First Ward Councilor Bill Hurlock
I have had the privilege of representing the First Ward on the Montclair Town Council for the last eight years. I have lived in Montclair for twenty-two years. I am proud that my two children are graduates of the Montclair public school system.
-I am running for office to continue to serve the people of Montclair - specifically the residents of the First Ward.
-I advocated to maintain the Bellevue Avenue Library when there was a movement to close it.
-I fought to maintain the historic designation of the Upper Montclair train station when New Jersey Transit and the State of New Jersey attempted to delist it.
-I held quarterly meetings at the Bellevue Avenue Library branch where I worked closely with residents and community groups to engage in an active, but respectful, discussion about the issues most important to people.
-I have been instrumental in ensuring that we paved and curbed more roads in the First Ward during the last eight years then were done in the last twenty-five.
-I upgraded the windows and infrastructure of the Bellevue Avenue Library.
-I re-drafted the Master Plan to prevent oversized development in the First Ward.
-Much work has been done in First Ward parks: The Mountainside Park tennis courts and baseball field; the Tuers Park basketball courts and the walking paths in Yantacaw Brook Park.
-If re-elected, I would continue to address our debt, which impacts so many of the other issues in town. As a town, we have done remarkably well lowering the debt from $223 million to approximately $160 million in the last eight years. We initiated a policy whereby for every dollar we spend, at least three dollars of debt must be retired. In so doing, we attained a AAA bond rating - up from a AA-. This upgraded bond rating saves the Town millions of dollars on our debt service. These funds can then be used to fund infrastructure projects. We have also held the municipal tax rate steady - zero for the last two years. Most importantly, saving these monies also lowers the tax burden for all of our residents - ensuring that Montclair is affordable for everyone, which helps to maintain the character and diversity of our great town.
There is still more work to be done, but based on what we have done there is a firm foundation to continue!
First Ward Debate-Montclair 2020, Sponsored by League of Women Voters, Aging in Montclair and Montclair Local
Montclair 2020 Team Message
First Ward Councilor William Hurlock- Public Service Announcement
