With the upcoming mayoral and Town Council elections, the Hi’s Eye staff has conducted interviews with each candidate. In this compilation of interviews, candidates were asked the following questions: 1. What are your goals, and how would you like to make an impact on the town of Westfield? 2. What inspired you to run for Town Council? 3. What is something the residents of Westfield don’t know about you? Let’s check out their answers:

Sam Della Fera (R – Incumbent) Ward 1: 
1. I have been going door-to-door to residents and have found that their primary concerns are property taxes and infrastructure issues. I would like to spend other people’s money very carefully. … We are highly taxed here in New Jersey and I do my best to keep people’s property taxes low and spend money wisely.
2. I feel an obligation to give back to the community. I coached [my daughter] and my son in soccer, baseball and softball. When they grew up and got real coaches, I thought, “What can I do to help my community and give back to this beautiful town?” I decided I would volunteer my time on the Town Council and help get things done in the town.
3. The first time I ever flew in an airplane, I jumped out of it. I was 17 years old and my friends and I decided to go parachuting. After we got up to 3,000 feet I jumped out with my parachute.

James Corcoran (R) Ward 2:
1. My goal is to continue moving the town forward. Help out downtown and improve it, try to pair business downtown, bring some new business in… I want to get students involved, helping them understand politics and encourage them to come to debates and meetings. Maybe have state senators meet with them as well.
2. I grew up in Westfield and graduated in ‘94. I want to give back to a community that has given me so much. I have four daughters, so it gets a little hectic in my house at times, but I want them to have the same experience as I did. It would mean a lot to me to give back and help the town move forward and continue to grow with the desirability and keep the real estate values up. I would just like to be a representative of the town no matter where I go.
3. I have a soft spot for kids.

David Oliveira (R – Incumbent) Ward 3:
1. I’m chairman of the Public Works Committee, so I want to continue paving roads and improving quality-of-life issues. Another thing would be downtown. We have implemented over half of the recommendations from the mayor’s task force and I would like to see the rest through. … Downtown is obviously a big topic, but you can’t control all the vacancies since those are landlord-tenant relationships. What you can control are the things in town that could make it easier for businesses to want to thrive here.
2. It’s really just a love for the town. It was not a long-term goal of mine. We obviously don’t get paid by the town, that’s not what it is about.
3. I worked for Deloitte and I earned my CPA. During this time, I lived in San Francisco, California and Dublin, Ireland, so I really have an appreciation for traveling.

Keith Loughlin (R – Incumbent) Ward 4:
1. My goals for Westfield will be to keep patrolling municipal spending, keep Westfield the place to call home, and also to renovate Tamaques Park like we recently did to Mindowaskin Park. … I’ve been on council for eight years so I think I have made an impact to try and implement many suggestions from residents, friends, neighbors, and I want to continue this.
2. I started volunteering for Mayor Andy Skibitsky on his first campaign and I really fell in love with it. When I was a senior in high school I volunteered on a Town Council campaign. I liked campaigning more than the candidate did.
3. I was the quarterback for the first PAL team in Westfield. When I was 11 or 12 years old, the minors football was run by the Boosters, so we were the first PAL team. Several players went on to Division I and one guy made it to the NFL.

Linda Habgood (D) Ward 1: 
1. I want to introduce new businesses and services that will make downtown more interesting and increase its profits. I also want to take a look at the budget and engage with Union County to understand how they spend our tax dollars. … I want to inspire more people to get involved in local government so that we can impact our communities in the future. I also want to engage our youth. The younger generation gives a new perspective on issues. I definitely have Westfield running through my bloodstream.
2. My love for the town inspired me. My family has been here for 17 years and I’ve volunteered in different capacities where I have met many people, so running seemed like the most logical next step in how I could give back.
3. Five years ago, I joined Team in Training to participate in the New York City Triathlon, but I didn’t know how to swim. I’ve swam in the Hudson River twice, and also I’ve raised over $75,000 for leukemia research.

Michael Dardia (D) Ward 2: 
1. Number one has always been to insist on the revision of a master plan. The overarching theme is increasing public engagement and collaboration. We need to foster that in town. … We need to make an effort to create a culture in town where people don’t speed. I would also like to implement a bike lane infrastructure within Westfield. I think that would create safety within the town and also encourage more kids to bike to school.
2. I’ve gotten to know the town and want to give something back. I want to be their voice.
3. I went to Bridgewater East, and played WHS in the lacrosse championship. There’s always been a rivalry between the two schools, but when we got to the championship we got crushed 12-6. It wasn’t a pleasant way to end my high school career.

David Contract (D) Ward 3:
1. My goals are the voters’ goals: more paving, safer streets, and a reenergized downtown. Regarding safety, voters want to cut down on speeding because it creates dangerous roads and unsafe pedestrian areas. I love Westfield and want to see it thrive. … I think I can be very impactful on the town. I want people to feel even better than they already do about living in Westfield.
2. It all started with my smoking ban for downtown cafes. I said to my wife the night the ordinance was passed, I want to run for Town Council. My campaign is how I’ve chosen to give back to the community and make a difference.
3. In college, I started a student publishing business with my roommate at Princeton. We ran franchises at 10 different colleges for about 10 years, publishing student orientation guides filled with advertisements to help students.

Dawn Mackey (D) Ward 4:
1. My first goal would be to create a culture in the Town Council where citizens feel welcome to come and bring their ideas, and know that they would be also welcomed to submit applications to be on the many committees. … Culture change would be the most impactful thing because if citizens feel welcome, then they are apt to be more engaged. .. I would like to examine the way we do certain things and take the best practices from neighboring municipalities and implement them.
2. I absolutely don’t think that we get our best candidates by having them appointed. It means that the citizens didn’t really have a voice in the process, and even though they choose not to vote, we have to make them feel engaged.
3. When I came to visit this town for the first time, I was drawn because there was a dollhouse store in the middle of town and I am an avid miniaturist and I like to craft tiny food. So that drew me.