To the Editor:
Don’t look at the past. It’s time to vote for Verona’s future.
After watching this election season unfold, I have decided to make an endorsement for the two seats that are being vacated by Councilmen Ryan and Giblin. I am excited to support Cynthia Holland and Jason Hyndman. They are the right candidates to elect for this moment.
Cynthia and Jason are both experts in their respective fields, and they can see that Verona is struggling to adequately address the challenges before us. They both care deeply about our community and know there are solutions and approaches that Verona is not considering and utilizing. Being parents of children in elementary school – they are committed to our community for the long haul. They both are the only non-incumbent candidates who have been regularly participating at Council meetings, which demonstrates that they want to do the work. This is the type of leadership we need on our Council.
During this campaign I was most impressed with how they handled the questions posed at both candidate forums, and their perspectives were refreshing. While I may not have agreed with every proposed idea, I appreciated that at least they were bringing new realistic ideas to the table that have worked in other communities. They are both not peddling old ideas that have already been explored and rejected, nor are they promising fantasies to the voters that can never come true.
There is urgency to elect them both to successfully address the issues facing Verona that keep me up at night. New developer “intervenors” that represent the largest properties on Bloomfield and Pompton could emerge in the next round of affordable housing. The financing and tax impact of the Cameco project, which has already cost the taxpayers millions, is still not finalized. We need new facilities for our first responders and do not have a clear path on where to build them or how to finance them. Flooding risks threaten our homes and business. These challenges are complex and difficult, and we need the right team to address them now.
We are fortunate that Cynthia and Jason have decided to offer up their best to serve our community. Please join me in voting for Verona’s future on Tuesday by casting votes for both Cynthia Holland (Line 1A) and Jason Hyndman (Line 2A). Thank you.
Councilwoman Christine McGrath
Verona, NJ
