By Danielle Schipani
RUMSON – Republican Rumson Mayor John Ekdahl, 70, is running in a contested race against Democratic challenger Michael Steinhorn, 67.
Ekdahl has been mayor of Rumson for three terms. “I can commit that this would be my last term. Four terms would be enough,” he said. “I enjoy working with all the professional staff and volunteers that we have in town.”
Steinhorn said the town has only had a Republican mayor for more than 100 years, which he contends, has led to the Democratic Party having no voice. He said it’s a “constant reminder” why the “town does not work.”
“It’s extremely exclusive,” he said. “I will walk the walk and talk the talk as the mayor which is different how the town runs now. The way the town runs now is if you aren’t in the majority party you can’t serve on any of the boards.”
Ekdahl explained that he is running for re-election to accomplish some unfinished business. In the event of a re-election, Ekdahl has three main goals he would like to accomplish over the four-year term.
He hopes to continue upgrading the borough including the parks and their athletic fields.
“The growth of recreational sports has reached a point where we have to upgrade the parks about every three years and even create more,” he said.
The mayor highlighted Piping Rock Memorial Park as the next field that is going to see restoration. “The best way to move forward is to conduct a feasibility study which will tell us the best use of the park and will tell us if we should go forward with natural grass or artificial turf,” he explained. Upgrading Victory Park is also on the agenda, with prospects of bringing the playground up to code.
Ekdahl looks to continue upgrading roads in the area. Rumson spends about a million dollars a year upgrading the roads that need it most. Four roads were reconstructed this year.
Ekdahl also recognized that there is a need to renovate the pipe system. “We are constantly fighting ground water infiltration. We need to slip line old sections of the pipes over the next five years in order to save the taxpayers money,” he said.
Meanwhile Steinhorn plans to make changes to the way money is spent and who makes these decisions. “When there is a major project that will require spending mil- lions of dollars this should be decided on with a public referendum not by the mayor and council,” he said. He plans on being a greater advocate for historical preservation by offering incentives for people not to knock down their homes. He will also focus on fairer property tax appeals.
During his remaining time in office Ekdahl plans on focusing on the explosion of new housing and the tearing down of existing homes. “It is important to try to preserve Rumson as we know it. Rumson is a unique town for a lot of different reasons and the way the town looks is part of it,” he said. The Historical Preservation Committee just cataloged over 100 historical homes in Rumson in order to highlight the history of the town.
Steinhorn has run for other local offices, including Monmouth County Clerk and for Monmouth County surrogate.
More than 100 residents turned out at the annual Rumson Republican Cocktail Party last weekend in support of Ekdahl. There has also been a mailing paid for by the Republican party which includes information regarding Ekdahl and his two running mates, reminding residents of their accomplishments.
Ekdahl graduated from Holy Cross Grammar School in Rumson and was in the first graduating class of Christian Brothers Academy (CBA). He attended Villanova University and transferred to Belknap College to receive his bachelor’s degree in history. He is a first vice president of Wealth Management at Merrill Lynch.
Steinhorn has lived in Rumson for 38 years and is married with two children. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting at Queens College City University of New York. He also received a juris doctor degree at Brooklyn Law School. He has been a broker associate at Diane Turton, Realtors in Rumson for over ten years. He is a consulting historian and genealogist for both the Oceanic Library and the Parker Homestead. He has also been a lifetime member of Mensa.
Councilmen Mark E. Rubin and John J. Conkin III are running unopposed.
