The Lawrence Township Council can expect to see some changes this year. Both Republican Bob Bostock and Democrat Pam Mount have announced they will not seek re-election, and now, six candidates — three from each party — will vie for three seats on the council in November. The Republican candidates are Kyle Collins, Colette Coolbaugh and Falk Engel, and the Democratic candidates are incumbent Michael Powers, Cathleen Lewis and Dr. David Maffei.

Kyle Collins, 22, has been a Lawrence resident since 2007. Collins is an executive board member of the Mercer County Republican Committee and was recently elected chair of the Mercer County Young Republicans. He hopes to bring change to the community and provide fresh ideas from a younger generation’s perspective.

Collins was appointed to the Public Safety Committee in 2008. He is employed in the human resources department of Firmenich, Inc. and is a member of the Lawrence Road Fire Company.

Collins hopes to bring up several topics for discussion, but one he said was most important was the way the mayor is elected.

“I think that’s kind of an archaic practice,” Collins said. “That’s something that can change in order to give people more opportunities to make decisions.”

Collins said he’d also like to bring up the idea of nonpartisan elections in Lawrence Township.

Colette Coolbaugh, 67, has been an active volunteer in the township since shortly after she moved there almost 30 years ago. Some of her volunteer efforts include serving on the Lawrence Historical Society, Historical Preservation Advisory Committee and the gardening club. She has served as the director of the State Supreme Court’s Office of Attorney Ethics, and has also served as chair of the Lawrence Township Board of Adjustment and as president of the Women Lawyers Association of New Jersey.

Coolbaugh, recently retired, named the budget as one of the biggest issues Lawrence faces now.

“We have to see how we can provide good services with the most economical cost, without cutting children’s education, of course,” Coolbaugh said. “When it comes to making budget decisions, it’s difficult, but you just have to do it.”

Falk Engel, 55, ran for election four years ago, and served on the planning board. He is a Lawrence native and a graduate of Lawrence High School.

Engel said he decided to run for election again because he felt the current council faction has consistently opposed public opinion.

“We need change,” Engel said. “We need to have a government that reflects the values of the community, no matter what party those people come from.”

Engel said the current council members have been in power for too long and are out of touch with the residents of Lawrence, and the priorities of the community are what need to come first.

Councilman Michael Powers is seeking re-election because of his current involvement in several redevelopment projects, and would like to see them through to fruition, especially the Brunswick Avenue redevelopment.

Powers, 43, has lived in Lawrence for 35 years and graduated from Lawrence High School. He has held a seat on the council since 2004 and was mayor in 2006 and 2010. He has served as the chair of the Township Growth and Redevelopment Committee and as a member of the Township Planning Board and Zoning Board.

The budget is a big factor in the township now, especially with the 2 percent tax cap imposed by the state, Powers said.

“It’s really struggling to make sure that we provide the level of service that township residents expect, and staying within the two percent cap,” he said.

Powers also said the campaign will provide a good opportunity for the candidates to talk with the voters and make them aware of some new initiatives from the council.

Cathleen Lewis, 32, is the director of public affairs and government relations for the AAA New Jersey Automobile Club and previously worked as a senior public information officer and legislative liaison for New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. The seven-year Lawrence resident said she wanted to be on the council to represent the voice of someone building a young family.

Lewis said she wants to make sure the town stays affordable for other young families while balancing the importance of staying within the state’s two percent cap and keeping taxes low.

“The first thing is to do that in a way that makes sense, and encourage businesses to come in and maintain the livability of it, and second is to bring in more businesses that can lessen the burden on taxpayers in the community,” Lewis said.
Lewis has also served on the zoning board for the past seven years.

David Maffei has lived in Lawrence for 51 years and worked as a chiropractor in the township for 23 years. Now retired, Maffei, 63, said he has the time to devote to the council.

His biggest concern for the township is its need to encourage and support small businesses. At a town council meeting last month, Maffei said he learned that since January, a significantly higher amount of businesses closed down than had opened in the township.

“I think I know what the township needs and what it doesn’t need,” Maffei said. “That’s the big issue. We have to reverse that trend of closing businesses and opening up new ones.”

Maffei now serves as a member of the Planning Board’s Steering Committee and Growth and Redevelopment Committee, and as the vice chair of the Planning Board.