FORMER NORTH ARLINGTON COUNCILMAN ENDORSES BALWIERZCAK FOR MAYOR, PAPILE & SEVER FOR BOROUGH COUNCIL.
NORTH ARLINGTON – Stephen Kohnenkamp, a former High Street resident, long time Elk’s member and graduate of North Arlington High School has endorsed the Democratic ticket of John Balwierczak for Mayor and Dennis Papile & Jim Sever for Borough Council.
Kohnenkamp was a member of the Borough Council from 1990-1993 and was part of a healthy mix of Democrats and Republicans that served in a bipartisan manner.
Steve was on the governing body that erected the Christopher Columbus statue located on River Road.
The statue was sculptured by artist André Iwanczyk, and the dedication was October 12, 1992, to mark the quincentennial (500) anniversary of his arrival in the Americas.
It was presented to the borough by the North Arlington Chapter of UNICO National, with support from local businesses, private sponsors, and the mayor and council. The statue honors Columbus for his courageous exploration into the uncharted waters of America.
Kohnenkamp, who is married with an adult son, now resides in Staten Island where he owns and operates Steve Kay’s Cleaning Services, a professional janitorial, construction cleanup, carpet and upholstery, wood, tile and vinyl floor maintenance, cleaning and repair company.
In a recent visit to North Arlington, the former councilmember was concerned by the current condition of the Ridge Road business district and massive overdevelopment of the community. Ridge Road retail has been decimated and replaced with hundreds of units of apartments with more currently under construction.
Kohnenkamp urged voters to rebuild a bipartisan consensus on the governing body.
“After years of one-party, Republican rule, it’s time to put an end to it. Rising property taxes, crime and overdevelopment has made North Arlington unrecognizable as the small-town community I grew up in,” observed the former council member.
Kohnenkamp was also disturbed by the negative tone and tenor of the campaign and the endless personal attacks by the Republicans against Balwierczak.
“The barrage of personal attacks on John is really uncalled for, but I guess that’s what you do if you have no answers to tax increase after tax increase, and these quality-of-life issues that keep popping up all over town. When I served, we all agreed, Republicans and Democrats alike that protecting our principles and values, that remaining small, safe, suburban and affordable kept us unique as a bedroom community with easy access to Manhattan.”
Balwierczak was humbled by the endorsement. 
“Our campaign has received a significant amount of support from organized labor, some of the county’s top elected officials such as Bergen Executive James Tedesco, County Clerk John Hogan, US Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-9), as well as former mayors Ed Martone and Peter Massa and former council members Al Granell, Mark Yampaglia, Tom Zammatore and Patrick Roche. We are the choice of working families, tenants, and especially seniors being gentrified by Pronti’s failing policies,” noted the life-long resident and homeowner.
“Massive overdevelopment, the homicides, the drug raids, the rolling reassessments are threatening our values and principles as a community. I concur with Steve that we require political balance and open discussion, not the one-man rule Pronti enjoys with no transparency or accountability with the voters.”
Balwierczak just wants the opportunity to place North Arlington on the right track.
“Pronti has had a decade to do things his way without objection, interference or opposition. Are you happy with the results? The residents I speak with are concerned and are demanding change.”
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