West Orange Mayoral Forum Q&A

September 28, 2026 · West Orange Mayoral Candidate Forum Questions and Answers

On September 28, 2026, West Orange Jewish Community Congregation Ohr Torah held a forum for the entire community to hear from the 2026 West Orange Mayoral candidates.

These are independently compiled, paraphrased summaries of each candidate’s remarks, drawn from the YouTube video and in-person attendance. This page is meant to make the answers easier to read and compare; it is not meant to be biased or opinionated.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please write an email.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jFMmi68opU&t=1s

Brian Rock was absent and did not answer the forum questions. His written opening statement was read by the moderator.

Contents

• Opening statements

1. Public trust
2. Transparency
3. Campaign workers
4. Sewer lines and flooding
5. Historic sites and tourism
6. Parks and recreation
7. Streets and pedestrian safety
8. Appointments to boards
9. Jitney service

Opening statements

Paraphrased in speaking order. Financial figures, accomplishments, and criticisms below reflect what each candidate stated.

Joe Krakoviak

• Experience and independence: Served on council from 2010–2020 and returned in 2025. Described himself as an independent taxpayer watchdog, known as “four-to-one Joe” for opposing decisions supported by his colleagues and the previous mayor. His background includes financial journalism at The Wall Street Journal and USA Today and work for a municipal bond insurer.
• Debt and taxes: Said past decisions continue to add millions to property taxes and hurt affordability. Criticized a $57 million, or 50%, debt increase to $170 million during his four years away from council, naming McCartney, Williams, and Scarpa among those on the councils that approved the borrowing. Said high interest rates helped push debt service above 12% of the operating budget.
• Debt reduction: Said he led development of a plan to eliminate township debt over 12 years. Reported that debt fell for the first time since 2011 and projected annual savings gradually reaching about $12 million within a decade, available for capital improvements or tax relief.
• Legal costs: Cited his role in negotiating settlement of McCartney’s lawsuit against the previous council, including removal of the township attorney whom he criticized for supporting earlier financial decisions.
• Other financial concerns: Highlighted nearly $500,000 in Rock Spring Golf Club losses and the approximately $1.2 million cost of jitney service that does not charge riders.
• Governing approach: Emphasized transparency, accountability, financial responsibility, collaboration, and his experience overseeing a roughly $100 million municipality.

Tammy Williams

• Leadership: Said her community leadership experience has prepared her to be mayor, including learning from both successes and mistakes. Emphasized working together and remaining willing to learn.
• West Orange’s strengths: Described the “West Orange advantage” as its people, diversity, neighborhoods, parks, businesses, schools, location, and the potential of its downtown.
• Protect and strengthen: Wants residents to trust that tax dollars are used wisely, families are safe, and essential services remain strong. Would strengthen services, neighborhoods, infrastructure, and partnerships that need attention.
• Promote and expand: Would promote small businesses, downtown, arts, culture, and local people and institutions. Wants investment in residents and community spaces to expand opportunities for every generation.

Susan Scarpa

• Experience: Identified herself as council president and a speech-language pathologist in West Orange schools. Previously owned a Manhattan telecommunications consulting firm serving Wall Street banks and other financial institutions; emphasized identifying problems and putting solutions into practice.
• Community ties: Grew up in West Orange and returned after her son was born so he could experience its family and community connections. Said she wants to remain and grow older here with family and friends, rather than pursue politics as a career.
• Priorities: Called for responsible leadership and better management of township resources and the budget. Wants seniors to age in place, children to receive a strong education, and residents to live in an affordable community where everyone has a voice.
• Public discussion and campaign funding: Emphasized productive, respectful, and kind public discourse. Said she accepted no contributions during her council campaign or current mayoral campaign and believes nonpartisan municipal elections should not require large sums of money.

Joyce Rudin

• Experience and community ties: Grew up in West Orange and returned to raise her family. Cited her mother, Corinne Miller, as the first woman to run for town council. A former investigative reporter for PBS, NPR, and Consumer Reports, she emphasized asking questions, following the money, and doing the research.
• Council record: Said she ran on transparency, fiscal responsibility, and community protection and received a record number of votes for a council candidate. Reported identifying $3.4 million in spending reductions in her first council year and said the resulting budget reduced the municipal tax burden by $200 per household.
• Community priorities: Wants to protect trees and open space, ensure development serves residents, improve street safety, manage traffic, and have government listen before acting.
• Specific proposals: Would hire a municipal planner, pursue an in-house law department, demand clear accounting of sewer costs, and continue scrutinizing spending to protect taxpayers.
• Differences with opponents: Urged voters to examine voting records, criticizing opponents’ support for additional borrowing, developer tax breaks, and higher salaries.
• Campaign funding: Said she refuses contributions from developers or contractors doing business with the township and encouraged voters to examine public campaign finance reports.

Susan McCartney

• Experience and community ties: Has lived in West Orange since 1981, raising three children and now having six grandchildren. Founded First Mountain Preschool in 1997, recently marking its 29th year, and taught as an adjunct at Montclair State and Seton Hall universities.
• Business and community partnerships: Cited her Chamber of Commerce board work recruiting, welcoming, and promoting businesses. Also highlighted her council liaison work with the planning board, senior housing board, arts council, and Environmental Commission.
• Grants and infrastructure: Said her administration secured more than $19 million in grants to reduce the tax burden. Cited over $7.5 million in transportation and road improvement grants, along with work on Safe Routes to School and sewers.
• Open space and transportation: Highlighted partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres Program to preserve the 138-acre Rock Spring Golf Course, which is zoned residential. Also cited expanded jitney service for seniors and commuters throughout town.
• Governing approach: Emphasized public safety and collaboration with township employees, the administration, and residents. Presented her campaign as building on existing accomplishments and partnerships.

Phillip Orphanidis

• Experience and affordability: A 25-year West Orange resident with a decade of municipal experience, progressing from unpaid intern to deputy chief of staff. Said rising spending, debt, fees, and property taxes are squeezing homeowners and renters.
• Spending and debt: Would freeze spending at 2026 levels and present budgets without tax increases for four years. Would stop relying on borrowing to support the general budget, develop a plan for existing debt, and protect municipal services.
• Rent control: Proposes limiting annual rent increases to 1% generally and 0% for seniors, for four years.
• Development and trees: Said developers should not have the upper hand in township decisions and pledged to oppose a development proposal that he said would remove 6,000 trees.
• Schools: Called for an audit with full access to financial records. Wants teachers and middle-school sports restored, outsourced paraprofessionals brought back, and arts programs restored.

Brian Rock — written statement read by the moderator

• Experience and absence: Was attending a Board of Education meeting held at the same time. Moved to West Orange in 2018 and has worked as a teacher, negotiator, and data analyst, with five years of service on the school board.
• Cooperation: Criticized four years of conflict between the mayor and council, saying priorities such as the budget and affordable housing plan had suffered. Wants officials working together again and believes his professional experience would help.
• Preschool record: Cited preschool expansion bringing $35 million in state funding and providing free preschool to more than 500 children that year.
• School improvements: Highlighted electrical upgrades preparing elementary schools for air conditioning, state-funded renovation of unused space at St. Cloud, and a new preschool building behind Mount Pleasant. Said these improvements were accomplished without additional debt.
• Planning and budgeting: Would hire a full-time municipal planner to address development and introduce the township budget in February so it can be adopted on time.
• Safety and responsiveness: Would improve pedestrian safety and walkability, make government visible and responsive in every neighborhood, and address everyday quality-of-life concerns that can be overlooked.

1. Public trust

How would you rebuild relationships with communities that have lost faith in their elected officials?

• Tammy Williams — Rebuild trust through transparency, community involvement, and accountability, focused on responsible finances, public safety, infrastructure, and development.
• Susan Scarpa — Build understanding through cultural education and a community center; cited her work on an antisemitism resolution as responding to concerns.
• Joyce Rudin — Listen to residents, understand why they have lost trust, and work through concerns; keep residents involved via Council Connection meetings and township reporting.
• Susan McCartney — Continue open office hours and direct access to the mayor; pointed to cultural events and conversations with LGBTQIA residents as ways to build relationships.
• Phillip Orphanidis — Restore trust through inclusion, admitting mistakes, and following through on promises; also wants to control development and gentrification to preserve the town’s character.
• Joe Krakoviak — Improve communication and transparency, invite residents to contact him directly, and give them more input into township decisions.

2. Transparency

How can transparency and responsiveness to the public be meaningfully improved?

• Susan Scarpa — Simplify the website and publish accessible information about budgets, development, contracts, and lawsuits; involve more residents in public meetings.
• Joyce Rudin — Publish documents before decisions, answer questions, and issue monthly progress reports; require disclosure of campaign contributions from businesses seeking township contracts.
• Susan McCartney — Agendas, resolutions, and supporting documents are already searchable online (organization could improve); unresolved legal matters limit what the administration can discuss publicly.
• Phillip Orphanidis — Hold some council meetings on weekends; create an interactive public data portal covering crime, staffing, spending, and debt.
• Joe Krakoviak — Improve the township website and make government information easier to find; cited his transparency ordinances and encouraged following council meetings.
• Tammy Williams — Plain-language information before major decisions, open communication, clear departmental goals; keep personal disputes from delaying services or increasing legal costs.

3. Campaign workers

Are all those working on your campaign from West Orange, and are they volunteers? Yes or No response.

• Joyce Rudin — Yes.
• Susan McCartney — No.
• Phillip Orphanidis — No.
• Joe Krakoviak — Yes.
• Tammy Williams — No.
• Susan Scarpa — Yes.

4. Sewer lines and flooding

What is your plan for the township’s sewer lines?

• Susan McCartney — Defends the separate sewer fee because it includes tax-exempt properties; considering billing by actual water use instead of bedroom count.
• Phillip Orphanidis — Audit sewer-fee spending and direct more money toward repairing and modernizing the system; questions spending on salaries and more borrowing when residents already pay substantial fees.
• Joe Krakoviak — Prioritize mapping and long-term repairs instead of repeated emergency fixes; sewer fees currently support the general budget; council has discussed a dedicated sewer utility.
• Tammy Williams — Use engineering and drainage data to address flood causes; rank work by risk, safety, condition, and neighborhood impact; support green infrastructure and county/state/federal funding.
• Susan Scarpa — Aging infrastructure needs attention; pointed to stormwater ordinance work and opposing West Essex Highlands as reducing flooding risk.
• Joyce Rudin — Criticizes bedroom-based fees as unfair when household size has shrunk; invest in mapping the aging system; helped lead the stormwater ordinance rewrite.

5. Historic sites and tourism

How would you attract more visitors to West Orange’s historic sites?

• Phillip Orphanidis — Low-cost social media to attract visitors statewide; stronger marketing of historic sites, parks, and family outings.
• Joe Krakoviak — Integrated marketing for downtown and the Valley, with the Edison museum as a central attraction; better promotion and coordination of existing destinations.
• Tammy Williams — Coordinated destination strategy with businesses, owners, residents, and development pros; promote attractions, hotels, restaurants, arts, and history while improving storefronts, parking, walkability, and municipal service to businesses.
• Susan Scarpa — Work with Downtown West Orange Alliance, businesses, owners, and residents to fill vacancies, improve streetscapes, and promote Main Street and the Valley; supports appropriate mixed-use and stronger commercial attractions.
• Joyce Rudin — Promote Edison and Glenmont via social media, seek longer hours, explore joint tickets and jitney links (e.g. zoo); dedicated municipal planner for downtown revitalization.
• Susan McCartney — Federal government controls Edison visiting hours; pointed to brownfield cleanup and the proposed $200M Matrix development near the film studio for downtown investment and activity.

6. Parks and recreation

How would you improve West Orange’s parks, including those tucked away within neighborhoods?

• Joe Krakoviak — Parks already renovated significantly; need better promotion and easier-to-find park info on the website.
• Tammy Williams — Assess each park, identify improvements, follow through on approved projects; safe maintained spaces; coordinate spending via capital budget to limit taxpayer burden.
• Susan Scarpa — Improve aging facilities including bathrooms; expand kids’ opportunities as school sports are cut; use existing funds more efficiently; consider open-space funds without new taxes/borrowing.
• Joyce Rudin — Ask nearby residents what parks need; add shade trees and benches; ensure bathrooms work and stay open; more quiet recreation; prefer open-space funds for land preservation.
• Susan McCartney — Five-year park renovation program, inclusive playgrounds, Lafayette improvements; respect neighborhood preferences; public art as another addition.
• Phillip Orphanidis — Promote via social media, website, and events; follow county maintenance/open-space funding approach; incremental improvements with existing resources while keeping taxes under control.

7. Streets and pedestrian safety

What are your plans for Complete Streets and pedestrian safety?

• Tammy Williams — Stronger Essex County partnerships for sidewalks and neighborhood connections, especially on county roads; cooperation with higher government essential for walkability.
• Susan Scarpa — Give Complete Streets a clear leader (e.g. council-led working group); supports sidewalk audits, grant-funded improvements, and cooperation with parents and the county.
• Joyce Rudin — Put a qualified planner in charge of Vision Zero; brightly colored crosswalks and safer neighborhood connections.
• Susan McCartney — Continue the 2023 Complete Streets policy and include walkability in development reviews; federally funded improvements at 19 intersections; Safe Routes to School work.
• Phillip Orphanidis — Prioritize pedestrian/bike safety with Vision Zero and experienced engineers toward eliminating traffic deaths; Jersey City experience; fit improvements to financial resources.
• Joe Krakoviak — Keep incorporating Complete Streets (sidewalks, crosswalks, signals, stop signs, visibility); emphasize mutual visibility for drivers and pedestrians.

8. Appointments to boards

Should the appointments process for municipal bodies, such as the planning board, change?

• Susan Scarpa — Seek more architects, engineers, and specialists; concerns about developers’ political relationships; consider a larger council role in appointments.
• Joyce Rudin — Require relevant expertise (planning, engineering, architecture, environmental); traffic experts without conflicts from developer work.
• Susan McCartney — Current planning board already includes qualified professionals; open to appointments by someone other than the mayor; welcomes recommendations of people with relevant expertise.
• Phillip Orphanidis — Keep the mayor’s appointment role while bringing in new members with engineering, architecture, and other expertise; fresh people more than a system overhaul.
• Joe Krakoviak — State law sets land-use board membership structure and limits local changes; any process change must comply.
• Tammy Williams — Keep mayor’s appointment authority with required qualifications; clear criteria (land use, real estate, economic development, architecture, engineering).

9. Jitney service

What is your plan for the jitney?

• Susan Scarpa — Modest rider fee plus advertising revenue to cut subsidies; working group examining options; users should contribute.
• Joyce Rudin — Nominal rider fee with some taxpayer support; examine expansion and efficiency; valuable but expensive benefit.
• Susan McCartney — Continue improving the expanded seven-route service for commuters and seniors; fee proposal under council discussion; any charge should be nominal; council decides.
• Phillip Orphanidis — Use ridership data to adjust routes and identify residents vs nonresidents (e.g. QR codes); shift more costs to users and charge nonresidents while keeping well-used routes.
• Joe Krakoviak — Supports charging riders to reduce the taxpayer subsidy; research demand and alternative travel costs, then price slightly below alternatives so people still use it.
• Tammy Williams — Keep free for residents; seek advertising or other revenue; possible charges for nonresidents; use ridership data to consolidate or adjust routes.

Info

Madthew PL
Young West Orange
[email protected]