Mahwah Mayoral Election Candidate Profile: Jim Wysocki (Incumbent)

MAHWAH, NJ — Two candidates are vying for Mahwah mayor on Nov. 5, and four are vying for spots on the Township Council.

Although the focus this November will be on the presidential election, many Bergen County towns are seeing heated local races.

Patch has asked the two mayoral candidates to answer questions. (The council candidates and others can post their press releases, letters, and events to Patch themselves using these instructions.)

Who's Running

Current Mayor Jim Wysocki faces Janet Auriemma in this election. Wysocki's answers are posted below. Ariemma's are here.

Want to know who else will be on the ballot, as well as public questions and other Bergen County races? See your sample ballot here.

Name: Jim Wysocki

Age: 62
Education: High School Diploma
Occupation: Self-Employed
Past Volunteer Jobs and government service:
Government Service: Mayor of Mahwah 2021 – present (seeking re-election)

Mahwah Town Council 2017-2020

Volunteer Service: Mahwah Volunteer Firefighter 1979 – present
Offices held: Lieutenant 1985-1990, 2020-present
Youth Sports Coach 1987 – 1993, 2007-2011
Mahwah Museum Curator 2010 – present
Life-long resident of Mahwah. Grew up in the home I currently reside in.

1. What do you think are the most important issues facing your constituents, and what will
you do to address them?

The three most important issues are:
*Township Infrastructure, including protecting our water source. In 2021, the state lowered the acceptable level of the forever chemicals permitted in municipal water sources. With the township administrator and the water department, I began to research the steps that we would have to take to rectify the issue we found in one of our township water wells. The cost to retro-fit the well with a filtration system to meet the acceptable level of PFAS, was in the neighborhood of one million dollars. We immediately began to seek funding sources to offset the cost and to begin the installation of the required equipment.
Protecting our water source is going to continue to be a top priority for the town.
*Meeting our fair share housing requirements.
Mahwah is on target to meet our third-round requirements under the Fair Share Housing Authority. I have negotiated with the state to creatively meet our requirements while protecting the town from overdevelopment.
*Property taxes. Taxes are at the forefront of all that we do. Mahwah currently has a very low property tax rate, and we had the lowest tax increase in the last 20 years. Our residents are accustomed to top notch township services, blue ribbon schools, and amenities at an affordable rate. I will continue to look for funding sources within the town to maintain our service level while maintaining a low tax rate.

2. Why should someone choose you over your opponent?

I am more qualified than my opponent due to my years of volunteer service in the town. Additionally, I am retired from the Mahwah Police Department, where I served the township for 29 years. I have lived and worked in Mahwah my whole life. As the current Mayor, my list of accomplishments includes “fixing” things. I have improved the cohesiveness of the mayor, council, administration and department heads so that the town will run more smoothly. I am a hands-on leader, not afraid to roll up my sleeves and do whatever needs to be done to get the job done. I also know when to get out of the way and let the experts take care of the job. I approach my position as mayor with the best interest of the town and others at the forefront of decision making. It is all about Mahwah, not about me.

3. Should you win, how would you get people more involved in the issues who either aren’t involved, or who supported your opponent? How can town politics become more inclusive instead of divisive?

Mahwah is a non-partisan town, so party politics do not play a role in decision making within the town. Working in a non-partisan environment makes being inclusive easy. It is all about the town and what is best for the town. I would encourage others to get involved by personally inviting them to participate in meetings and events. As for working with people who supported my opponent, I would welcome their point of viewand be open to listening to their ideas. We all have different opinions on certain topics, but with open minds and good communication, we can work together for the betterment of our town.

4. What is one issue that no one really talks about, or has spoken publicly about, that you think should be addressed while you’re in office?

There isn’t an issue that comes to mind that isn’t discussed. Our town council meetings and all board meetings are public and are broadcast on community TV, or on-line, for our residents to watch. During council meetings, there are times that the council, mayor, and other members of the dais leave the meeting room to go into closed session.
Sometimes that may seem secretive, but I would like to assure the residents that the topics discussed in closed session many times progress to the public agenda. Topics discussed in closed session typically include any litigation the town may be involved with or contract negotiations. Contract negotiations may be related to union contracts, real estate contracts, or other types of business that has to remain private until it is resolved.

5. To what political party do you belong? Who did you vote for in the last presidential election (if you’re willing to say), and do you think it should matter in terms of your candidacy?

As an elected official in a non-partisan town, political party affiliation very rarely is discussed. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents work side by side, setting aside their political beliefs. I do not believe that how I voted in the last Presidential election would have any bearing on my candidacy, so I’ll choose not to share who I voted for.

6. What else do you want people to know?

I would like to highlight some of my major accomplishments over the past 4 years:
*The town has maintained a Triple A bond rating. Only 5% of the towns in NJ have this rating. This allows us to borrow money for major projects at a lower interest rate, saving millions of dollars over time.
*The town has renewed their commitment to our Senior citizens by providing opportunities to them that will make Mahwah a more affordable place to live. Two specific actions that we have taken are adopting a 25% discount on the water rates and purchasing Norfolk Village to provide affordable housing options.
*I am most proud that we have begun construction on a state-of-the-art Department of Public Works that will position Mahwah to continue to provide top notch services well into the future.
I would also like people to know that I am very well aware that none of these accomplishments have been made without the hard work and dedication of our township employees. There is no “I’ in team and there is no “I” in Mahwah.

• Want to vote by mail? The Bergen County Clerk's Office must receive your application by Oct. 29. Read more about that here.
• You can submit your ballot any time through 8 p.m. on Election Day.
• Want to vote on the machine? Polls will be open a few before Election Day for early voting, and then on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. See the early voting hours here.
• See more information on the Bergen County website on all three ways to vote, and Bergen County ballot drop box locations, here.

Other Information

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See the timeline for the general election here.