Lawrence Township Council Candidates Debate Issues

Five of the six candidates vying for the three open Lawrence Township Council seats in the November election took part in a debate last week hosted by the Lawrence Township chapter of the League of Women Voters.

For about an hour last Wednesday evening (Oct. 5), Cathleen Lewis and Michael Powers, and Kyle Collins, Colette Coolbaugh and Falk Engel answered questions posed by the 50 or so people who filled the lower level conference room at the Lawrence Township Municipal Building.

Democratic candidate David Maffei was unable to attend at the last minute due to a family emergency.

The debate, in its entirety, can be viewed through the five video files in the media box to the right. (A guide to which debate questions appear in each video can be found at the bottom of this story.)  

The three seats to be filled by voters Nov. 8 are currently held by Powers, and . Bostock, currently the lone Republican on the five-person township council, and Mount both announced earlier this year that they would not seek reelection.

Each of the candidates was given the opportunity to make a two-minute opening statement at the start of the forum, as well as a two-minute closing statement at the end of the night. They were each allowed one minute to respond to each of the questions submitted by audience members.

Linda Mather, an experienced League of Women Voters moderator from Princeton, served as the debate moderator.

“The League of Women Voters is pleased to support a forum of this sort because it’s an opportunity for you to learn about the candidates, it’s an opportunity for the candidates to explain their positions, and the league believes very strongly in an active, informed citizenry. And certainly by your coming out tonight you show your support of that,” Mather said in her introductory remarks to the audience.

“I’m running for council because I want to bring the common sense and accountability to local government which I think you deserve,” Collins said in his opening statement. “First, we need to be able to elect our own mayor in Lawrence Township as opposed to having one appointed for us. The current system is archaic, undemocratic and needs to change. Secondly, we need to make Lawrence more business-friendly in order to bring businesses in and keep our taxes in check. Thirdly, we need to make sure we have adequate police and fire protection in Lawrence Township to keep your families safe.”

Holding a bachelor’s degree in political science from Rider University, Collins works in the human resources department of Firmenich Inc. He serves as a volunteer firefighter with Lawrence Township’s Lawrence Road Fire Co. and has been member of the township’s Public Safety Committee since being appointed to that post by township council in 2008.

“Except for Rick Miller and Bob Bostock, we [the Republican party] have not had representation on council for about 20 years and for most of that time it was just Rick Miller there alone,” Coolbaugh said in her opening statement. “That has two important impacts. One, he couldn’t get a motion heard – if the other side didn’t want to hear it, there was no second for his motion and no discussion. And secondly, and perhaps more importantly, bond issues – which allow the council to pass the buck back to the children, put it off for 20 years – take a super majority. Three votes won’t do it, but four will. So the healthiest form of government for Lawrence Township is a 3-to-2 split. Of course, I would like to see that Republicans three and Democrats two. But, either way, it does work and would be an improvement.”

Coolbaugh, a township resident for nearly 30 years, previously served as director of the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Office of Attorney Ethics. She has served on the Lawrence Historical Society, the township’s Historical Preservation Advisory Committee, and was chair of the Lawrence Township Zoning Board. She ran unsuccessfully for council in 2003.

“I am not a politician. That’s not my career. I’m actually a public interest attorney. I’m a lawyer and a teacher,” Engel said in his opening remarks. “We’re running on our record of public interest achievement in this community – a record that many of you are familiar with, a record that many of you have participated so actively and progressively in. In 2004 we passed pay-to-play reform, the first-ever anti-corruption law in the history of Lawrence Township. I was proud to spearhead that effort. And we did it through a referendum – a referendum that 78 percent of the voters of Lawrence voted ‘yes’ on. Because the council wouldn’t enact it, we had to do that on our own as citizens. We followed that up with redeveloper pay-to-play reform after we uncovered the Trent Motel scandal… For all these years, we’ve functioned as a shadow government of sorts, serving the public’s interest when the council wouldn’t. We hope to continue doing that but we can be much more effective in power.”

Engel, a lifelong township resident, is a graduate of Lawrence High School, Columbia University, and Rutgers School of Law. An attorney in private practice who specializes in constitutional law and works as an adjunct professor at Rutgers University, he has served on the township Planning Board and ran unsuccessfully for township council in 2007.

“I’m up here tonight because I think that we need to push Lawrence forward by encouraging economic development, holding the line on government spending and fostering a greater sense of community,” Lewis said in her opening statement. “As I’ve knocked on doors throughout the summer and fall there’s one theme that runs through those conversations – people want to know what government is doing for them. If elected my first responsibility would be to make sure that residents knew that I was working for them, seeking their input and finding ways to make Lawrence better. You’ll hear a lot tonight about what Democrats have done for town and what our opponents say has gone wrong. But if you remember one thing about me tonight remember this – it’s not about what’s been done in the past, the most important thing I bring tonight is a new perspective.”

Lewis, a township resident for seven years, holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Rutgers University and works as the director of public affairs and government relations for the AAA New Jersey Automobile Club. Prior to joining AAA, she worked for the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission from 2007 to 2010 as senior public information officer and legislative liaison.

“Across the country the political parties are fighting over workers’ rights to their jobs and their rights to organize. Our township crews are our allies and friends, the ones who actually deliver our services,” Maffei said in his prepared opening statement which, due to his absence, was read by the moderator. “As a council member I will stand up for their rights. Giving up those rights would be like giving up the ship of Lawrence and our township’s namesake, Capt. James Lawrence, told us, ‘Don’t give up the ship.’ Fiscal responsibility is also a top concern to me. Under Democratic leadership we’ve maintained a stable tax rate that is relatively low. But taxes are still high. I would like to reduce our taxes but not on the backs of workers and not at the sacrifice of the services we’ve come to expect and rely on. I believe we, as a community, need to look for new alternative sources of revenue to reduce the tax load on homeowners and businesses.”

A retired chiropractor who practiced in the township for nearly 25 years, Maffei has lived in Lawrence Township for over 50 years. He holds degrees from Mercer County Community College and Fairleigh Dickinson University, and earned his chiropractic degree from New York Chiropractic College in 1980. He currently serves on the township Planning Board and the Growth and Redevelopment Committee.

Powers, a township resident for over 35 years and a graduate of township public schools, is the only incumbent running in the November election. An attorney, he has served on the township’s Planning Board, Zoning Board and Growth and Redevelopment Committee. Now seeking his third term on council, he previously served as mayor in 2006 and again in 2010.

“As mayor in 2006, I took the council on the road and held council meetings outside the confines of town hall in Eldridge Park and Lawrenceville. I also launched the Diversity Day celebration that is now in its sixth year,” Powers said in his opening remarks. “As mayor in 2010, I promoted local businesses by holding monthly ‘Ask the Mayor’ meetings at various establishments throughout our town… During my eight years on council, I have focused on a variety of issues ranging from community building, economic development, health and wellness, land use and planning, public safety, shared services and campaign finance reform.”

Video Guide

Video Part 1

• Candidates’ opening statements

Video Part 2

• Question: “In tough budget times such as these, would you consider temporarily suspending Lawrence’ Open Space tax to build up the township’s surplus again?”
• Question: “What services, if any, would you cut from the seniors in order to balance the budget?”
• Question: “What is one solid idea to help bring in new business?”

Video Part 3

• Question: “There are six of you running. What uniquely qualifies you to be on council?”
• Question: “How does each candidate feel about the idea of voting directly for mayor?”
• Question: “What is your current position concerning shared services?”

Video Part 4:

• Question: “Whom do you admire most, either living or deceased, and why?”
• Question: “How will redevelopment affect Lawrence and what are your redevelopment plans?”
• Question: “What are your thoughts about the recent spate of burglaries in the town?”

Video Part 5:

• Question: “How do you deal with tough questions when you don’t know the answers?”
• Candidates’ closing statements