Candidates To Face Off At Debate at Town Hall Tonight

Property taxes and flood mitigation efforts are at least two of the issues that candiates seeking seats on the Township Committee can expect to address during tonight's debate, which will be moderated by the League of Women Voters at the municipal building, beginning at 8 p.m.

Last year, a state-imposed 2 percent property tax cap, changes in the sewer bill  and an affordable housing lawsuit at dominated the debate among candidates. However, with the devastation of still fresh in the minds of residents, the township's efforts to prevent future flooding will likely top the list of questions.

This year's race will see Mayor Dan Aschenbach and fellow Democrat Tom Hannen face opposition from former candidate Andis Kalnins and his Republican running mate, Lisa Adubato Nesi.

Kalnins is making his second bid for Township Committee, having finished third in a four-way race in 2010. He is a member of the Cranford Zoning Board of Adjustment. This is Adubato Nesi’s first race for a seat on the governing body. The local attorney is a member of the school advisory board at St. Michael’s School and has been active in a variety of township civic affairs.

Aschenbach, a veteran of more than 25 years in Cranford politics, is seeking election to his seventh non-consecutive term on the Township Committee. His running mate served four terms on the Winfield Township Committee in the 1970s and 1980s. Hannen was also the mayor of Winfield for a number of years.

With some residents still coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, issues involving will likely be a campaign issue. A few weeks ago, Aschenbach and his running mate in an effort to seek solutions to the flooding issues along the river and what can be done in Cranford to prevent future disasters such as the one that destroyed homes in the township during the recent hurricane. The change from property tax-based sewer bills to user-based fees may also arise. And there's always the Birchwood property and debate over how to handle the builder's remedy lawsuit that the town is facing. Early this summer, Kalnins and Adubato Nesi began circulating a opposing builder's remedy lawsuits, such as the one the township is fighting ue to the proposed development in the Birchwood Avenue flood zone. The mayor and his running mate also circulated a petition, protesting the development project itself.

Tonight's debate - which will also air on TV 35 - is set to begin at 8 p.m., with the League of Women Voters as the official moderator. Residents are encouraged to arrive early in order to submit their questions for the candidates. Following the usual format used by the LWV, the debate will begin with opening statements by the four candidates, following by the questions submitted by the residents.

In a recent Cranford Patch poll, voters overwhelmingly named flooding and property taxes as the primary concerns they'd like to see addressed in this year's election. Take the poll again, below.