Candidate Statement: Write In Edmund Maciejewski for Berkeley Heights Township Council

By Edmund Maciejewski

The June 2 Republican Primary matters for every Republican voter in Berkeley Heights.

This year, the ballot section for Members of Township Council is a three year term, vote for two. Yet Republicans currently have only one printed candidate for the two available Council slots. That is a serious mistake, and one we can still correct.

When two seats are open, Republicans should compete for both. Leaving the second slot empty gives Democrats an immediate advantage in November. It weakens our Council race, weakens the mayoral race, and weakens the entire Republican ticket. There is no benefit to going into the General Election with only one Republican listed when two Council seats are available.

We need a full Republican slate.

Because of that, I am asking Republican primary voters to write in my name, Edmund Maciejewski, for the open Township Council slot in Section F of the ballot.

A write in campaign only succeeds when voters know exactly what to do. In Section F, under Members of Township Council, 3 Year Term, Vote for Two, please write in:

Edmund Maciejewski

I am asking Republican voters to take this small but important step so we can fill the second Republican ballot position and give Berkeley Heights voters a real choice in November.

I am not new to Berkeley Heights or to local government. For more than 10 years, I have been deeply involved in this community. I have followed the issues, read the documents, attended meetings, and spoken up when I believed taxpayers and residents were being ignored. I understand the challenges facing our town, and I believe I bring the experience, technical background, and independence needed on Council.

I am a Chemical Engineer with more than 20 years of experience in the technology and finance industries. My professional background has trained me to solve complex problems, read technical and financial documents carefully, evaluate risk, and make decisions based on facts and results. That is exactly the kind of discipline Berkeley Heights needs on Council.

I stood against the $50 million municipal building project because I believed Berkeley Heights could have met its needs for far less, closer to $5 million to $10 million, with a more practical and responsible approach. I stood against the PILOT tax abatement deals handed to developers, which in my view incentivized overdevelopment at the expense of Berkeley Heights taxpayers. I stood against the overdevelopment that has brought, or threatens to bring, well over 1,400 new apartments into our town.

And I have consistently argued that our local government should focus on the basic issues residents deal with every day: flooding, roads, electrical reliability, public safety, and responsible spending.

Right now, too much of our local government operates like a rubber stamp. An expert or consultant presents something, a proposal is put in front of the Council, and nearly every vote becomes a yes vote, often unanimously. That is not real representation. Residents deserve Council members who read the material, ask hard questions, challenge assumptions, and make independent judgments.

I will not be a rubber stamp. I will read the material, ask hard questions, challenge assumptions, and vote based on what I believe is right for the residents and taxpayers of this town.

I am also a conservative Republican. I believe local government should serve residents, protect taxpayers, preserve public safety, and focus on core responsibilities, not push divisive ideological agendas. I will vote no on radical political symbols and national partisan issues being pushed into our local government. I will vote no on additional apartments and overdevelopment. I will vote no on taxpayer subsidies and special deals that encourage more building while residents are left to pay the bill.

I will vote yes to keeping Berkeley Heights safe. I will vote yes to improving roads, drainage, flooding, electrical reliability, and the basic infrastructure our residents depend on. I will vote yes to transparency and accountability. I will vote yes to making sure every tax dollar is spent in a way that produces the maximum benefit for Berkeley Heights residents.

This write in campaign is about more than one person. It is about whether Republicans will compete seriously for both open Council seats. It is about whether taxpayers will have an independent voice. It is about whether Berkeley Heights continues down the same path or demands better representation.

I am also proud to have been officially endorsed by the Berkeley Heights and Union County Republican Committees to represent my district on the Berkeley Heights Republican Municipal Committee. I take that responsibility seriously, and I am ready to bring that same commitment to the Township Council race.

Early voting is open now at the Berkeley Heights Municipal Building, 29 Park Avenue, and continues through Sunday, May 31.

Early voting hours are:

Tuesday through Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Election Day is Tuesday, June 2, and voters may vote at their regular polling location from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Please take a few minutes to vote in the Republican Primary. In Section F, write in:

Edmund Maciejewski

For Berkeley Heights Township Council.

Thank you,
Edmund Maciejewski

This statement was submitted by the candidate and does not necessarily reflect the editorial position of NJ21st.

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