Politics & Government

Establishment Democrats Promote Record, Skill Sets in Freeholder Race

Estrada, Hudak and Wright seek three nominations for freeholder.

A Democratic establishment backed ticket of new freeholders and a political newcomer are stressing the county freeholder board’s record in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for freeholder.

In the only competitive countywide race on Tuesday’s primary ballot, the county party backed ticket is fending off a challenge from an insurgent group from Elizabeth to represent the party in November’s election. Freeholder Angel Estrada of Elizabeth, Freeholder Chris Hudak of Linden and retired educator Vernell Wright of Union Township are facing off against Elizabeth Board of Education member Elcy Castillo-Ospina and Elizabeth school district employees Erna LeTemps and Marlene Abitano for the three nominations.

“First and foremost, we’re supportive and proud of our record on senior issues. Specifically our operation at Runnells Hospital and services including Meals on Wheels and rides to doctors and shopping,” Hudak said. “We’re very concerned about education. We’re trying to keep students prepared for their future in the new job market.”

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Hudak was to the freeholder board in December to fill the remaining year on the term of former Freeholder Rick Proctor, who resigned to become mayor of Rahway. Estrada is seeking his fifth term in office. Wright was nominated to replace Freeholder Nancy Ward of Westfield on the ticket. Democrats have held all nine seats on the freeholder board since 1998, with almost all freeholders aligned with the party establishment. In 1999, Estrada replaced former Freeholder Don Goncalves, who is now aligned with the establishment and in 2004; former Freeholder Adrian Mapp of Plainfield was replaced on the county ticket after falling out of favor with the county party.

Hudak said the freeholder board has been working to reduce property taxes, but placed most of the blame for rising taxes at the feet of Republican Gov. Chris Christie, who dismissed Hudak from his job running the state motor vehicles office in Rahway. He said Christie’s two-percent property tax cap has hurt local and county governments in providing services.

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“We heard a lot of talk and promises from the Christie Administration about what we would be able to do with the cap and there has not been a lot of action,” he said.

Hudak was centering his comments on the of policy items for local governments to implement the cap, including arbitration reform and changes to other management policies. The toolkit is currently pending in the Democratic controlled legislature, with Christie blaming Democrats for not passing the necessary legislation. Hudak placed the blame back at Christie, saying the governor has not worked with the legislature to pass the toolkit.

Hudak said he believes the county government is implementing it’s own toolkit on property taxes, including pay freezes for employees and a decade long program on employee health contributions.

“We’re not waiting for the knight in shining armor to come from Trenton,” he said.

Hudak stressed shared services, noting that the county held a shared services workshops for local governments several months ago to start a dialogue on the issue and provide information on county services. He said this can include sharing public works services and public safety services. He also cited the county’s program to provide printing services to municipalities and a dispatch center for Fanwood.

Hudak said he supports the county’s MusicFest concert and other cultural offerings, a frequent target of opposition from Republicans and county government opponents, who have said the county, should not be running entertainment programs. Hudak said he views the concerts and MusicFest – which he compared to a county fair – as continuing an American tradition and serving as an economic development engine.

“It does bring people into the area who would be coming for MusicFest and stopping at a restaurant in the area,” he said. “They are stimulating the economy.”

Hudak declined to go into specifics into an investigation by Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow into outside vendor funds from the 2010 MusicFest. Romankow started the investigation after being referred the issue by the state attorney general’s office, which was contacted by the Union County Watchdog Association regarding what the UCWA views as missing receipts from outside beer and parking vendors at the concert. Hudak noted he was not a freeholder during the 2010 concert, but from what he sees all of the monies from the 2010 concert have been accounted for.

Hudak stressed that voters should choose his ticket based on their skill sets and positions.

“We have a very good and dynamic ticket. We have Angel Estrada who has been a veteran on the board for a number of years. He is very good at his position and has a tremendous amount of institutional knowledge, which is important in government,” he said. “I bring a fresh perspective and a different service of homeowners and taxpayers in Union County, who have recently invested in the community. Vernell Wright is an educator with 40 years of experience and adjunct professor at Kean. She is a wise voice at a time when educators are being assailed by the governor.”

Polls are open through 8 p.m. on Tuesday. The winners of the Democratic primary will face Republicans Andy Smith of Summit and Edwin Ortiz of Elizabeth in the November election.


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