Taxes, diversity among year's campaign issues

By Yvonne M. Darling, Suburbanite

The Teaneck Suburbanite, March 31, 2004, p. 6

Property taxes and diversity among local leaders are likely to be crucial issues in the upcoming elections, as five candidates vie for three open seats on the Township Council.

Although originally six people sought to enter this year's council race, five names will appear on the May ballot.

As of last week's lottery drawing, candidates name's will appear on the ballot as follows: Monica Honis, Jacqueline B. Kates, Marie Warnke, Eric A. Cinotti and Deborah Veach.

Joseph Glass, who had hoped to secure a council seat, came up short after gathering 122 of the 219 signatures needed to secure a ballot position. The deadline to file a petition was March 18.

Nonetheless, newcomers Cinotti and Honis, who was defeated in the 2002 elections, will go on to challenge the three incumbents Kates, Veach and Warnke.

(Only the relevant candidate is shown here)

Monica Honis

Honis is the sole African-American candidate and a lifelong Teaneck resident.

She is a graduate of Paramus Catholic High School and Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

As elementary school teacher and language specialist in East Orange, Honis is also working toward her master's degree at New Jersey City University.

Honis currently sits on the Holy Name Hospital Community Relations Board and is a member of the Teaneck Connects Task Force.

She was defeated in the 2002 elections when she ran against four incumbents who formed a slate to secure their position on the council.

The 2002 elections were criticized as being unfair, a situation that let to a U.S. Department of Justics (DOJ) probe into the township's election system. The probe was inteded to determine if the township's current election system inpedes African-American canditates from the council and Board of Education.

However, the investigation, once a boiling topic in Teaneck, seems to have fizzled.

Township Manager Helene Fall said recently that she was unaware of any major findings in the investigation. She directed all comments to the township attorney. A DOJ spokesperson had not returned two called placed to the department in time for publication.

Honis said she is strong believer in participatory domecratic government and is calling for a closer "working relationship" between residents and the local government. Her campaign platform is Diversity 2004.