Green Party candidates concerned over eminent domain, property taxes Adding a dose of variety to this year's council race are the four Green Party candidates. Unsatisfied with rising property taxes and concerned about Alice Osipowitz manmade erosion along the township's water bodies, the Greens hope to break through Aberdeen's two-party system. Alice Osipowitz, 53, is a longtime resident of Aberdeen. A newcomer to running for public office, Osipowitz is no stranger to municipal government. She works as the director of Parks and Recreation for Franklin Township in Somerset County. Osipowitz is married with one daughter. The candidate's top issues include controlling taxes, curtailing eminent domain abuse and "incorporating affordable housing in a creative way instead of segregated it into certain developments," according to Osipowitz. For Osipowitz, the issues are personal. "God, how am I going to afford to retire and live here?" she asks concerning New Jersey property taxes. "It's part of a local and a statewide issue. We have to do our best on a local level to provide good schools and services without crippling our taxpayers. I don't know how some people on fixed incomes do it these days." Philip Petrignani Why is she a good choice for council? "I feel I'm a dedicated person," Osipowitz said. "I'm interested in the community and will do my very best to represent the people's concerns in the community." Philip Petrignani, 39, is a lifelong resident of Aberdeen and boasts strong family ties to the community. He is married with one son and works for NJ Transit as a quality assurance supervisor. This is his first foray into local politics. Petrignani is concerned about eminent domain abuse and his steadily rising tax bill. He'd like to see the council meetings televised and is interested in making the town more energy efficient. "My taxes in 2000 were $4,800 and now they're well over $8,000," he said. "It's ridiculous. … We don't have sewers. We don't have sidewalks. Freneau, we're like the forgotten [part of town]." Petrignani was critical of the township's recent proposal to fix up the Cliffwood Beach waterfront, calling the plan a last-minute election year ploy. Paul Rinear "Hurricane Donna hit Cliffwood in 1960," he said. "Nothing has been done since 1960. Now they get this grant to do this half-assed project with a couple hundred thousand. Big deal. What are they going to do with a couple thousand?" Why should voters choose him? "I'm honest and it's going to be open government," Petrignani said. "We're there to serve the people. We're not there to serve ourselves." Paul Rinear, 48, is also a lifelong resident of Aberdeen. He is employed as a computersupport consulting engineer for CMI, Red Bank. Rinear became interested in local government in 2003 when he, along with the other Greens, successfully petitioned the town to remove 26 of 27 homes from a redevelopment zone, a designation that can put homes at risk of eminent domain. "A redevelopment zone, it took me a while to figure out what that was," Rinear said. "I found out they could use eminent domain to take my property and neighbor's property." Concerned, Rinear started attending Planning Board and council meetings where he "made a lot of noise." Rinear is especially interested in preserving the environment. He would like to see the Cliffwood Beach area improved along with additional efforts to stop the erosion of waterways throughout Matawan and Aberdeen. Mark Teichman Why vote for Rinear? "I think we can do a better job," he said. Mark Teichman, 43, works in town as an architect. Although an avid environmentalist who is active in the local chapter of the Sierra Club, Teichman's top concern is curtailing property taxes. "Property taxes are continually rising and every school board referendum has been voted down, which gives the council the opportunity to work with the school board to reduce spending and they've really failed to do that," Teichman said. Other priorities include creating an open dialogue with the public during council meetings by discussing current issues more in depth and responding honestly to all questions, especially redevelopment. "In general, we find the council is not open to the concerns of the people," Teichman said. Why vote for Teichman? "I am an architect, so my background and training stress responding to peoples needs and goals and solving problems in a systematic way, but in such a way that the end result is beautiful. This is what I would like to do for Aberdeen," he said. - Karen E. Bowes