CarlstadtNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Carlstadt Borough Council Election 2026

2 of 6 council seats are on the ballot, with 4 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

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General election day (Nov 3): the election office's notice

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The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Voters choose up to two of four candidates for two at-large Borough Council seats with three-year terms. The mayor is not on this ballot.

General election day · Nov 3

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

What the next council decides

01Data centers4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council introduced Ordinance 26-18 to prohibit data centers in all zoning districts on September 2, 2026 and referred it to the Planning Board; final adoption is not shown in the minutes reviewed.

What's on the tableWhether to ban data centers borough-wide through the zoning code.

02Hackensack Street downtown4 sourced facts

Where it standsA five-year tax abatement program for the Hackensack Street downtown area was adopted on August 5, 2026; zoning and design-standard ordinances for the corridor are awaiting Planning Board review.

What's on the tableWhat zoning, design standards and incentives apply downtown, and how a new parking structure is built.

03Affordable housing3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe borough settled its fourth-round affordable housing plan with Fair Share Housing Center in January 2026 and adopted implementing zoning in March; a senior affordable housing zoning ordinance was introduced in September.

What's on the tableHow and where Carlstadt zones for its state affordable housing obligation.

04Budget, spending cap and bonds5 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council adopted the 2026 municipal budget on April 15, 2026, after a cap bank ordinance in March, and approved two bond ordinances in April and June.

What's on the tableHow much the borough spends and borrows and how much is raised through local property taxes.

05Meadowlands and American Dream payments3 sourced facts

Where it standsOn September 2, 2026 the council demanded that the NJSEA release outstanding Municipal Assistance Program payments tied to the American Dream project.

What's on the tableHow hard the borough presses the state authority for payments and how it handles Meadowlands District development.

3 notes on these statements

Joseph Emerson and James Lenoy (Republicans) face Dennis Ritchie and Walter Beese (Democrats) for two council seats. New Jersey Globe

Republicans currently hold all six seats on the Borough Council. New Jersey Globe

Mayor Robert Zimmermann is not on this ballot; his term ends December 31, 2027. Wikipedia

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Where should data centers be allowed in Carlstadt?

  2. 2. Should the borough offer tax abatements to spur downtown redevelopment?

  3. 3. How should Carlstadt add downtown parking?

  4. 4. How should Carlstadt handle its state affordable housing obligation?

  5. 5. How should the council use the state spending cap?

  6. 6. How should the borough pay for equipment and infrastructure?

  7. 7. How should Carlstadt pursue Municipal Assistance Program payments from the NJSEA?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted11 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.

Key dates

The seat math

5 stay (not up this year): Diane DeBiase, Suzanne Fonseca, William Roseman, David Stoltz, Robert Zimmermann2 on this ballot

6 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

  • Carlstadt has a mayor and a six-member borough council, all elected at large on a partisan basis. Wikipedia
  • Council members serve staggered three-year terms, with two seats up for election each year. Wikipedia
  • The mayor is elected directly by voters to a four-year term and votes only to break a tie. Wikipedia

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