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Ingram And Slate Say Jackson Is Their Priority
By Lauren Puglisi
Jackson's Township Council election on May 13 is just days away. Three seats are up for grabs on the five-member township council. Two slates of three candidates each all seek four-year terms.
The slate calling themselves "Working Together for Jackson's Future" vows to understand the needs and well-being of the community as a whole. The team is made up of current Councilwoman Emily Ingram and running mates Charles Garofano and Todd Porter.
Ingram is a certified public accountant and graduated from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York before moving to Jackson in 2001. She was elected to the Township Council in May 2006, when the town's form of government changed. Ingram believes her slate is comprised of three individuals that understand the responsibility that comes with the council position.
She said her team would put 100 percent of their effort towards hearing the residents and dedicating themselves to the job in order to have a community to be proud of.
"We are three residents that are concerned with the well-being of our community as a whole. The three of us do not have a vested interest or any monetary gain from this elected position, as opposed to our opposition," Ingram said. "Myself and my running mates, Charles Garofano and Todd Porter, can proudly hold our heads up high with dignity and self respect that none of us have done anything that would make our moral character questionable."
Though Ingram is an incumbent, two of her fellow council members opted not to run this year. In order to ensure staggered elections in Jackson's new government, two years ago a drawing was held to determine which two council seats would serve for four years and which three would serve for two during their first term (and four in each subsequent term). The seats held by Emily Ingram, Angelo Stallone and Jason Gudaitis were drawn. Stallone and Gudatis opted not to seek re-election. Enter Garofano and Porter.
Charles Garofano is an Army Vietnam veteran and has been an area resident for 28 years. He is a member of the Municipal Utilities Authority Finance Committee and has a 32-year background in accounting. He believes that his experience working with budgets, internal audits and contracting negotiations puts him a step above his opponents.
"I can crunch the numbers and look at the budgets and again. I am not a career politician as a couple of my opponents are. I will be retiring prior to my taking officeon July 1st so I will be able to devote 100 percent of my time as a council person. For me, it will be a full time job," Garofano said. "I have nothing financially to gain by becoming a councilman. I don't own any businesses in Jackson so I feel that as a council person, when I start to make appointments with various boards, I can make these appointments without any personal gains. I really don't want people to run this town like they did six years ago. I don't want Jackson to become another Trenton and I am afraid if a couple of my opponents get in, that's exactly what will happen."
Todd Porter is a life long Jackson resident. He went through the Jackson school system before graduating from the University of Maryland, College Park with a BA in government and politics and a minor in music. He is the vice chairman of the planning board and is looking forward to bringing change to the council.
Porter believes his slate is a better fitfor the council because he says it's time to bring new faces to the government and get out of recycled politicians.
"You have a person that has perpetually run for office,and following his (Kafton) first two elections into office, (he) immediately ran for a higher office.He just used the committee as a stepping stone. And people don't want that. People don't want career politicians in Jackson, they want people who are here that will look out for them and not for the person who is seeking office,"Porter said. "It's become somewhat old. Combined, they have 30 years of elected service, but believe me, their track record speaks for itself."
"Working Together for Jackson's Future" believes that the residents of Jackson should vote Column B for Emily Ingram, Charles Garofano and Todd Porter during next week's council election.
"Rivere presided over a 300 percent tax increase when she was on the school board in Long Island, Kafton has proven that in order to win votes and keep a stable tax rate, he will mortgage the future. I mean our kids are going to be paying off his debt, but the most important thing to him is to win votes. The people don't want to see that anymore," Porter said. "We bring a fresh view because we haven't been campaigning for our whole lives. But most importantly, this is my town and I've grown up here and that's the most important thing for me, not my own ego."
Election Day is Tuesday, May 13.
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