Four candidates vying for three Livingston Township Council seats laid out what they see as the town's biggest strengths and weaknesses in statements published Wednesday, Oct. 7.

The West Essex Tribune posed the Week 3 prompt to incumbent Democrats Ed Meinhardt and Ketan Bhuptani, Democrat Stacey Abenstein and Republican Tim Foley: What are Livingston's biggest strengths and weaknesses, and how would you address them? Each candidate was allotted up to 300 words.

Three of the four candidates pointed to Livingston's people as the town's defining asset. Meinhardt, a councilman now in his 12th year on the council, cited firefighters, Livingston First Aid Squad members and Hatzalah ambulance volunteers who serve "365 days and nights a year." He listed the Memorial Day Parade, Summerfest, Oktoberfest and the Camuso Holiday Display as proof that residents step up.

"Livingston has a lot to offer, but none of it happens by itself," Meinhardt said in his statement. "It takes people who care about this town and are willing to give their time to it. And we need more of them."

Bhuptani, also an incumbent, highlighted the volunteer spirit behind the First Aid Squad, Fire Department and Community Police. He then turned to what he called solvable weaknesses: the Department of Public Works (DPW) facility and the township pool renovation, both of which he said have stalled for over a decade.

Bhuptani said he helped establish a DPW subcommittee, secured land and funding, and that the project is now in a Design-Build selection process. The pool redesign is also advancing, with the council reviewing design recommendations, he said.

Bhuptani also pointed to his role in establishing Livingston's Vision Zero policy, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities, and said he is developing a formal Safe Routes to School charter to improve pedestrian safety near schools.

Abenstein, a 34-year Livingston resident and member of the township's Committee for Diversity and Inclusion, called community spirit the town's greatest strength. She said the challenge is making Livingston's physical spaces match that connectedness.

She envisioned a town where residents can walk from store to store, grab coffee and take kids for ice cream. She cited the town's cultural celebrations, including Diwali, Lunar New Year, Hispanic Heritage Month and Eid, as evidence of that spirit.

Foley, the lone Republican in the race and a 55-year Livingston resident, praised the town's growing diversity. But he zeroed in on overdevelopment as its chief weakness. He said Livingston's Fair Share Housing obligation is satisfied only until 2035 and urged the council to start planning now to limit further development when the next round begins.

The Livingston Mall property, he said, demands "common sense" in any redevelopment plan. He warned that infrastructure strain from overdevelopment could eventually burden taxpayers.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. According to the Livingston Township Clerk's Office, voter registration closes Tuesday, Oct. 13. Residents can register online at the state's voter-registration portal or in person at Livingston Town Hall, 357 South Livingston Ave., during business hours. Early in-person voting runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 1, and the last day to request a Vote-By-Mail ballot is Tuesday, Oct. 27.