The May 12 Town Council Election consisted of four candidates. Michael Nochimson and Frank Sapienza were running for reelection, and Alex Roman and Rich Williamson were running for election. Nochimson and Roman were elected to the Town Council, each with over 1,400 votes.

Nochimson came in first with 1,489 votes, following him was Roman with 1,448 votes. Williamson finished in third with 1,178 votes, and Sapienza finished last with 1,120 votes.

Nochimson states that for the past 4 years he has been the “voice of the Verona taxpayers.” He stood up to budget increases, and took a stand against property taxes. This year he plans to work with Kevin Ryan and Alex Roman to continue the progress he feels he has made. He is “looking forward to working together to set Verona on a path towards prosperity and sustainability.”

This was Roman’s second year running; he previously ran in 2013 and lost. He has similar ideas to Nochimson and the two of them plan to get their ideas put through this term. He plans to manage the budget and reduce the burden on taxpayers. Roman will evaluate Verona’s operational structure with a focus on accountability, and he wants to fix our technology problems for the future. He wants to review the policies and practices that have to do with development. Roman feels “preserving our tree-lined streets and hills is a priority.” He also wants to make the hiring practices fairer for everyone. He “looks forward to the opportunity to serve the community and (he) knows that bright days lie ahead for our town.”

Sapienza had been on the Town Council for 2 terms so far and was running for his 3rd. His goals were to maintain a responsible budget and to improve our school system with the help of the Board of Education. He believes in a multi-year approach to fixing this budget and hopes in the future he will be able to continue the progress he has made on the Town Council.

This was Williamson’s second year running for town council. Last year he lost by one vote and has worked hard to immerse himself in the community.  Williamson wanted an open government and hoped to improve Verona as a whole. He wanted to bring in new sources of revenue and new businesses. He also hoped to improve our school systems and our public library.

For most VHS Seniors, this was your first chance to vote in an election. The requirements were 1. You must be a citizen of the U.S. 2. You must be a resident of Essex County at least 30 days before the next election 3. You must be 18 years of age on or before the next election 4. You are not incarcerated, on parole or on probation 5. You also must register to vote 21 days prior to the election.

All VHS students eligible to vote should have voted. This is our town and we should have a say in these type of decisions.