Hightstown Borough voters are facing a quiet election for the Hightstown Borough Council, as the two incumbent councilmen are running unopposed in the Nov. 5 general election.
Borough Councilmen Jeet Gulati and Frederick Montferrat, both Democrats, are seeking re-election in a three-year term on the Borough Council.
Gulati, who was appointed to fill out an unexpired term, is seeking his first full term on the governing body. He is an attorney and serves as the general counsel of Invest Newark, which is the city’s economic development corporation.
Gulati said he had also worked for a law firm where he specialized in public finance, affordable housing, administrative law and governing public-private partnerships.
“All of that makes me uniquely qualified for service on the Hightstown Borough Council,” he said. “At the same time, all of that is useful for my service on the borough council.”
The issues plaguing Hightstown Borough are not unique to the town – truck traffic, property taxes, insurance costs and the “retail apocalypse” – but the resolutions have to be unique because the town is unique, Gulati said.
During his next term on the Borough Council, Gulati wants to focus on the municipal budget. He said he would like to make a dent in bringing the budget under control, but acknowledged that it is easier said than done.
“Our budget, like every government’s budget, is out of control and in Hightstown, it is beyond our control, he said. “The difference is subtle but important. I want to focus on the ‘controllable’ and not the variables that are beyond our control.”
Asked about the redevelopment of the former rug mill and Wells Fargo bank properties, Gulati said there are many unknowns, so it is hard to say what he would do. The rug mill property is located on Bank Street and the Wells Fargo property is on Main Street.
“I can advise on one thing,” Gulati said. “Who we partner with may be even more important than what their project is, because what is a ‘good idea’ changes. If we find a partner committed to Hightstown, we can figure all that out.”
Montferrat is seeking his second full, three-year term. He was appointed to fill out an unexpired term and then elected to his first full term.
Montferrat said he is dedicated to public service. He served on the Planning Board for 30 years, including a stint as chairman.
“I have decided to run again to finish a few projects that I am working on to complete with the mayor and borough council,” he said.
Montferrat said he would like to work on the rug mill redevelopment project on Bank Street and the redevelopment of the Wells Fargo bank property on Main Street.
He also would like to accomplish the conversion of the former YMCA building into a Hightstown Police Department substation. Attracting new business to the town is another priority.
Asked about the issues facing the town, Montferrat pointed to property taxes, water rates, administrative budgets, attracting new ratables, traffic and pedestrian safety, and property maintenance.
