As a longtime resident of Saddle River, I am running for mayor because I care about our property values and restoring fiscal responsibility. I am an advocate for increased transparency and community engagement and for the safety and inclusivity of all residents.

Campaign Pledges

Transparency

• Allow residents to join Mayor and council meetings remotely via Zoom
• Implement an automated weekly email system to communicate pertinent information to residents.
- Waldwick and Ho-Ho-Kus do this to keep their residents in the know, so why can’t we?
• Allow residents to attend and participate in Ordinance Review Committee meetings
• Invite residents to participate in meetings for the Parks & Recreation Committee, Historical Society, Board of Health and other entities. Conduct these meetings in a hybrid fashion, both in person and on Zoom

Good Governance

Involving Saddle River residents is important to all policy discussions and initiatives. As mayor, I will emphasize community engagement with a participatory approach to decision-making.

I will organize town hall meetings and online platforms to gather feedback, inform citizens on various issues such as resolving deer conflicts utilizing proven non-lethal methods, budget allocation, affordable housing and environmental policies.

This elections is about your voice. It’s your vote and your choice!

Property Values

When I first moved to Saddle River, I never imagined wounded deer bleeding out across multiple properties while being chased by bow hunters. The borough’s years-long policy of contracting with bow hunters to discharge lethal weapons as close as 150 feet to a home to kill deer is hardly a way to enhance our property values! As I have stated for years at Mayor & Council meetings, the question is not will someone be injured or killed by a wayward arrow, but when? What kind of chilling effect will this have on our property values, not to mention the legal liability and emotional toll inflicted if a loved one is injured or killed?

• Rescind the ordinance that permits the discharge of lethal weapons as close as 150 feet to a residential structure and permanently ban dangerous, unregulated, unsubstantiated, recreational backyard hunting in Saddle River by the NJ United Bowhunters, which has led to 65 incidents of police having to be summoned to track wounded deer across neighboring properties

• Review all ordinances which may have a negative impact on your property values and your quality of life. These include ordinances that harm our environment, schools, emergency services or waste taxpayer dollars

Fiscal Responsibility

• During Kurpis’ 8 year tenure, the borough’s bonding debt skyrocketed by $8,000,00 to its current level of over $21,000,000. Saddle River residents know Kurpis put the bill on OUR credit cards so he could claim “no new taxes.” We need to stop the runaway freight train of bond debt. We need to put the brakes on borrowing, now!

• Send every resident quarterly financial reports, showing actual revenue and expenses vs. projected along with an explanation of any significant variations between them as well as current balance sheet information