Ruth Nass, Democrat For Westwood Council

Ruth Nass is one of four candidates running for two seats on the Westwood Council this year.

Nass, a Democrat, works as a paralegal in New York and is the former president of the Roxbury Condominium Association. That position gave her experience in dealing with two of the biggest issues facing Westwood, budgeting and flooding, as back-to-back floods in the condo complex caused hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage, she said.

Nass said Westwood should be dredging the Pascack and Musquapsink Brooks every four years and, if elected, she would be “a thorn in the side” of state officials to get the funding for it.

“We can’t do anything about Irene or Sandy, but the little ones, we can help,” she said.

Addressing the flooding problem could also help attract some businesses back to Westwood, bringing in more tax revenue, Nass said. She was critical of financial choices made by the current council, including the decision to delay the road repaving program this year, saying that the program also allows the borough to keep an eye on its aging sewer system.

“Maintaining saves the taxpayers money in the long run,” she said.

Nass also said she supported charging insurance companies when the Westwood Volunteer Ambulance Corps responds to calls as an additional source of revenue for the borough.

Overall, Nass said the changes she would support would make Westwood more affordable while maintaining current services, making it so that seniors and others who are feeling a financial strain can stay here.

“If I’m elected, I believe that I can bring back the leadership and financial discipline to Westwood so we can all afford to live,” Nass said.

The general election is Tuesday.