After 30 years of Anzaldi, some in Clifton think it may be time to vote for mayor

CLIFTON — An effort is underway to change the way the city's mayor is elected from the current system established 88 years ago to a more direct method.

Clifton Citizens for Change, a nonpartisan, ad hoc group, was formed for the purpose of collecting about 6,000 registered voters' signatures needed to force a referendum that seeks to change the process so voters directly vote for a mayoral candidate. The group is also looking to stagger the elections for City Council members.

"After decades of Clifton voters being denied the opportunity to directly elect our mayor, Clifton Citizens for Change thinks it is for voters to make that decision," group member James Daley said during the public portion of Tuesday's City Council meeting.

Currently, voters elect all members of the City Council every four years, and traditionally, the highest vote-getter is appointed mayor by the elected council members.

If the group is successful, it would be the first change to the city's election process since 1934, when the current system of a council and manager was established. In this system, council members set policy and a professional city manager manages the day-to-day operations.

Since 1934, the highest vote-getter in the race for council was appointed mayor every time except once.

Why look for change now?

The group said it is only a coincidence this effort is taking place this year, with the city's longest-serving mayor, James Anzaldi, not running for reelection.

Anzaldi was first elected to the council in 1978, making him the youngest in city government history. He was first appointed mayor by council colleagues in 1990 and has remained the top vote-getter in every subsequent election.

The current method is mostly a popularity contest, Daley said, likening it to a "student council election" rather than a serious contest to serve as the top elected official in the 11th-largest city in the state.

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"Clifton Citizens for Change believes that a mayoral appointment by this method is undemocratic and disenfranchises the voters from selecting the individual who will serve Clifton as the face of our city," said Daley, a school board member who is one of the founding members of the group for change.

"By having voters elect the mayor, candidates for this position will need to present their views, vision, and path forward to Clifton’s voters," Daley said.

The group was recently out collecting the needed signatures at the Van Houten Street Fair. There, group members said they also want to also stagger the council elections. Rather than all terms ending every four years, the group wants the four-year terms staggered with half up for reelection every two years.

"The staggered election cycle will allow the voters to weigh in on how the city is being governed every two years," said Lawrence Grasso, a former school board member who served with Daley. It will bring "a higher degree of accountability for our elected officials," he said.

The changes might also reduce the number of candidates for each open seat, making things more "manageable," according to the group. This year there are 17 candidates running for the seven seats. One past election attracted 60 candidates.

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The group is proposing minimal changes to the local government, other than the way a mayor is elected. It wants to keep the current strong city manager government; keep elections nonpartisan; continue to elect at-large members of the council; keep the four-year terms; and keep elections in November. Council elections were traditionally held in May until recently.

If the group's efforts are successful, the city will elect only six candidates to serve on the council, and in cases of a tie, the mayor would vote to break it.

What's needed to make the change

The group will need to collect 10% of the city's registered voters, which is 5,800 signatures.

If the petitions are accepted by the city clerk no fewer than 60 days and no more than 120 days before the next general election, the changes will be presented on a ballot for the city's registered voters to decide. A special election may also be scheduled for the vote.

Daley said it's a big job and the group needs more volunteers. He said he anticipates having all the signatures by next spring.

Grasso said the response from residents has been overwhelmingly positive. He said about 85% of people the group has spoken with have been in favor of the change.

Among those in favor of the change is longtime Councilman Peter Eagler, who is not seeking reelection in November.

Eagler, who has served on the council about as long as Anzaldi, said he has long been in favor of directly electing the mayor. He brought up the one time in the city's history when the highest vote-getter was not appointed mayor.

In 1966 top vote-getter Bill Bate was not appointed mayor after garnering the most votes. His 2011 obituary mentioned the slight and attributed it to his being the only Democrat elected to the nonpartisan council. Appointed as mayor that year was Joseph Vanecek.

Eagler said the change may also discourage bullet voting for candidates, where a person chooses to vote for a single candidate rather than a full slate of seven.

"Bullet voting came out of the 1950s and '60s in order to become the top vote-getter," Eagler said. "If you want to be the mayor, then run for mayor."

The group promoting change will set up a website in the near future to offer more information.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Clifton NJ: Citizen group wants to change how the mayor is elected