Candidate Profiles: Town voters have choices to make

By Howard Prosnitz, Staff Writer

Teaneck Suburbanite, May 3, 2006, p. 2

Township voters have a choice among 14 candidates running for 4 three-year terms and three candidates running for a two-year unexpired term.

Long term Councilman Paul Ostrow is not seeking reelection, nor is Councilman Emil "Yitz" Stern.

Councilman Randall Day, who was appointed in January to fill the remainder of former Councilman Michael Gallucci's term following Gallucci's resignation, is not seeking reelection. But Councilman David Langford, appointed in January following the resignation of former Councilwomen Deborah Veach, is seeking reelection to fill the two unexpired years of Veach's term.

The Teaneck Suburbanite is publishing interviews with candidates in two alphabetical parts. The interviews will continue next week.

(Only the relevant candidate is shown here)

Lizette Parker

Lizette Parker, 34, is a social worker with the Bergen County Division of Social Services. the Selvage Avenue resident grew up in the township where she has lived for most of her life.

Parker is chairperson of the Teaneck Democratic Club and is former secretary and executive board member of the Communications Workers Union Local 1089. she is currently chair of the union's legislative and political committee.

Parker is running as part of the Teaneck New Beginnings team with Dennis Crowley and Ronald Schwartz.

She seeks to stabilize taxes through economic development of the township's four business districts and to establish better relations between township employees and management.

She wants to improve the quality of life for residents in such areas as garbage collection and pick up of recyclables. She also seeks to restore vacancy decontrol and to establish affordable housing for seniors and for working families and individuals.

"We want to make the council more responsive to the people of the community in their needs," she said.

She would improve labor relations by establishing committees comprised of management and employees "to produce an active respectful relationship and promote a safe and healthy environment for employees to work in."