Cameron Spector. (Click to enlarge.)
The mayoralty and three seats on the Fair Haven Borough Council are up for grabs in the November 6 election.
On the ballot are Republican Mayor Ben Lucarelli, who is running unopposed; incumbent Republican Councilwoman Betsy Koch and her Republican running mates Jim Banahan and Jacquie Rice; and Democrats Evan Hughes, Cameron Spector and Carolyn Williams.
Here are Spector’s written responses to questions posed to all Fair Haven candidates recently by redbankgreen.
Name: Cameron Spector
Age: 19 Years Old
Address: 116 Lake Ave. Fair Haven, NJ
How long have you been a resident of Fair Haven? All 19 years of my life.
Where did you grow up? In Fair Haven, born and raised.
Where did you go to high school? I graduated from Rumson- Fair Haven Regional High School. Go Dawgs!!!
Did you graduate from college? If so, which school, with what degree? I have not had that chance yet to graduate.
Have your served in the military? If so, which branch and when? I have not, but I respect those who do.
What do you do for a living? I am a filmmaker; I work at a corporate video office in Middletown as an editor/shooter/ whatever needs to get done I get done.
Please tell us a little bit about your community involvement efforts, if any.
I try to put my filmmaking for the good of the community by making short documentaries about marches that have taken place in and around our community such as the March For Our Lives this spring, where I was also a speaker, as well as doing film jobs for programs such as Lunch Break and Covenant House.
Party affiliation: Democrat
How important is party affiliation to you? What does it mean to you to be a member of your party?
Some aspects of my affiliation with the Democrats affects the way I see the world, such as my views that we have a responsibility to help and serve people, especially those that have the least among us. However, there is no Republican or Democratic way to fix a pothole. I am running to represent the residents of Fair Haven.
Do you have a role model in public life? Who and why?
I have always had JFK as a role model because he put service first, and made giving back a main point of his life.
Why are you running for office?
I am running to give back to the community. I feel that this community has given me so much it is only fair for me to give back to the community that I have come to love so much.
What’s your opinion of the proposed borough acquisition of the former Sunoco station for the purpose of constructing a new borough hall?
I would like to see improvements for our police station, borough hall and community center, but it is difficult to have firm opinions without knowing the details that have not been fully and transparently shared with residents. This is a great time to talk about transparency and some of your ideas on how to integrate technology into the process.
What are the most pressing issues facing the town, and how do you plan to address them?
Taxes are a major issue and I plan to make sure that we efficiently spend the money we get from taxpayers. Overdevelopment is also a major issues and I would like to work with the planning board to make sure that homeowners have control over theirs homes a little more, while builders need to respect the look and feel of Fair Haven. Finally, having more communication between the government and the people in Fair Haven is something that I want to combat by helping the council air board meetings,
What if any specific initiatives can voters expect from you if you are elected?
I have been knocking on doors and it’s clear that residents want more transparency around specific issues, I am would hold town halls for residents on specific issues affecting the community as I believe that this would really help communication between the council and its members.
If there’s anything you’d like to add, please do so here:
It has been an honor to be able to run for office at such a young age. Especially walking around town and talking to my neighbors has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have been able to have in my life and if elected I would strive to continue to do so in order to represent my neighbors on the council.
Find the ballot here. According to the Monmouth County Clerk’s website, all six districts this year will vote at the Church of the Nativity, 180 Ridge Road.
