Lifelong Resident Yellin Ready to 'Serve' Berkeley Heights

Editor's Note: During the month of August, New Providence-Berkeley Heights Patch will be publishing a Q&A with each candidate for the Berkeley Heights Township Council, New Providence Borough Council, and the Mountainside Borough Council. Here is our Q&A with Stephen Yellin, a Democratic candidate who is seeking his first term with Berkeley Heights Township Council. Click here to view Q&A with other candidates for council.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Name: Stephen Yellin

Age: 25

Address: 130 Dogwood Ln.

Years Lived in Town: Lifelong resident

Family: Single

Education: B.A. in History, Drew University (summa cum laude, 2010); Master’s in Communications and Information Studies, Rutgers University-New Brunswick (Fall 2013)

Occupation: Political Consultant

Military service: None

Community/political background:

·       Chair, Stop the BAC PAC – developed grassroots campaign strategy and helped lead effort for successful “No” vote on the May 7th referendum;

·       Volunteered for the Berkeley Heights Communications Committee, as well as the Berkeley Heights Historical Society; was appointed to the former position by our Mayor, Joe Bruno;

·       Secretary, Berkeley Heights Democratic Committee; elected member since 2007;

·       Regular attendee of Township Council meetings since 2007; one of only a handful of residents to attend the Council’s Budget meetings;

·       Graduate of our public schools – Mountain Park, Columbia and Governor Livingston

Campaign website: http://www.bhdems.com;

We also have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bhdems

PREVIOUS ELECTION AND APPOINTED OFFICES

Elected:

Union County Democratic Committee for Berkeley Heights, District 10 (2007 to present).

Unsuccessful campaigns for public office:

Township Council, 2010/2011. Received more votes in 2011 campaign than any other Democratic candidate. Was endorsed and personally supported by former Governor Richard J. Codey.

Appointed:

See “Community Background”

CAMPAIGN PLATFORM (NOTE: This is the campaign platform for Yellin and Michael Simon, a Democratic candidate for Berkeley Heights Township Council.)

What do you think are the three biggest issues facing Berkeley Heights right now and where do you stand on each issue?

Quality of Life/Taxes:

Everyone wants lower taxes, but the constantly rising costs of pension and health benefits make that goal all but impossible. We look at the problem a bit differently: how can Berkeley Heights residents get the most out of what we pay in taxes? As such we support the following goals:

·       Fix our roads: many are in urgent need of repairs, but our Public Works Department is chronically underfunded. Our citizens deserve better streets, both for safety and the value of our neighborhoods. We’ll fight to give Public Works the tools they need to fix our roads in a faster, longer-lasting manner.

·       Restore Bulk/Spring pickup service: this is a much-valued Township service, one Berkeley Heights taxpayers are happy to pay for. The service was canceled this year, however, and there is no guarantee it will be reinstated in future budgets. We’ll fight to make sure Bulk/Spring Pickup is restored to the budget, both for next year and in future.

·       Commonsense Partnerships: Here’s the truth: “secession” from Union County is a non-starter. The State Legislature alone gets to decide this, not us, and they’ve rejected every town who’s sought to do this – including 4 towns like ours in the last 10 years alone.

We believe our Township Council’s time and energy would be far better spent in seeking our fair share of tax dollars back from Union County, not in pursuing the impossible. This includes lobbying the County for grants and cost-cutting services, gaining our fair share of revenue from the anticipated sale of Runnells Hospital, and seeking representation from “The Ridge” on the Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Why are you running for council?

I’m seeking to serve on the Township Council because I know I can make a meaningful contribution to moving Berkeley Heights forward. As a lifelong resident, I’ve come to understand and love our community a great deal, and I want to give back to it in the best way I can. For me, that’s through public service – and it’s why I use the term “serve” rather than “run”.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

The most important difference is my record versus that of Mr. Delia’s with regard to the BAC (Berkeley Aquatic Center)’s proposed facility, which residents overwhelmingly rejected in the May 2013 Referendum election.

Although I don’t live in the quiet, semi-secluded part of Berkeley Heights where the 51,000 square foot, private facility would have gone, I cared about its effects enough to get involved in the movement opposed to it being built. Furthermore, I took an active role with Stop the BAC – the group of residents working to defeat the proposal – and volunteered as Chairman of the campaign committee that organized our grassroots effort. A town wide coalition, including Mayor Bruno and the rest of the Township Council (as well as my running mate), knew that the proposal was not in the best interests of Berkeley Heights and its residents, and voted NO accordingly – as did over 80% of the voters.

Mr. Delia stood apart from his colleagues – Republicans like himself – and voted YES on 3 separate occasions – twice when it came before the Council, and again in publicly urging residents to vote “Yes” on the referendum. With the BAC currently testing the soil at the proposed location in order to see if they can ignore us in proceeding with the facility, we need to make it clear that our opposition to the proposal is as strong as it was in May. Defeating Mr. Delia in November is the best, and easiest, way to show this.

If elected, what will be your top priorities and why?

See “Campaign Platform”

What issues are critical for Berkeley Heights for the next three years?

Some of the critical issues that will be addressed in the next few years include:

·       The acquisition of the Church of The Little Flower property on Hamilton Avenue, with the goal of converting it into a multi-purpose Community Center. Our municipal buildings are aging and far too small to meet our community’s needs. The proposal would include space for a new Town Hall and Public Library, and represents the last, best chance Berkeley Heights has to resolve a problem decades in scope.

·       Revitalizing our downtown. If Berkeley Heights is going to attract the kinds of businesses and consumers needed to boost our community (and our tax base), we’ll need to actively seek input from the community, in addition to local business owners and their landlords. Listening to the residents and bringing their suggestions to the table will help in crafting a feasible “blueprint” for our downtown.

·       Union contracts – many of our Township employees are union members, including our Police Department. Their contracts, which include whatever increases in pay and/or benefits they may receive for the work they do, will be up for renegotiation in the next few years, and the Township Council has an important voice in that discussion.

What do you see as the biggest accomplishments and shortcomings of the existing council in the past three years?

I consider the Township Council’s decision to block the BAC’s proposed facility to be the best decision they have made in the last 3 years. The Mayor and Council should also be commended for implementing a Capital Improvement budget for long-term spending initiatives, such as new vehicles and departmental resources, and for implementing “zero-based” budgeting practices in trying to reduce the annual increase in property taxes. [“Zero-based” means that every department has to demonstrate why there is a need to spend money for any item or individual, even if it’s a case of “we’ve always done it this way”.]

On the flip side, I feel the Township Council has made a mistake in pushing for a referendum this November on our “seceding” from Union County. As noted above (under “Campaign Platform”), this concept is neither new, nor has any chance of becoming a reality. Towns like Millburn, Cedar Grove and Livingston voted to secede from Essex County (which includes Newark) several years ago, and their request was promptly denied by the State Legislature. The reason is simple: if 1 town like ours was allowed to secede, everyone else in our situation would do the same, leaving several counties bankrupt. It would be up to the Legislature to bail those counties out, just as the European Union was asked to bail out debt-strapped nations such as Greece and Spain. (Or the United States with the auto industry, for that matter).

What legislator – of either Party – wants to go back to their constituents and tell that they’re going to have to raise their taxes to pay for the bailout? The obvious answer is “None”, which is why the Mayor and Council shouldn’t have pushed for “secession”. 

Do you have any additional comments?

I’m glad to listen to people in our town and learn more about what they’d like to see happen in moving Berkeley Heights forward. I’m often out walking in town, or eating in one of our restaurants downtown, so don’t hesitate to come over and offer your thoughts. You can also email me at Stephen@bhdems.com – I will make sure to get back to you within a day or 2 of your message.

As a final note: the Township Council election is November 5th – please don’t confuse it with the election on October 16th, which is for the U.S. Senate race only. (Make sure to vote in that election, too!)

I would be honored to have your support in serving Berkeley Heights for the next 3 years.