FACT CHECK: SEPARATING FACTS FROM CAMPAIGN RHETORIC 2026

OPPOSITION CLAIM: "I stood up for the library and fought for adequate funding."

FACTS:

• The individual making this claim was invited years ago to serve on the Library Board, where they would have had a direct role in shaping library policy and operations. They declined that opportunity.
• During the same period often referenced as an example of successful library funding, Councilwoman Joanna Miles was actively serving on the Library Board and supporting library programs through the Friends of the Library.
• While some advocated for increased funding, City officials identified management and operational issues—not simply a lack of funding—as the primary challenge.
• Today, the Library Board itself reports that the Rahway Public Library is in its strongest position in more than a decade. According to the Board President, the library is financially sound, has expanded operating hours, hired new staff, provided employee raises, completed significant building repairs, invested in technology and safety upgrades, doubled funding for community programs, and currently maintains a budget surplus of approximately $200,000.
• The City's shared services partnership and ongoing investments have helped ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly while improving services for residents.

THE REALITY: Supporting the library means more than making statements. It requires leadership, accountability, and hands-on involvement.

OPPOSITION CLAIM: "I stood up for the water utility."

FACTS:

• Neither the Mayor, City Council, nor the Administration can independently sell Rahway's water utility.
• Any decision regarding the future of the utility ultimately belongs to Rahway residents.
• Rahway is uniquely dependent on the Rahway River as its water source, making long-term planning and analysis critical.
• City leaders have invested in studies and evaluations to better understand future challenges, infrastructure needs, water quality concerns, and long-term options for protecting public health.
• Conducting studies and gathering information is not a commitment to any particular action. It is responsible planning designed to ensure residents continue receiving safe and reliable drinking water.

THE REALITY: Understanding the facts before making decisions is good government. Planning for the future and protecting Rahway's water supply is a responsibility—not a political talking point.

OPPOSITION CLAIM: "DPW contract negotiations were stalled for 14 months."

FACTS:

• Labor negotiations are conducted between the Administration and union representatives—not City Council.
• The City maintains records documenting ongoing negotiations, meetings, and discussions throughout the bargaining process.
• Collective bargaining agreements often take months or even years to complete in municipalities across New Jersey. Extended negotiations are not unusual and do not mean negotiations have stopped.
• Throughout the negotiation process, DPW employees have continued serving Rahway residents and receiving their negotiated wages and benefits.
• Representatives for both sides have remained engaged in the process, working to reach an agreement that fairly compensates employees while maintaining the City's long-standing commitment to fiscal responsibility and stable property taxes.

THE REALITY: The claim that negotiations were "stalled for 14 months" is inaccurate. Negotiations have been ongoing, documented, and conducted through the normal collective bargaining process. The goal remains the same as it has always been: achieving a fair contract for workers while protecting taxpayers and the City's financial stability. Residents deserve facts, not misleading descriptions of the collective bargaining process.

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OPPOSITION CLAIM: "Without me, City Council would allow a data center in Rahway."

FACTS:

• There is no approved data center proposal before the City.
• The Mayor and City Council leadership have publicly stated their opposition to data centers in Rahway and their intention to pursue measures that would prohibit such facilities from being developed within the city.
• Major land-use decisions require public review, legal processes, and action by multiple boards and governing bodies. No single individual can claim sole responsibility for preventing or approving such a project.

THE REALITY: City leadership has already made its position clear. Claims that one individual is single-handedly protecting Rahway from a data center are not supported by the facts. Creating hypothetical threats and then claiming sole credit for stopping them is not leadership. It is political theater.

One side has focused on governing, investing in infrastructure, improving city services, supporting public institutions, planning for the future, and making decisions based on facts and professional analysis.

The other has consistently opposed those efforts while offering criticism without responsibility, rhetoric without solutions, and speculation without evidence.

Rahway's future will not be built on conspiracy theories, misinformation, or opposition for opposition's sake. It will be built by leaders who are willing to do the work, make informed decisions, and continue moving our city forward.

Voters deserve facts. Voters deserve accountability. And voters deserve leaders focused on progress—not politics.