Caldwell Council Election Candidate Profile: Pat Capozzoli

Four candidates are vying for two seats on the Caldwell Borough Council that carry three-year terms on Tuesday, Nov. 5. 

Incumbent Thomas O'Donnell (Republican) will seek re-election and is running with fellow Republican and challenger Pasquale "Pat" Capozzoli. 

Democratic challengers Grace Kerrigan and Maureen McNish are also contending for the two seats. 

Councilman John Coyle is not seeking re-election. 

Every candidate was sent questions by the editor as part of The Caldwells Patch's Candidate Profile.

The following are the responses submitted by Republican challenger Pat Capozzoli. 

Why are you running for a seat on the Caldwell Borough Council?

I have always taken an active role in the community. Be it when, my son and our neighbor’s kids were told that according to town rules playing in the street was against the law and they would be ticketed if they continued, to the power outages from Super Storm Sandy that affected the town especially where I live in District 7. 

I always wanted to get more involved but couldn’t due to my work schedule. Favorable changes now allow me to dedicate more time and efforts to areas that I have wanted to become more involved.

As a resident I believe that if I want to see changes then it is my job to help make those changes occur. My parents taught me growing up that, "You are not allowed to complain if your not willing to do something about it". As a councilman I can make those changes happen.

What makes you qualified for the position?

My current employment allows me to make many business decisions that involve financial issues and maintaining the safety and security of my coworkers.

The leadership role that I have and the variety of day to day issues that I need to address helps me understand the needs of many types of people. 

This experience will help me solve the many types of challenges that I will face as a councilman.

What are the three biggest challenges facing the borough in your opinion?

I want to start with saying this is a great town. The biggest challenge right now is the downtown area.

We have to work on getting these empty stores filled and making Caldwell a destination where the whole family can shop, grab a show and stay for dinner.

The second biggest challenge is the Roseland Avenue traffic light. Many people don't realize that this is a county road and we must go through Essex County for any changes.

My running mate Tom O’Donnell, who I also consider a good friend, is working on this problem and I hope to be able to join his efforts to fix this.

The last challenge I see is keeping our budget down with out losing services offered to our people .

What borough-related issues would you focus on if you were elected?

I would focus on The downtown area. Once I become more aware of other issues then I would look forward to tackling them one by one.

What is the single-most important asset you can bring to the borough if you were elected?

As a father of three children, a husband, a coach, an active voice in my neighborhood and homeowner, I bring a great understanding of people’s needs and a strong determination to implement fixes to the issues that I encounter.