Teaneck Township Council: See who's running in next month's municipal election

By Magan Burrow, NorthJersey.com

NorthJersey.com, April 27, 2020

Voters will choose among six candidates for three seats on the Township Council in next month's election.

Michael Pagan and Karen Orgen, both members of the Planning Board, are running with Deputy Mayor Mark Schwartz on the “Moving Teaneck Forward” slate. The “People for Progress” slate is Board of Education President Ardie Walser, Gina Gerszberg and Denise Belcher, a Planning Board member.

Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin and Councilman Henry Pruitt are not seeking another term.

Teaneck holds its at-large council elections every two years, and the council will choose its next mayor and deputy mayors at a July 1 organization meeting. This year’s election will be held by mail-in vote. Registered voters should receive ballots by mail and have until May 12, election day, to mail them in.

Candidates were asked to provide information about themselves and answer questions about why they are running, their goals and their thoughts on development.

(Only the relevant candidate is shown here)

Karen Orgen

Orgen, a pharmacist and member of the Planning Board since 2016, is a life member of the Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps and a past president. She volunteers with Renewal, an organization that facilitates kidney donations, and donated a kidney through the group in 2016.

What would some of your priorities be if elected?

The priorities now are different than what they were at the start of election season. The safety of Teaneck’s 40,000 residents is now our No. 1 priority. Our health and the health of our loved ones, our financial security, and the financial security of Teaneck’s businesses all become our biggest issues and priorities.

Revenue from our newest developments has put Teaneck in a strong position to weather this crisis. Years of smart development, both residential and retail, are bringing in ratables. The hiring of new firemen and police officers, a sixth year of a zero percent tax increase, continued confidence in our Township Manager Dean Kazinci, all provide security that Teaneck will need going forward.

For now, I hope we are all doing whatever it is that we are in a position to do to help each other out. Phoning a neighbor or picking up food for them when we go out if we are able, smiling and saying hello from a safe distance or just staying inside will help us all get through this, together, so that hopefully soon we can then start moving forward from this, together.