Warren Committee Primary Election 2022: Lisa Lontai

WARREN, NJ — Warren's primary election on June 7 has three candidates running for one open seat on the Township Committee.

Lisa Lontai is running against incumbent Jolanta Maziarz in the contested Republican primary. Kimberly Dunn-Meynell is also running on the Democratic ticket.

All three candidates are running for the one, three-year seats on the township committee.

Are you running for office in Warren? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Warren Patch.

Lisa Lontai

Age: 57

Town of Residence: Warren

Position Sought: Warren Township Committee Person

Party Affiliation: Republican

Family: Married for 30 years, four children all raised in Warren and attended Warren public schools. Two boys/Two Girls. Ages 20 -27

Education: Masters in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner

Occupation: School Nurse Warren Middle School

Previous Elected or Appointed Office: None

Why are you seeking to run for Township Committee?

I would like to give back to a community that has done so much for me and my family and I want to ensure that the children of Warren are able to thrive in a healthy, safe atmosphere.

Do you feel overdevelopment is an issue in town? How would you like to address it?

Overdevelopment is an issue and it is something that everyone is concerned about. We live in a very historic community, but with the constantly changing landscape of our town, that is being pushed into the background. When I moved to Warren in early 1990, the population was about 9,800. Today we have grown to a population of about 16,000. Most people don’t fully understand that the recent development in town was due to how my opponent managed our court-ordered low-income housing requirement. Within months of her taking office, she voted in favor of and formally endorsed the Housing Element and Fair Share Plan that has resulted in the current overdevelopment. My opponent missed the opportunity to hold developers accountable and to stand up for the residents of Warren.

First, I would try to prevent further housing development in town and guide new development that we are court required to build to the center of town or an area of town where it will have the least impact with regard to sewer access, and public water and utilities. Areas of town that already have this infrastructure in place will have the least impact. I feel that voting no on the Chubb property was a mistake because that land could now be taken entirely for housing, whereas a warehouse or rather a mixed-use building that could be used for office space, retail, or even a portion for recreation could result in tax benefits, and jobs that could have contributed to our economic growth. If the land is used solely for more housing, that puts a burden on our infrastructure. I know residents were concerned about traffic and trucks and that is a valid concern, but another concern would be an additional large number of new homes that a developer could sue to get approved under our Mount Laurel obligation. Due to the fact that generally, most are not returning to the office to work full-time, the idea that the Chubb site will be used solely for office use is not a realistic hope.

When Berkeley Aquatic asked to develop the land around Exit 40 into a state-of-the-art Olympic Swim Training facility the complaint was that it was going to create too much traffic and the applicant was denied. Now we are looking at over 190 new homes on that site. A far larger impact on our community than what would have been. The Chubb site could be similar. Perhaps have a conversation with the Chubb site owner on how to minimize the impact, or build a smaller warehouse, but we open ourselves up to unforeseen development when we turn down a fairly low-impact property use as a warehouse. I would like to avoid that.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in town?

I come from a health perspective and I would like to create programs/opportunities for our children and elderly that improve their health. We must also lower taxes. Our local government has done a pretty good job keeping municipal taxes under control but we can do more. We have to take a hard look at all departments and make sure they are being run with great efficiency.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

I think that I come from an entirely different perspective. I am a nurse, my sole purpose is to help and give back. That is what I want to do. I am a collaborative person, I love to listen to others' ideas and opinions, and work together for the good of Warren.

Also, I oppose how the current committee handled our low-income housing obligation. The current officeholder voted for over 1,100 new housing units in Warren. I believe Mayor Sordillo was correct in voting against that settlement, my opponent not only voted yes but advocated for the approval of 1,100 new homes in Warren. We should have built our own low-income housing which would have had significantly less impact on the township.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

The majority of people in Warren know who I am as the Middle School nurse or they know me from the Watchung Hills Touchdown Club and running the Snack Shack for so many years, or from Roundtop where we all watched our children grow in a family-centered environment. I am a mom, a wife, a nurse, and a resident of a town we all care about. Come out and vote on June 7th and I will do my best to represent your values on the Warren Township Committee.