Woodbridge BOE Budget Passes; Molnar, Smith, Della Pietro Win BOE Seats

In a low turnout election, the Woodbridge voters who showed up to vote did an about-face from last year and approved the $156.3 million Board of Education budget.

Less than 12 percent of the township's 53,538 registered voters voted to approve the budget referendum, which passed by a 321-vote margin. Voters who cast a ballot on the budget okayed it with 3,209 votes, against the 2,888 residents who turned it down. 

The budget approval will cause a $110 rise in individual property taxes for Woodbridge homeowners, based upon an average home assessed at $75,000.

Seven candidates, including two incumbents, were running for the three seats up for grabs. Each seat is for a three-year term.

Brian Molnar, one of the two incumbents running for reelection, was the top vote getter of the seven-man field of candidates. Molnar received 3,114 votes. Diane Acquisto, the other incumbent in the race, came in fourth with 1,718 votes.

Newcomers Frank Della Pietro and Monica Michelle Smith, who ran together with Molnar on a ticket, won the second and third positions to capture the other two open Board of Ed seats. Della Pietro, a fireman and Zoning Board member who resides in Fords, received 2,883 votes; Smith, who lives in Colonia and teaches school in Perth Amboy, garnered 2,553 votes.

John Vrtaric, the township's Republican Party chairman, came in in fourth place with 1,879 votes, followed by Acquisto.

A frequent critic of the McCormac administration, Thomas Maras received 1,306 votes to finish in sixth place.

David Pinkowitz, a former attorney who now works as a computer software firm manager, became involved at school board meetings last year when his daughter's gifted and talented program was the victim of budget cuts. In this, his first run, Pinkowitz decided to run for a board seat; he also came in last with 1,274 votes

He's introspective, but not deterred. "It is what it is. The electorate has spoken, and they made a decision to continue in the direction of one incumbent and his team. Best of luck to them," Pinkowitz said.

He intend to stay involved. "I don't know 1,274 people in Woodbridge," he said, referring to the number of votes cast for him. "I reached a lot more people than I know, so clearly I had some impact."