By KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
HELMETTA — Four candidates are vying for the two, three-year seats available on the Borough Council in the upcoming election.
The Independent incumbents Joseph Reid and Ronald Dzingleski will face Republican challengers Michael Duffy and James Misner.
Councilwoman Noreen F. Carolan will serve the one-year unexpired seat that is also available. She was appointed in April to serve the rest of former Councilman Brian Hackett’s term. No other nomination was made to fill the seat.
Michael Duffy, who is a lifelong resident of the borough, is seeking his first term on the council.
He earned his associate’s degree in political science from Brookdale Community College and is currently pursuing a double major in history and education from Kean University.
Duffy is aspiring to become a high school history teacher after graduating from college. He is currently an assistant manager at Better Living in Jamesburg and has served as a volunteer firefighter in Helmetta for four years.
“I am running for council because I truly love this town, and I believe it can be an even more amazing place for people to live,” he said. “I want to lower the rising tax rate, ensure a high quality of public services, increase property value for all residents and bring conservative values to small-town America.”
Ronald Dzingleski, who is known as “Ronnie Jingles” to his friends and neighbors, is a lifelong resident of the borough who is seeking his first elected term on council.
“I reside on the same street on which I grew up, just two doors down,” he said. “I actually attended Helmetta public schools and graduated from Spotswood High School.”
Dzingleski said he has proudly served the supermarket industry for more than 30 years and is currently employed by Stop and Shop as an assistant store manager, where he has been for more than 15 years.
“This will be the first time I am seeking election, although I currently serve proudly as a councilman since January of this year after submitting my biography to fill a vacant seat and was selected by the governing body,” he said. “I currently serve on the Recreation and Public Safety committees and have been instrumental in hiring two new police officers and participating in our three concerts in the park.”
Dzingleski further said he helped coordinate Helmetta Day, the borough’s street fair and car show, breakfast with the Easter bunny as well as up and coming events.
“I’ve personally donated all the beverages and snacks for those events,” he said. “I have previously served the community of Holy Trinity Church [in] Helmetta for many years as a lector, cantor [and] Eucharistic minister. I also served as the seventh grade CCD teacher and sang for the Diocese of Metuchen Festival Choir.”
Dzingleski said as a member of the council, he has greatly enjoyed the time he has served the community of Helmetta and he wishes to continue to do so.
“That is why I am seeking election,” he said. “I have seen a positive change in town and wish to continue to be part of that change. If elected, I would continue to work with the mayor and council on finding a suitable purchaser for the Helmetta Regional Animal Shelter to relieve the taxpayers of that burden as well as ‘Aligning Helmetta’s Future’ and continually making Helmetta a better place to live and building a better community.”
James (Jim) Misner, who is an eight-year resident of the borough, is seeking his first term on the council.
Misner is currently a bioscience consultant. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from William Paterson University, earned a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is currently working toward a degree of Doctor of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
“I support local businesses and fellow residents in need and have advocated for policies that will improve life for the residents of Helmetta to town officials,” he said.
Misner ran for a council seat on the Independent ticket in 2015.
“I am running for a council seat to stabilize or lower our escalating tax rate, while ensuring high-quality essential services, education and town maintenance and enhancing property values by optimizing existing town assets,” he said.
Misner said the one area he would like to focus on is fundamentally improving the quality of life for Helmetta residents, which he believes can be accomplished by ensuring an affordable tax rate, providing high-quality town services and increasing property values by enhancing town assets such as the Helmetta Pond and the surrounding property and the now-closed Helmetta animal shelter.
Joseph Reid, who is a lifelong resident of the borough, is seeking his first elected term on the council. He was appointed to council this year to fill a vacancy seat.
He earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Middlesex County College. He is a labor and assistant shop steward in Plainsboro.
Reid said he is currently the liaison to the Recreation Committee and is a deputy fire chief for the Helmetta Volunteer Fire Department.
“As a current councilman and lifelong Helmetta resident, I would like to continue to keep Helmetta moving in a positive direction for the current and future residents,” he said.
Reid said his focus, if elected, would be unity among the residents and council.
“It is very important for residents and the council to be able to work together,” he said. “Helmetta does not only consist of the mayor and the council, but the residents as well. It is important to listen to their needs and concerns, keep an open mind and address them in the best possible way.”
Polls will be open from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Nov. 8.
Contact Kathy Chang at kchang@gmnews.com.
