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)

Jacqueline B. Kates

Kates, who is currently the township mayor, is a community relations specialist for the Bergen County Department of Human Services.

As part of her job, she works as an advocate for low income children and families, she said.

Kates has lived in Teaneck for many years, in fact, she is a Benjamin Franklin Middle School and a Teaneck High School graduate.

She joined the township council in 1996, becoming mayor in 2002.

The deputy mayor from 1998 to 2000, she is also a former president of the Board of Education.

Kates is active in the Jewish community and serves on several community boards, including the Senior Citizens Advisory Board.

She is also a member of the township's Community Response Team.

Kates is the immediate past chair of the New Jersey Human Relations Council.

Former Governor Christine Todd Whitman appointed her to the council in 1998.

As for diversity among local leadership, she said, "As a former member of the Board of Education for 10 years and the council for many years, I consider both boards to have been very diverse," she said.

Kates said the council has lacked diversity since Mel Henderson, an African-American who served as deputy mayor, retired in 2000.

However, Kates said the township has had an Asian-Indian and an African-American mayor.

She said,"I would like to see more African-Americans and Latinos involved in local government. There has been a great deal of diversity in the past; it is part of Teaneck's history and it should be part of the future."