Harvey Susswein, a longtime Monclair civic activist, appears to be readying a campaign for mayor. A website declaring his candidacy — at the top of a slate called “Smart Government Montclair” — was visible on the web this morning, but was pulled after we called Susswein’s house for comment.
Susswein, who has served on Montclair’s Zoning Board of Adjustment since 2000, is a grandfather and 35-year resident of Montclair. He is married to Jane Susswein, a former Board of Education member and co-founder and continuing board member of the Montclair Community Pre-K.
The website under development named Tim Barr as at-large candidate and Bill Hurlock as first ward candidate. Other positions were empty.
Susswein, reached by phone, said that he’s thinking about a candidacy, but was not prepared to announce officially until after Thanksgiving. “Somebody stumbled across one of the pieces under development,” he said, referring to the website. “You saw a work in progress.”
Susswein says that former Mayor Ed Remsen is one of his advisers.
Susswein is concerned that the town has been run “seat of the pants” rather than with a mission, and he said that Mayor Jerry Fried’s strategic flow chart, released last month, depressed him.
“I’ve been very concerned that Montclair does not have an economic development person,” Susswein said. He is also disappointed the the council defunded the Montclair Arts Council, which led to its demise. “We desperately need an economic development strategy for the town.”
Susswein was also upset that the town defunded scholarships for the Montclair Pre-K. “You never know what is going to be the tipping point for when Montclair is no longer Montclair.”
Early this year, both in July and April, Susswein urged the council to be cautious about the idea of moving municipal elections to May. Susswein was a supporter of the South Park Street renovation project back in January. Both Sussweins were leaders in opposing a referendum to have Montclair’s school board elected, rather than appointed.
So the only positions outlined above seem to be “spend, spend, spend and don’t elect a school board”.
But, huzzah! we have a new slogan! “Smart Government Montclair”
“he said that Mayor Jerry Fried’s strategic flow chart, released last month, depressed him.”
Me too!
you can see the cached version here:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:SBiwepwMuZsJ:smartgovernmentmontclair.com/+http://smartgovernmentmontclair.com
MIssion statement:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:yb75o4_k_xcJ:smartgovernmentmontclair.com/mission/+http://smartgovernmentmontclair.com/mission/
Fried lite. Just what we need, another community activist with a marginally different set of irrelevant priorities. Give me someone who is more concerned about stultifying property taxes than the arts council, but I guess that’s the way we roll in Montclar.
Reading the mission statement, and understanding it’s a work in progress, I’d say we’ve heard it all before. Smart choices, shared services, efficiencies, more business activity…
same ole’ same ole’
So his slate is, so far, a guy whose wife is miffed that her Pre-K budget was cut and a guy who is miffed he was tossed off the BOE by Fried. Don’t know who the third guy is, but I bet he’s miffed, too!
I’m so sick of hearing “when Montclair is no longer Montclair”. Get over yourselves, please. Everyone has this big vision. And we all know it’s “special”. It’s so special that just about everyone I meet is moving out because they’re kids are out of school, or will move out as soon as their kids are out of school, or want to move out but can’t sell. Please – get a grip on the financial situation. Make the repairs that need to be made to existing tennis courts, and ponds and streets like South Park.
If Mr. Susswein, while serving on the Montclair’s Zoning Board of Adjustment since 2000 voted in favor of the Crisco Court, Sienna and Washington Street School projects…and was an advisor to Mayor Remsen, the Mayor responsible for the demolition of the Marlborough Inn and the other aforementioned projects …and he supports the South Park project…then he will clearly just be another bad Major for Montclair and shouldn’t even waste time running. The Commissions and Boards should all be dismissed with the next election and re formed with members who are qualified, correct and who will provide honest, trasparent service.
No thank you. Mr. Susswein appears to be much more of the problem than the solution.
From the article, this much we know -
He is for an appointed school board
He is for Pre-K scholarships ($$$)
He is for the South Park Project ($1Mil+)
He is for funding the Arts Council ($$$).
As Nick Danger said, no thanks.
The problem is, who WOULD run for such a thankless job as mayor? You would have to have very thick skin, among other attributes. My fear is that the only people willing to put themselves out there are in the pockets of the developers in town, or perhaps one of the unions, or those who have large axes to grind on pet issues.
The word “value” scares me. There’s value in doing a lot of things we cannot afford to do.