Westwood Council Candidates Focus on Taxes

There are two seats up for election on the Westwood Council and three seats on the Westwood Regional Board of Education this year.

Republicans Ray Arroyo and Peter Grefrath, an incumbent, and Democrats Ruth "Angel" Nass and David Fischer are seeking the available council seats.

Councilman William Phayre, whose term ends December 31, is not running for re-election.

Grefrath has served on the council since 1995. He has been the council president four times and filled numerous other roles on the council. Grefrath noted his involvement in working on the borough's budgets and that less than 30 percent of Westwood residents' property taxes go to the borough.

Nass and Fischer have run on a platform of working to lessen the impact of flooding on Westwood and to ensure local taxpayers do not bear the burden of costs for flood damage. Nass is a paralegal who formerly served as the president of the Roxbury Condominium Association. Fischer works in finance, and has said he believes his professional expertise could benefit the borough's budget.

Arroyo also cited his experience in finance as a potential benefit for keeping property taxes to a minimum while maintaining the quality of borough services. He has also served on the borough's zoning board for eight years and is currently the vice chairman. Arroyo said his experience on the board would also benefit the council for growth and a boost to the downtown area's economy.

Westwood Regional Board of Education

Washington Township resident Paul Liddy is running for re-election to his seat on the board unopposed.

Two current board members from Westwood, Susan Swietkowski and Carol Mountain, the board's president, are also running for re-election. Russell Miller is also running for one of of the seats.

Where to Vote

Some local polling locations have changed because of ongoing power outages. The updated locations for Westwood residents are as follows:

• District 1: Westwood House Arts and Crafts Room, 100 Madison Ave.
• Districts 2, 4 and 6: Community Center, 55 Jefferson Ave.
• Districts 3 and 8: Municipal Complex, 101 Washington Ave.
• Districts 5 and 7: Westwood Regional Middle School (Rm. 24), 23 Third Ave.

Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Jim Leggate at Jim.Leggate@patch.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.