Ridgewood Village Council Election Profiles: Frank Mortimer Jr.

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Although the focus will be on the presidential election on Nov. 5, many Bergen County towns are seeing heated local races as well. In Ridgewood, four people are running for three seats in a non-partisan election for the five-member Village Council.

The candidates for a four-year term are Hyunju Kwak, Francis "Frank" Mortimer Jr., Pamela R. Perron, and Paul Vagianos.

Here is Frank Mortimer Jr.'s profile.

Name: Francis “Frank” Mortimer Jr.

Age: 58

Education: Bachelor of Arts from Saint Louis University

Occupation: Marketing Executive

Past volunteer jobs and any government service:

For over seven years I have been actively involved in Ridgewood boards, committees, and initiatives, and it’s my experience of working for the good of Ridgewood that shows my commitment to our wonderful Village.
In 2017, I championed for Ridgewood to be certified as New Jersey’s first Bee City USA, which was the first of many Village initiatives that I led. Next, I have been a member of Ridgewood’s Parks, Recreation and Conservation Board for the past five years, and I am currently serving as its Vice Chair. I am also a member of Green Ridgewood, where I co-chaired the very successful “No/Slow Mow May” campaign.
Last, I am a member of the Ridgewood Guild, and I volunteer on the Oktoberfest steering committee.

Other experience relevant to the position:

Most people in Ridgewood know me as “The Beeman,” as I have helped the Ridgewood Police and Fire Departments relocate honeybees that swarmed into our downtown and public areas, plus I’ve given talks to students at Ridge, Travell, Willard, and Somerville Elementary Schools, as well as helped countless residents with their bee/bug questions and concerns.

Professionally, I am a marketing executive working in higher education. I earned my BA from St. Louis University, double majoring in Communication and Psychology. I spent most of my career in college publishing (textbooks), as the world of education and doingwork that helps others is very important to me.

Additionally, I am a Cornell University Master Beekeeper, an instructor for Cornell, and the owner of Frank’s Honey. I also authored a nonfiction book, “Bee People And The Bugs They Love,” which was reviewed by the New York Times, and was available for purchase across the globe.

Do you have any relatives in town government or the schools now, or working on town boards or schools? Who?

No

How long have you lived in town, and where did you grow up?

I have lived in Ridgewood for over 13 years and it is the first place that I’ve lived that truly feels like home. I am proud of our Village and all that it offers its residents, which is why I am committed to giving back. I was born in Red Bank, NJ and lived in West Long Branch until I was 12 years old, then my family moved to St. Louis, MO. I moved back to New Jersey because of my career, and I have lived in Bergen County for almost 30 years.

Questions (250 word limit for each answer):

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

Pedestrian Safety: There are too many streets and intersections in Ridgewood that are not safe for pedestrians. Our Village needs to be a pedestrian-first town, and I will work to expand pedestrian activated crosswalks, ensure sightlines at intersections are not obstructed, and push for stricter enforcement of speed limits.
Flooding: The frequency and severity of flooding in Ridgewood has increased, and will continue to get worse until we take substantial steps to stop it. As a member of the Ridgewood Village Council, I will make sure that preventing future flooding, especially in residential neighborhoods, remains a top priority for the Village and that we continue to work with experts that can provide us with the solutions that we need.
Fiscal Responsibility: My goal is effective governance and community well-being, while keeping potential tax increases to a minimum. Priorities include ensuring the Village maintains its AAA Bond Rating and exercises disciplined budget management to prevent annual tax increases, finding the maximum grant dollars available for our village, and expand our shared services agreements with our neighboring towns.
Environmental Leadership: Ridgewood is blessed with an incredible number of environmentally-minded residents that are dedicated to our parks, trees, pollinators, and policies that will ensure a sustainable future. Having led several environmental campaigns, including Bee City USA and No Mow May, I have seen firsthand how much positive press and publicity can be generated for Ridgewood, and further establishes our Village as the leader in environmental issues.

2. Why should someone choose you over your opponent(s)?

The differentiating factor of my candidacy is my vast and varied public service experience. My seven years of civic leadership in Ridgewood includes working on various Ridgewood boards and committees for the betterment of our Village. I am passionate to help whenever and wherever I can, as is evident by my involvement in so many different groups and causes. I have been actively engaged in our Village since 2017 when I championed for Ridgewood to be NJ’s first Bee City USA. I’m the Vice Chair of the Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board. Also, I’m on Green
Ridgewood, where I co-chaired “No/Slow Mow May,” and I am a member of the Ridgewood Guild.

Our Village Council is a working council, and Councilmembers actively participate on the Village boards and committees that are committed to making our town a better place. Having already served on several of these boards, I am fully aware of all that is required and have established relationships with many of the participating members.
My record shows that I bring a “roll-up my sleeves and get it done” approach to everything that I do, and I will bring this same attitude to the Village Council.
Finally, I think it’s safe to say that I am the only candidate in the history of our Village that has gone up in a firetruck to remove a swarm of bees hanging from a tree in downtown Ridgewood.

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

This is an important issue to me, as I strongly believe that if elected, I can make a difference and help to bring our community together. Ridgewood is such a wonderful place because of the people who live here. We are a non-partisan form of government, where we are supposed to collaborate and work together to improve our community.

Our common goal should always be to get everyone involved and engaged - not create division and sides. I think the best way to get more residents involved and create a more inclusive community is to be respectful towards everyone, especially if you disagree with them. Additionally, it’s important to be mindful that negative politics as well as nasty social media posts and blogs should never define Ridgewood or who we are. The Ridgewood community is filled with an abundance of positive, caring individuals, and that’s who should have the loudest voice in our Village.

If elected, I will sing the praises of the people that are making a positive difference in our community.
My goal will be to encourage people to get involved because they see the difference they can make and how much fun they will have doing it.

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

One of the issues facing the soon-to-be newly elected Village Council will be what to do with the Town Garage at 120 Franklin Ave. The Village recently acquired this property, and we now have a golden opportunity to enhance and expand our downtown business district. I am dedicated to finding a use for this property that will best serve our Village.
While there may be opinions on what we should do, I believe that we need to ask the experts, namely urban planners, for data-driven advice on what would be best for our Village, especially what will be best for our downtown. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to start from nothing and reimagine what this property could be and what it could bring to our business district for decades to come. If elected, I will collect information from the experts, downtown business owners, and members of our community to guide us into a plan that will make our great Village even better.

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?

The Ridgewood Village Council is nonpartisan, which I think is great, as we can focus on the issues that are facing our Village without bringing party politics into the conversation. At the national level politics have become a divisive “Us vs. Them” mentality, which is why I am grateful for our nonpartisan Village government. Instead of getting into party allegiances, I believe the focus should be on uniting the Ridgewood community. Not just for me, but for all the candidates running, party affiliation should not matter. Instead where we stand on Ridgewood issues and how we plan to addressthem is what should be the deciding factor on who to vote for.

6. What else would you like people to know?

I am running for Ridgewood Village Council to help this great village that we call home continue to be the best place to live, now and long into the future.
I have been a Ridgewood resident for 13 years, and it is the first place that I’ve lived that truly feels like home. I am proud of our village and all that it offers its residents, which is why I am committed to giving back.

I have always been actively involved in civic leadership, and the work that I have done includes:
Ridgewood
• Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board Vice-Chair
• Green Ridgewood Member
• Ridgewood Guild – Member
• Ridgewood Bee City USA – Championed for Village to be NJ’s First Bee City USA
• No Mow May – Co-Chaired Village Initiative
• Driver for Feed the Frontlines

New Jersey
• Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey – Board Member
• New Jersey State Beekeepers Association – Vice President
• Northeast New Jersey Beekeepers Association – President for 10 years
New Jersey State Laws & Regulations
• New Jersey Statutes 24:1-1.1 – Chaired Committee to Codify Honey as Raw &
Unprocessed.
• New Jersey Statutes 4:6-24 – Committee Member that Codified the Regulation of
Keeping of Honey Bees regulated by the NJ Department of Agriculture.
• NJ Department of Agriculture – Committee Member that developed Bee Keeping
Regulations and authored State FAQs.

Other Information

These questions were sent to all Ridgewood council candidates. If you did not receive yours, email us here.

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Find out who's running for school board in Ridgewood here.

See the New Jersey voter information portal and election timelines here.

Those who want to vote must register to do so by Oct. 15, 2024. See the timeline for the general election here.