Politics: the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power (as defined by Oxford Language).
Politics in American society are obviously nothing to scoff at. They’re what keep our country running from the national level, to the state level, all the way down to the humble municipal level (a fancy word for the politics of towns). Here in Cresskill, we have a municipal governing body of our own! However, there is a rather concerning trend going around: Cresskillians are becoming more distanced from this local government. A leap you say? Keep reading, and we’ll dive into why this may not be that much of one.
For those of you who don’t know much about our town’s leadership right now, I think it’s a good idea to give a description of what it looks like. In a heartbreaking event, we lost our old Mayor, Mr. Benedict Romeo, in February of 2025. He had been an important part of our Cresskill political landscape for decades, having been our mayor since 1999 – 26 years! His time as our mayor was filled with strong leadership, and countless positive effects on our community. One of the greatest was the construction of the recreational center, which has since become a revered communal hub for our citizens, many students in particular having fond memories playing sports in one of its many facilities. His effects on Cresskill are not ones easily shaken off, and he’s been honored through the renaming of 3rd Street to Ben Romeo Way.
Following his passing, an interim mayor has since been appointed in April, 2025, named Mr. John Morgan. Mr. Morgan has a background in health and medicine, having been a licensed physician before becoming Mayor, and this helped him secure a spot in the Office of Emergency Management committee, where he works with others to ensure the well being of Cresskill citizens. He has already shown his impact on the community before even assuming the position with his running of the Cresskill 5k for the past 4 years, another integral part of our Cresskill culture many have at some point been a part of. Mr. Morgan has strong experience with local leadership and has lived in Cresskill with his family for the last 10 years, and here in Cresskill, we can’t wait to see the advancement of our town under his leadership!
In fact, there were very serious occurrences just decided in our town: Cresskill underwent a local election! The Mayoral position was up for grabs, with Mr. Morgan (R) running to keep his position against challenger Leslie Kaplan (D), and the former winning the election. Seats on the council were also determined, with Saverio R. Costa and Cheryl Furio running from the Republican Party and Kenneth Mann and Morgan McCord from the Democratic Party. A wide host of other candidates ran for election in positions of wider NJ, such as those in Bergen county leaderships, and NJ as a whole, with the well-known race between Jack Ciatarelli (R) and Mikie Sherrill (D) also having taken place for the governor position, the latter now having won the election. To any seniors and parents reading, always do your best to go out and vote! Your voice counts!
Now, after reading that, it’s clear to see that there’s a lot to know about our local leadership. In fact, I would go as far as to say that what I said before was just the tip of the iceberg. The decisions made in our municipal politics are incredibly influential and important to our lives in Cresskill. Need an example? The referendum that was passed after the flooding of our school in 2022. After hurricane Ida hit Cresskill, the waters of the Tenakill rose to dangerous levels and completely flooded our school, causing thousands of dollars in property damage and rendering the school unfit for academic usage. Thanks to the negotiation and management of our town leadership, we were able to secure a place to learn in the form of Chodae Mosaic, and shortly afterwards, a referendum was proposed in our town which would slightly raise taxes in order to accumulate extra funds for the repair of our high school, which began quickly drawing in revenue, allowing for the full repair of our school in 2023. Pretty significant effects, right?
Despite this importance, however, it seems that education in our municipal government remains elusive in our town, an issue that is certainly noticeable on a wide margin. In a survey where students were asked to rate their knowledge on Cresskill government on a scale of 1-5, where one meant knowing close to nothing about it, and 5 meaning being well versed in it, 75% of students admitted to being 1-2, with most choosing 1. Ari Keren, a junior at Cresskill, explains how “It’s not that I don’t care about our town’s politics, but just that I feel like it doesn’t affect me and there’s no reason to learn about it.” It seems as though this is a more widespread issue than first thought…
An interesting feature to note is that adults in general seem to be somewhat well versed in our town’s government, more so than the younger generations at the very least. Mr. Doto, a teacher and resident here at Cresskill, demonstrated considerable knowledge on the inner workings of Cresskill. When he was asked about who the current mayor is, he quickly rattled off the name without a second thought. He also knew our prior mayor, Mr. Romeo, and claimed that he was “very proficient in the politics of our town,” also expressing interest in it and learning more about it throughout the interview. However, other adults seem more lacking in knowledge on our politics, such as Mr. Egorow, another teacher/coach and resident here at Cresskill, who knew the prior mayor, but was not familiar with Mr. Morgan. He did, however, in what seems to be a trend among adults, express a lot of interest in learning more. He also stressed the importance of being involved in our municipal government, explaining how “the more people involved, the more positive changes that can happen, and the more influence the government can have in making Cresskill a better place.”
Mr. Egorow reflects a common sentiment among most adults in Cresskill that it’s important to be educated on our political landscape, reflecting a thankfully enshrined nature of our politics.
As for how Cresskillians suggest this issue be remedied? Mr. Egorow suggests that “more transparency should be provided as to when their meetings are, the reports of the meetings, and more,” but concedes that “I may just not be looking in the right place.” Apparently, most people must not be looking in the right place, because many other students and teachers admitted to this as well. Does this really reflect citizens not putting in enough effort to find the news, or the news being difficult to find? A very easy way to increase town participation in municipal politics would just be to make it more clear where to go to be involved or what to read or do. A more “hand-held” process for our younger and even older residents just getting into town politics would definitely improve local involvement in local government, which is a win-win for everyone involved, as we’re able to establish a stronger government to people connection, and ensure that a great many people are involved in and interested in local politics! Educating our future generations on our town’s politics can only bring benefits, and it can start as small as that.
So, on a finishing note, I hope I have convinced you of the need for change in our town’s political landscape, and the importance of it. It’s up to us, the people of Cresskill, to bring this change, or live with the effects of a politically uneducated future. We can work our way to grand benefits and public knowledge on this vital aspect of town life, as long as we take the first little steps… now!
