3 Takeaways From Westfield's Town Council Candidate Debate

WESTFIELD, NJ — Candidates for the vacant Ward 1 seat on Westfield Town Council faced off at the town's municipal building on Wednesday night for a debate held by The Westfield Leader.

Democrat and current Councilwoman Emily Root is running against Republican candidate Amanda Como for the open seat on Town Council in the 2022 General Election, which will take place on Nov. 8. This position became available after former Councilman Jim Boyes stepped down from the Ward 1 seat in April.

Moderated by lead reporter Katie Moen, the forum followed the guidelines of the League of Women Voters, "sticking to the issues with no personal attacks by the candidates."

Here are three main takeaways from the candidate debate:

1. One Westfield Place Redevelopment Project

Moen kicked off the forum with a question about the new redevelopment that has been proposed by HBC Streetworks and asked both candidates what they like about the plan and what they would like to see changed.

Root was mainly positive about the new development. She praised Streetworks as being the "listening developer" and encouraged residents to learn more about the project in order to provide feedback to the redeveloper.

Root said she likes how the development would provide housing for people aged 55 and over because it would allow people to reside in Westfield for a longer time, as well as avoid adding more school-aged children to school system. She also said she liked that the building will bring more office workers to town, which she believes will benefit the downtown.

"But let me be very clear," Root said. "I want to stress that I am for less dense housing, which was the reason for my 'no' vote on the Sophia vote."

Root is referring to The Sophia redevelopment project, which the council passed back in May. She was one of three council members to vote against the project.

Before voting on the Lord & Taylor project, Root said she will make sure it makes financial sense for the town and does not put taxpayers at risk.

Como said the aspect of the project she likes most is that the town has a long-standing relationship with Streetworks. She also praised the aesthetic and design of building.

However, she said she does not like how the project will "forever change the landscape" of Westfield.

"The buildings are large, we will be giving up our parking space because without giving up South Avenue train lots, they would not be developing on the existing Lord & Taylor property."

Como added that she does not support the PILOT program because she believes there will be a loss of taxes that would be given to the schools.

Read more: Lord & Taylor Development Gets Mixed Response From Westfield Residents

2. The Turf Debate

The two candidates were split on their opinions of the Edison Fields Project, which would lead to the installation of two turf fields at Edison Intermediate School.

Como said that she "does not love the current Edison Fields Project in its current form."

She argued that the project is "a bit much" for one location and she said the surrounding neighborhood should not bear the brunt of increased traffic in that area.

Como said she believes all of the school fields in town should aim to increase their capacity, but just not at Edison.

"As far as turf goes, it's really not my first choice," Como said. "I would rather see grass and that be proven by proper foundation, proper installation and proper maintenance ..."

On the other hand, when many young residents spoke at the previous Town Council meeting about their desire to have turf fields, Root said their testimony resonated with her.

"The need to have more fields for our children is not new," Root said. "For 20 years, we've kicked this can down the road."

She said the plan will benefit the schools and recreation programs. She also supported the use of a PILOT program to fund the project.

"The arguments for grass fields are compelling," Root said. "But because of the limitations, grass fields do not provide the use that we need in our town."

3. Car Thefts

Both candidates spoke about ways that Westfield can deter motor vehicle thefts and burglaries, which has become rampant in the town in recent months.

Como recognized that people need to change their habits, such as locking their cars and homes, to deter these thefts. But she said many residents would also like to see more presence of police patrols, especially during the times when crimes are typically occurring.

She argued that a heavier presence of police vehicles will help deter crime.

Root said that Westfield residents are fortunate to live in "one of the safest communities in New Jersey," and she praised the police department for its professionalism.

"This year we have the highest staffed police department in town history, as well as the highest funded police department in Westfield history."

She argued that crime is currently down in Westfield, citing that 28 cars were stolen in 2021 (the same number of cars that were stolen in 2017). So far this year, Root said 14 cars have been stolen in Westfield.

Root said the police department's use of chip readers and other technology is helping to deter car thefts.

The candidates also spoke about the issue of speeding in Ward 1, which they both agree is a major issue. Root said the installation of five new radar speed boxes has been beneficial, but Como said there needs to be speed limit signs attached the boxes.

You can watch the full candidate debate on Westfield's Facebook page.

You can also read full profiles for Root and Como on Patch.

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