was born in Massachusetts and moved to Allentown by the age of ten. Not only was I raised in Allentown, I completed my certification in cosmetology at Allentown High school and have been a professional stylist since 1976. I met my husband Robert (Bob) Dutko in 1983, and we have resided in the Borough raising our children and now our grandchildren as well.

I have been a resident of the Borough of Allentown for forty-eight years and have been active throughout the community.

Positions I’ve held include:

-Allentown High School “Redbird” mascot

(1974-1976)

-Allentown High School Class of 1976 Reunion Chairperson

(1982-Present)

-Historic Preservation Review Commission (HPRC) member

(2012-2014)

-Republican County Committee Woman

(2012- Present)

I believe changes are needed to promote the small businesses in town and create a more welcoming retail environment for shoppers as well as visitors.  A few of the changes I would endorse and make every effort to achieve include:

-The completion of the Street Scape in town, including the parking lot which was the heart of the original project.

-I would like to keep the Dorn property (Broad St/North Main St) as an open recreational space.

-I would like to evaluate the completion of the East/West bypass which would help decrease the amount of traffic thru town. Traffic has increased significantly since the addition of the Amazon Matrix warehouse and built up borders of the Borough.

I have lived in this town for the majority of my life and my goal is to preserve our village so that my grandchildren may one day feel the pride that I once did for our town. I will be running for the Allentown Borough Council Republican Nominee this November and would greatly appreciate your support.

Thomas Fritts

Dear Residents,

Hello, my name is Thomas Fritts, Candidate for Council.

My wonderful wife Lisa and I have been married for 16 years, and we have a beautiful daughter, Emma, who is 11 years old and in 6th grade at Stonebridge Middle School. We moved here roughly 7 years ago and fell in love with Allentown.  We quickly realized how much the community cared about one another and coming from a small town myself, I decided to make a difference by getting involved.  I am the current appointed Chairman of Allentown’s Economic Development Commission, Streetscape Committee member and former Planning & Zoning Committee and Drug & Alcohol Alliance member.

In a Director role on a day to day basis I wear many hats. I work with project planning , budget development & control, employee management  and community outreach. I belong to a variety of business associations such as shop local organizations, chambers of commerce and merchant associations.  By being active in multiple municipalities I see what works and doesn’t and bring an interesting prospective to our local government.

When I lost a very close election last year–by roughly 40 votes–I decided that I would work even harder to earn your vote this year. That is exactly what I have done.

Proudly, I have received the endorsement of current council members Rob Strovinsky and Angela Anthony, both who  serve our community selflessly year after year.  These endorsements are special to me because I have earned their respect based on merit.

Over the past several years, I have actively attended Council and School Board meetings fighting against tax increases. I write support letters for future grants, serve on the 100% grant-funded Streetscape Project, research new technologies for future tax savings, work on Community Park cleanups and brought the Economic Development Committee and Allentown Business Association together to sponsor the Christmas tree lighting celebration.  I’ve worked on enhancing traffic and pedestrian safety by launching a resident petition, de-designating Church St. and continuing roads banning Tractor Trailers other than for local delivery, and launched a town wide assessment survey to gauge resident needs.

I am running as an independent this year for several reasons. As I attend Council meetings frequently, I can tell you first hand that cronyism is alive and well. After launching a town-wide assessment survey and generating almost 30 volunteers for future committees and commissions, virtually none of those residents were contacted or chosen. Instead, insiders appointed the new members to committees and commissions regardless of specific qualifications or even interest on the part of the appointed.  The end result is poor attendance, cancelled meetings and very little accomplished, affirming some of the same processes that landed us with rising taxes, increased spending on attorneys and engineers, poor traffic issues and dilapidated structures. May I please mention rising taxes again, because we cannot afford it! It has become abundantly clear that we are all tired of declining services and increased costs.  My most important engagement, though, is holding our local elected officials responsible when it is called for, and paying attention to detail.  If we had kept our eye on the deadlines regarding tax assessment notifications sent by the state, we would not have had the most recent increases. This was completely unacceptable, and it will not happen on my watch if elected to serve the community.

My primary objectives over the next three years will concentrate on saving money while improving quality of life. First, I will reduce spending and protect all residents, especially our senior community, many of whom are on fixed incomes. Identifying  all critical deadlines in advance and developing timelines that are shared with all committees and commissions will help us prioritize and accomplish our goals in advance rather then waiting until it is too late to react.  Strengthening shared service agreements and continuing to add new technologies through grants is key. Identifying and securing future grants will lower costs for continued Streetscape expansion. Streamlining current committees to undertake projects together could reduce engineer and attorney fees and eliminate overlap. Traffic and pedestrian safety can be improved by supporting police, fire and rescue services and listening to the needs of the community. Securing a tractor trailer ban, adding additional crosswalks, and performing parking studies utilizing our own committees instead of needless spending on outside resources are some of my goals.

Finally, I will protect our fringes, like Indian Run Dam and the Stein property, from future development. One recommendation has been to drain the dam. This would impact the wetlands on Stein. Upper Freehold wants to build a sewer plant and traffic light for hundreds of homes and offices on Stein. By protecting our wetlands, we can stop another high density Upper Freehold development from getting built.

As I continue to campaign through out the Borough speaking with friends, neighbors and residents I urge you to contact me if we had not had a chance to speak with one another or you would like a lawn sign. I will serve this community by being productive and accountable to all residents.   I ask for your vote on November 8th. Vote Fritts for Council, “Taxpayers First.”

JOHN ELDER 

John Elder

My name is John Elder and I moved to Allentown in 1974 with my wife Betty and daughter Jennifer.  I am running for Council as an independent candidate under the banner of the Allentown First Committee. I hope to give back to Allentown a small token of appreciation for a caring community and a desire to preserve this historic village.

My work life included extensive management experience with the Social Security Administration that included responsibility for telephone systems, personnel management, internal security over sensitive confidential information, office physical security, supply budgets, and staff training. My work life was particularly rewarding by seeing those I hired earn promotion. Their success was my success.

Allentown has several critical challenges. The Borough must continue to maintain a stable tax base and examine ways to address the ever increasing water and sewer fees.  The outrageous school taxes must be addressed with an appeal of the apportionment rate results that are rapidly increasing Allentown’s share of the school taxes.  Also is the Board of Education serious about containing their expenses?  Allentown must continue through our excellent police department to provide safety and security to all residents with proactive community policing, strict traffic enforcement, and support for the Hope Fire Company and Allentown First Aid Squad.

Thank you for your support.  We may not always agree but I will listen and try to address your needs.

You may find more information and a picture on the Allentown First Website.

JESSICA FITZGERALD

Jessica Fitzgerald

Candidate information unavailable at the time of posting.