northvalegop – Northvale GOP INC

BOE Candidate Night Recap

Note: Questions were submitted no later than October 4th and were screened. The following are the selected questions. See the full video.

Full Video

Nicole Cowley – Michelle Marinuzzi – David Zimbler

Q1: Why are running for the board of education? If elected, what are your priorities?
Q2: Is there a particular issue that motivated you to want to serve on the BOE?
Q3: What particular experience or skills have prepared you to server on the board? What differentiates you from the other candidates?
Q4: What is a school board member’s role and responsibilities? How does that role differ from the superintendent and administration?
Q5: What attributes and behaviors are essential for school board members?
Q6: What is the best way to address differences of opinion on the board or between the board and the administration?
Q7: How can the BOE best communicate with its constituent groups?
Q8: What issues do you believe your district needs to address in the academic programs and offerings? What changes would you recommend?
Q9: What are your thoughts on your school district’s programs for special education students, English language learners, and gifted students?
Q10: How would you handle a conflict if a situation arose that effected yourself or your child personally?
Q11: New Candidate: What are your thoughts on the current budget?
Q11: Re-election Candidate: What are you most proud of in terms of the budget from your term and how has it impacted the school?

PTO Sponsors Board of Education Candidate Night

Missed the zoom meeting? No worries, watch here:

Open for all Residents of Northvale. Message below is from the Northvale PTO

We would like to inform you that the Northvale PTO will be hosting a Zoom Candidate’s Night on Monday, October 25th at 7 PM with the Board of Education candidates.

The Zoom information for the Candidate’s Night is as follows:

Topic: Northvale Public School BOE Candidate’s Night
Time: Oct 25, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81318190952?pwd=UThCcGw3dllkbTJGdUtBOW82cDZlQT09

Meeting ID: 813 1819 0952
Passcode: 747633

The Candidate’s Night will run as follows:
A previous email was sent out with a request for questions for the BOE candidates. The deadline to submit questions was Monday, October 4th. The questions were screened and a reasonable number of questions were selected. No questions will be taken from the audience on the night of the event; only the moderator and the BOE candidates will speak during the Candidate’s Night. Questions will be answered in a rotating cycle by the candidates.

Please review the New Jersey School Board Code of Ethics prior to Candidate’s Night, which may provide a better understanding of the role of the Board of Education.

I will uphold and enforce all laws, state board rules and regulations, and court orders pertaining to schools. Desired changes should be brought about only through legal and ethical procedures.

I will make decisions in terms of the educational welfare of children and will seek to develop and maintain public schools which meet the individual needs of all children regardless of their ability, race, creed, sex, or social standing.

I will confine my board action to policy making, planning and appraisal, and I will help to frame policies and plans only after the board has consulted those who will be affected by them.

I will carry out my responsibility, not to administer the schools, but together with my fellow board members, to see that they are well run.

I will recognize that authority rests with the board of education and will make no personal promises nor take any private action which may compromise the board.

I will refuse to surrender my independent judgment to special interest or partisan political groups or to use the schools for personal gain or for the gain of friends.

I will hold confidential all matters pertaining to the schools which, if disclosed, would needlessly injure individuals or the schools. But, in all other matters, I will provide accurate information and, in concert with my fellow board members, interpret to the staff the aspirations of the community for its schools.

I will vote to appoint the best qualified personnel available after consideration of the recommendation of the chief administrative officer.

I will support and protect school personnel in proper performance of their duties.

I will refer all complaints to the chief administrative officer and will act on such complaints at public meetings only after failure of an administrative solution.

The PTO Board truly believes this will be a great opportunity for the Northvale community to hear from each of the candidates and we hope you will join us on Monday evening to hear from all of the candidates.

Sincerely,

The Northvale PTO

2021 Campaign

Northvale Community
As we see our neighboring communities hold events such as Town Days, Farmers Markets, Color Runs and have the ability to perform basic functions through municipal websites doesn’t it make you ask “Why not Northvale?” That’s what we ask. We want to focus on fostering a greater community feel for our Borough and work to bring back the events that bring us together and the technology to keep us moving forward.

One-Party Rule
Northvale has a healthy cross-section of voters from both the Democrat and Republican parties as well as a significant population that is not affiliated with either major party. Joe and Kara winning these two council seats in 2021 is vital for Northvale’s council to have representation from both parties and not descend into the group-think that one-party rule brings.

Transparency
A common complaint among residents, is the lack of transparency and accessibility to town information. The world has changed dramatically over the last 30 years and in particular within the last year and a half. Northvale has not kept up with these changes and has relied on antiquated means of communication. The Borough needs to be more forth coming with information and communicating with residents in a timely manner.

Fiscal Health
To preserve our long-term fiscal health and avoid the types of financial crises that we just experienced, Northvale requires better and more proactive budget planning. For too long we have been reactive in managing budget-to-budget and doing what is necessary to get by. We employ a part-time CFO who is in charge of the Borough’s finances. We are calling for a full-time financial professional to work for the Borough and proactively manage finances and plan for future budgets. Believing this is not necessary has cost Northvale’s hard working taxpayers far too much money managing crises. The Mayor and Council are not full-time, certified financial professionals. A full-time professional’s attention is required.

Technology
Northvale has fallen behind in the utilization of technology to run the Borough. Whether it is providing real time streaming of Council meetings or providing online service applications via the Borough website, Northvale needs to make basic improvements that are more in-line with how residents conduct business with most organizations in a technology reliant society.

Pay-to-Play
We do not believe it is right or ethical for professionals employed by the Borough, or their relatives, to contribute to Borough candidates seeking office or their political parties. We support a pay-to-play ordinance like the ones enacted by several municipalities in Bergen County as well as the County itself.

Preserving Northvale
While the Council does not play a direct role in the activities of the Planning and Zoning Board, we believe that people and families who call Northvale home, do so for a variety of reasons: the small town look and feel, the community built among neighbors, the safety provided by the police department, the educational opportunities, etc. We are not in favor of dramatically changing the community through zoning exceptions and changes. We love Northvale and wish to preserve its character for generations.