NORTH ARLINGTON DEMOCRATS FINALIZE CANDIDATES FOR JUNE PRIMARY
The North Arlington Democratic Committee is finalizing candidates for municipal office as well as members of the local committee for 2026-27 after meeting last week at the Arlington Diner Wednesday evening.
There are twenty members of the municipal committee, two from each election district.
This year, the office of mayor is on the ballot along with two council seats. The mayor is a four-year term while terms for borough council are three years, with two seats up each general election in this staggered format.
The Democrats are finalizing their committee roster as well as their candidates for municipal office and an official announcement will be made when petitions are submitted to the Borough Clerk’s Office next Thursday.
“We will file candidates and run an aggressive, detailed, and issue-oriented campaign,” offered by Nick Antonicello, the local party chair.
While the locals were unsuccessful last November, Democrats made a strong showing up and down the ballot as their candidates for Bergen County Commissioner, the NJ General Assembly and Governor Mikie Sherill carried the community despite North Arlington having all Republicans on the governing body.
“Democrats locally are on the cusp of victory. Rising taxes, outrageous borrowing, legal fees and out-of-court settlements coupled with frivolous spending and rolling reassessments make this race very competitive and in-play,” offered John Balwierczak who ran last year for a seat on the borough council. 
WHAT ARE THE ISSUES FACING NA VOTERS?
Property taxes and random reassessments have been one of the most prominent issues that effects how property taxes are calculated.
Some critics and residents oppose “rolling property tax reassessments,” arguing they can cause sudden tax increases for homeowners—especially seniors and long-time residents.
Reforming or ending that system has been described as “the #1 issue” in recent borough council races. Democrats are expected to support this policy after three consecutive tax hikes by Pronti & the Republican Party.
“Pronti governs like Trump and MAGA. He is a MAGA Republican through and through,” said Balwierczak.
More broadly across New Jersey, high property taxes and cost of living remain the dominant issue for voters statewide. New Jersey already has some of the highest property taxes in the U.S., and even small local policy changes can affect homeowners significantly according to NA Democrats.
Over development and land use concerns are another major debate that concerns new development projects. Many residents want to limit new construction, especially along the Ridge Road corridor. Opponents of current development proposals argue they want to preserve the borough’s suburban character and avoid the “overdevelopment” practices of Republican Mayor Dan Pronti, who is expected to seek a third term. It is Pronti’s policies that have increased density and traffic.
Under Pronti, over 100 apartment units have been constructed with dozens more scheduled by these out-of-town developers, all financial campaign donors to Pronti and the GOP.
Local Government Transparency and Political Balance:
Democratic campaign messaging in recent elections has focused on governance and political control. Issues raised include:
Calls for greater transparency in borough decisions
Concerns about long-standing single-party control of the borough council for over 10 years
Desire for more competitive local elections or responsible, “two-party government.”
This theme often ties into debates over how local spending and development decisions are made.
Public safety occasionally enters local campaigns, such as concerns raised after home-invasion incidents in the borough.
Community Amenities and Infrastructure are key concerns as previous Democratic campaigns centered on Passaic River waterfront improvements, walking or biking paths, a Farmers market, and more programs for youth and seniors.
Democrats have framed these issues as “quality-of-life investments” versus concerns about municipal spending.
Few residents believe the return of property tax investment is adequate and are finally seeking a change in political leadership from Republican to Democrat.
The biggest issues facing North Arlington voters usually revolve around Property taxes and tax reassessments, development vs. preserving suburban character, transparency and political control of local government, public safety concerns and community improvements and local spending priorities.
“These are the issues we intend to hold the incumbents, especially Mayor Pronti accountable,” said Balwierczak.