GARWOOD – Property taxes and the impact of development are shaping up as major subjects for discussion when the candidates for Garwood Borough Council meet on October19 at the Pointe, the condominium complex between Maple and Chestnut Streets.
GARWOOD – Property taxes and the impact of development are shaping up as major subjects for discussion when the candidates for Garwood Borough Council meet on October19 at the Pointe, the condominium complex between Maple and Chestnut Streets.
Garwood voters are invited to attend the session and are being encouraged to propose questions to be raised there. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the condominium clubhouse. Questions may be sent to PointeForum23@gmail.com The candidates are Karina Boto, Sean Keagan Foley and Vincent Kearney, all Democrats; and Shannon Anwander, Michele Capobianco and Rachel Herz, all Republicans. Mr. Kearney and Ms. Herz are incumbents.
Ms. Boto is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University and a legal assistant at a law firm in Short Hills. She has volunteered with the Green Team and participated in such programs as Adopt-a-Highway and Clean Communities. She is a member of the mayor’s Citizen Advisory Panel and the Garwood Partnership for Arts and Culture.
Mr. Foley, a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist, earned a bachelor’s degree at Kean University and a graduate degree at Rutgers. He is an Eagleton Institute of Politics fellow and the CEO of Compassionate Mental Health Services, which provides psychotherapy services to individuals and families throughout New Jersey.
Mr. Kearney is a detective at the Union County Sheriff’s Office. He founded the Garwood Small Business Board and established livestreaming service for borough meetings. He has volunteered with Garwood Celebrations and Garwood Live, as an emergency medical technician and a baseball coach. He is also a firearms instructor at the John H. Stamler Police Academy.
Ms. Anwander is an educational coach and consultant who holds two master’s degrees – one in elementary education, the other in special education – as well as an administrative license. She facilitates continuing- education classes for teachers and volunteers within the teaching community and in support of her children’s recreational activities.
Ms. Capobianco studied accounting at Florida Institute of Technology and has several certifications in accounting and human resources. She has worked at Children’s Specialized Hospital, Organon BioSciences and Panasonic. She has also volunteered on Garwood’s Resident Parking Committee and has served since 2019 on the mayor’s Citizen Advisory Panel.
Ms. Herz holds a bachelor of science degree from William Paterson University and is a cardiac surgery nurse. She has served on the municipal board of health and the executive boards of the PTA and the Education Foundation of Garwood.
“We salute the people who pledge their time and effort to leading Garwood in these challenging times,” said Christine Spear, the president of The Pointe board. “We hope our fellow citizens will take this opportunity to hear them out.”
Every year since 2012, a committee of Pointe residents has planned, organized and underwritten these annual sessions as a public service.
Light refreshments will be served after the formal discussion. Parking is available in the large lot behind the commercial buildings on North Avenue between Maple and Chestnut Streets. A stairway leads from the lot to the clubhouse.