On Nov. 7, four candidates will vie for two open council, while three will move to head the borough as mayor. In the council race, a Republican and Democratic incumbent will look to retain their seats while one Republican and a Democrat new to the political forum will look to find a seat. Republican Mayor William Roseman will defend his long-standing tenure as mayor as a Democrat.

Adrianna Cassiere Allen (D)

Running for: Borough Council

Age: 27

Family: Married to husband Jeffrey.

Education: Graduate of the Carlstadt Public School system and Becton Regional High School. She went on to Rutgers University where she received a bachelor of arts degree in political science and sociology. Following that, she received her Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law.

Employment: Attorney for Melli, Guerin & Wall, P.C. in Paramus.

Residence: Lifelong resident of Carlstadt.

Background: Elected president of the senior class and Governing Association Rutgers for two consecutive years. Gave student commencement address at graduation and was named Who’s Who among American University and College Students while an undergraduate student. Has coached PeeWee cheerleading and girls softball. Was also selected to represent Carlstadt on Congressman Steve Rothman’s Youth Advisory Council.

Richard Bartlett (R)

Running for: Borough Council

Age: 50

Family: Married to wife Suzanne with three children: Richard, Matthew and Danielle.

Education: Graduate of the Carlstadt Public School system and Becton Regional High School. Went on to receive an associates degree in applied science from Bergen Community College.

Employment: Business manager in the radiology department at Holy Name Hospital.

Residence: Lifelong resident of Carlstadt.

Background: Richard is a 32-year veteran and past chief of the Carlstadt Volunteer Fire Department. He is also a fire instructor at the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute in Mahwah and member of IAFF Local 3500.

David Hollenbeck (D)*

Running for: Borough Council

Age: 47

Family: Married to wife Susan with four children: Heather, Victoria, Elizabeth and David.

Education: Graduate of the Carlstadt Public School system and Becton Regional High School. He went on to earn a bachelor of arts degree in business administration with a minor in economics from William Paterson University. He recently received a masters degree in labor and employment relations from Rutgers University.

Employment: Regional Public Affairs Manager for PSE&G covering Union, Somerset and Hunterdon counties.

Residence: Lifelong resident of Carlstadt.

Background: Has served one term on the Board of Education, one term as councilman, seven years on the Board of Adjustment and has acted as liaison to the Board of Health. Dave has also acted in the community as a coach for Tee Ball, minor league baseball PeeWee and flag football and girls’ softball.

David Stoltz (R)*

Running for: Borough Council

Age: 52

Family: Married to wife Denise with a son, David.

Education: Graduate of the Carlstadt Public School system and Becton Regional High School. He went on to receive a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from William Paterson.

Employment: Twenty-seven years experience on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Residence: Lifelong resident of Carlstadt.

Background: A councilman for the past six years, David has been a member of the Carlstadt Volunteer Fire Department Engine 701 for 34 years and acted in the capacity of treasurer and chief. He is president of the Fireman’s Board of Relief, a past member of the volunteer ambulance squad, ex-president of the Fireman’s Exempt Association and a trustee to the Berrylawn Charleston Cemetery Association. David’s also a volunteer coach for recreation baseball and basketball.

Thomas Dalton (D)

Running for: Mayor

Age: N/A

Family: Married to wife Paula with four children: Thomas, Ryan, Daniela and Nelson. Grandfather to five.

Education: High School graduate.

Employment: In 2003, retired from Verizon after 34 years of service.

Residence: Washington Street.

Background: After high school, Tom enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was stationed on the USS Simon Lake during the Vietnam and Cold War era, supplying support for nuclear submarines engaged in strategic operations. Tom has participated in over 20 years of Dance Theatre Workshop productions, coached a championship girls' softball team and judged Becton’s "American Idol" for the past three years.

William Roseman (R)*

Running for: Mayor

Age: 46

Family: Twelve-year-old son.

Education: Graduated the Carlstadt Public School system and Becton Regional High School. He is currently attending Fairleigh Dickinson University and in the process of achieving a bachelor and master’s degree in public administration. Also holds accreditation as a certified public manager.

Employment: Founder of Xandros, a creator and provider of Linux operating systems.

Residence: Lifelong resident of Carlstadt.

Background: William has been an elected official for 27 years and mayor for the past 12. He is a past president of the Carlstadt Volunteer Ambulance Squad, past little league baseball and soccer coach, honorary member of the Carlstadt Volunteer Fire Department, past president of the Carlstadt Historical Society and Sunday School teacher and elder of the First Presbyterian Church. He is also a pilot that has dropped supplies through missionary flights into the interior of Africa.

Frederick Stampone (I)

Running for: Mayor

*Bio and Question feedback: After several attempts to reach Mr. Stampone, he did not respond to the South Bergenite for an interview request.

Why are you running for office in Carlstadt?

Allen: After attending college and law school, my husband and I decided to make Carlstadt our home because it is the town that I grew up in, and where my entire family still lives. Carlstadt, like any other community, has its pros and cons and we decided that rather than run from the issues, we would face them head on. Carlstadt is my home, I grew up here and the majority of my family still lives here. There is nothing I would not do to protect the integrity and character of our town. I am prepared to stand up and raise my voice on behalf of the community of Carlstadt. My investment in Carlstadt runs much deeper than property taxes and/or business ventures; it lies in my future and the future of my family. Carlstadt is my home, and I want to actively seek change so that my children can reap the same benefits, and more than I did. I want to know that my parents will be able to afford to grow old in the same community that they grew up in.  I want to know that children, parents and seniors alike will reap all the benefits that Carlstadt has to offer, such as great schools, low taxes, and wonderful community activities for all.

Bartlett: Carlstadt is a great town to live in and raise a family. Going door to door the past several weeks, there have been many residents tell us that they love the town and are happy with their choice in moving here. I would like to help in continue that.

Hollenbeck: I’m running for re-election because I believe I can and have made a difference on the council. As the only Democrat, I have enabled issues to be debated more fully. I believe even some of the councilmen from the Republican side appreciate another view and/or someone they can point to as the reason they weren’t able to force a one party idea quickly through. I have tried to be fair in my decision process, always balancing the needs of our municipal departments/employees with that of my constituents (the taxpayer) who put me here. I’m extremely concerned with the direction the town has taken; significantly adding high salary jobs, poor negotiations, losing ratables in the Meadowlands and the conversion of more than 500 one-family homes to two- family homes.

Stoltz: My family’s been in town for over 100 years. I want the children of today and tomorrow and the seniors to have the same opportunity as I had as a child growing up and my parents had growing up in town.

Dalton: It is time for a change in Carlstadt, a change for the better. I have been involved with the different volunteer organizations in town and have had the opportunity to speak to many Carlstadt residents. The clear concern is what happened to our property taxes? This is the problem throughout the state, I understand that, but Carlstadt has always been unique in that we have millions in industrial ratables that have always kept the residential taxes low. Mismanagement of the Empire Tract has been the biggest loss to the taxpayers. I have recently retired from Verizon phone company after 32 years. I now have time to give back to the community with no need for anything in return.

Roseman: I think there’s a lot to still accomplish. There are things we’ve set out to do such as build senior housing, the Hackensack Street revitalization and fighting against housing in the Meadowlands. It may sound ridiculous, but I want to see the continuous preservation of the great town Carlstadt is. We have amazing services, the third lowest taxes in Bergen County and a good family oriented community.

Carlstadt is and has been grappling with the loss of $1.9 million in tax revenue the Empire Tract once generated. What ways would you budget accordingly each of your years in office to compensate for that loss with the notion in mind that taxes were to only be minimally levied or couldn’t be levied at all?

Allen: Due to the mismanagement of the current mayor and his Republican Council, we lost 1.9 million in tax revenue from the poorly handled Empire Tract/Mills project. It is going to be a very difficult and long road ahead for Carlstadt. We will have to put a freeze on hiring, seek out more county and state grants, stop over taxing the residents just to have an excessive surplus, consider sharing some services and equipment with surrounding communities and participate in cooperative purchasing agreements to ensure Carlstadt gets the best possible price. Most importantly we must plan for the future. We need to bring in more tax ratables. We need to encourage redevelopment in the areas of the Meadowlands that have already been developed, but have since been abandoned. We need to bring in businesses that will not burden our community, such as hotels and warehouses. There was a time when the Meadowlands’ businesses paid approximately 70 percent of the town's tax revenue. We need to move Carlstadt back in the right direction.

Bartlett: The Borough will have to be more frugal with spending. We will have to continue to look for savings wherever we can without cutting services. I would like to see if there are more grants available that the Borough would qualify for. Also, I would like to see the state reimburse the municipality for the loss of tax dollars from the Empire Tract as they do in other municipalities.

Hollenbeck: Lets face facts, Mayor Roseman and the Republican Council mismanaged that project (Empire Tract/Mills) and ratables away from our town. The mayor brought in many resources to make it difficult to work/build in Carlstadt and the residents are paying the price of poor leadership. Adding to this burden, this mayor and council have negotiated poorly with our municipal employees, which has created not only dissention between departments but has cost taxpayers millions of dollars. We have to make some tough choices going forward. The Mayor and Council must put a freeze on hiring, work more with our county and state representatives to get additional grants and improvement projects. I think each department head should be made responsible to come up with additional cost saving measures. We need to take a longer look at sharing equipment and some services with surrounding towns, and agencies. I also believe we can look to offset this loss by increasing ratables.

Stoltz: We’re still in negotiation with the state to get some type of money in lieu of taxes. The state took the land in East Rutherford and they get over $20 million I believe in lieu of taxes, why can’t the state give Carlstadt money in lieu of taxes? They took our land. We’re still down there everyday because there’s brushfires so we are using the town’s resources to help preserve that land. That’s our main goal, to get the state to compensate us, but we’ll still be very frugal in our budgets. This year, to lose that $2 million and have the budget go up only eight points, that shows how frugal we are in our budgetary items.

Dalton: In addition to managing the industrial ratables efficiently, we need to cut expenses in the borough. Salaries, medical costs and pension contributions are some of the biggest expenses causing taxes to go up. Without hurting any current employees, we need to devise a plan that accelerates retirement of workers making big bucks and hold the line on new hires. It is time to think outside the box.

Roseman: Upgrade the ratables in the Meadowlands and bring in higher ratables than in the past. Much of our industrial section, which is about 80 percent of the entire town, was developed in the 50s and 60s. Many are outdated. The economy has dramatically changed and it’s more of a services industry now, we are seeing a lot of the chemical companies leaving and are facilitating a clean industrial, warehousing and storage base. Also, we are tightening our belts considerably. With out involvement with the police department, we will save approximately $700,000 over five years. Overtime is down and the police budget is lower now than three years ago. We are just trying to restructure so things are more cost effective.

Things are progressing in many different ways in the borough…senior housing is planned for an old school site, there is a brand new school for extended educational and community opportunities, etc. What do you envision as something you would like to see and would help make happen in the borough over the course of your term?

Allen: First off, there has been a "plan" for senior housing for well over 12 years. I will make it my first priority to make sure that this senior housing project, unlike those in the past, actually materializes. It is essential to the future of our community that we keep our seniors here. They are the backbone of our town, and we need to do all we can to protect them. We need a plan for the Lincoln school site. We need to use that property wisely, what we put there will directly effect the property value of the homes surrounding it. We need to consider the needs of the town as a whole, but we must also consider what is best for the residents that live in the area immediately surrounding the site. We should include the members of the community in discussions about possible projects. Additionally, we need to focus on our local mom and pop shops located on Hackensack Street and throughout the community. We need to help them grow and increase their business. We need to develop our downtown area by beautifying the streetscapes, which will add to the character of the town while attracting new businesses and patrons.

Bartlett: Right now the senior housing is in the planning stages and I would like to see it become a reality during my term.

Hollenbeck: We need detailed plans for the senior building, Lincoln School property, completion of work by the new school and new streetscapes for Hackensack Street (none exist at this time). I would like to see us involve our community groups more in joint projects, particularly in the design, creation and beautification of parks in town. I would like to see us more involved on a county and statewide level. We don’t talk to our representatives like we should. Carlstadt has so much to offer, not only to its residents, but to the business community and environmentalists. Carlstadt is uniquely situated within minutes of many major metro area attractions. My vision is to work aggressively with government, business and environmentalists to promote Carlstadt as a place where all can work together, whether that means Eco-tourism along the Hackensack River and Washington Avenue, a new revitalized Gotham Parkway Industrial Park and/or office/retail by Route 17 and the Paterson Avenue rail lines. All of which should be coupled with aide and assistance in clearly defined streetscape plans for Hackensack Street and our Industrial Road area. This will bring in ratables for our residents to enjoy low taxes and improved infrastructure.

Stoltz: We definitely want to get the senior housing in, emphasizing taking Washington School down and building a park-like setting with 30 to 40 units, we want to keep it small and a green building just like the school. I emphasize the school as being a town center, with both recreational and educational facilities. I would also like to get back to the Empire Tract, I have no problem with it being preserved; 100-percent of the flooding problem is overbuilding in the Meadowlands, but we want to be compensated.

Dalton: If elected, we will find ways to cut expenses and add the projects that are necessary to the good quality of life of all our residents including our seniors. We are in the process of analyzing the prior budgets to see where the fluff is. As for the new school, it is a very valuable asset to the community. It will increase our property value if managed properly. We need a better working relationship with the Board of Education. The space and technology that the school offers can be rented out. This would bring in much needed revenue, but more importantly will increase the community involvement with the school and allow us to "show off" what Carlstadt has to offer potential homeowners. Also, we need to set out a long term plan for projects in town that need to be addressed and then prioritize the projects so that we can efficiently and effectively pursue grants to do the projects.

Roseman: A streetscape on Hackensack Street, we are currently exploring the revitalization of our business district. It’s small, but it really hasn’t lived up to its potential. We would do things like incorporate gas lamps. I like what they did in Rutherford on Park Avenue, but I want ours to be more intimate. I want people who drive through Carlstadt to say, ‘this is a nice town’. We also need more open space and pocket parks. As time passes by, you have fewer green areas and I think it adds to the quality of life.

Residents have come out over the years in opposition against the noise pollution and potential health hazards at bordering Teterboro Airport. What do you ultimately want to see at Teterboro to quell these concerns?

Allen: I feel that the issues surrounding Teterboro Airport are of grave importance, and should be handled with unwavering diligence. We need to continue to work with Congressman Rothman and the neighboring municipalities in a collaborated effort to limit the size of the airplanes and to restrict the hours in which an airplane may arrive or depart. In addition to continuing the work that we are doing we must also push forward new ideas. I would be interested in investigating the idea of moving the runways a few degrees in order to direct the airplanes over the Meadowlands and away from the residential homes. Additionally, when dealing with any business entity, voluntary fixes are not legally binding, and can be changed at anytime. My aim would be to turn every forward step that is made into law to prevent our efforts from being reversed.

Bartlett: I would like to see a restriction on the number of flights that go in and out of Teterboro Airport and even a reduction in the number of daily flights.

Hollenbeck: I think it’s not difficult to correct. Many residents already have a simple two-part solution. Number one is to move the runway a few degrees to go over the Meadowlands and away from the residential portion of town. Number two is the elimination of older jets, which are louder and create pollutants at high levels which affects the health of our residents. Do these two things and I think most, not all, will be somewhat satisfied. I think we can work together. The problem is, unlike businesses that are willing (and looking) to work with the town, the Port Authority believes it is bigger than the citizens it represents. It’s another group that needs change and change for the better!

Stoltz: I’d like to see it how it was when I was a kid, with small Piper planes, but I know that’s not going to happen. I would like to see them use the other airports to take the pressure off of Teterboro Airport. We’re still waiting to here back on the study of the pollution and once we get that, I believe we’ll be able to move forward and hopefully curtail the activity at the airport.

Dalton: What can I say about the airport that people in Carlstadt do not already know? Since the Republicans have had control of the council, planes have gotten bigger and the noise has increased. Committees were formed, your money has been spent on lawyers and studies and taxes have gone up as a result. The most recent study confirms our air quality is bad…no kidding. In all probability, these studies will hurt our property value. Our federal representatives must insist on changing the way the airport is run. Instead of all the talk, we must make the federal representatives act.

Roseman: I think Teterboro has to be what it was originally intended for, a small local airport. I’ve flown out of Teterboro, but in small Pipers, small single engine planes. Having flown out of there, I know first hand that there is no need to direct flights over our municipalities. They tell us there’s little choice, but that’s not true. There were times when they told us they couldn’t fly over the Meadowlands because it spooked the horses at the racetrack. The horses don’t live there; they are only there for short periods of time. The residents should take precedent. They can direct traffic so there’s no effect on the constituents.