In collaboration with WRPK Radio, Roselle Park News conducted extensive interviews with both candidates for Roselle Park Mayor – Carl Hokanson and Michael Yakubov.
Conducted over the months of September and October, the interviews allowed the candidates to discuss a wide range of topics from their personal history to their time on council to the business community to taxes to their vision – just to name a few. Each of the interviews lasted for over an hour. The reason for long discussions was to move away from the realm of soundbites and enter into an in-depth conversation with each of the men who want to hold the highest office in the Borough for the next four years.
The interviews will be available in full at WRPK Radio in the coming week but we present the first three parts of the conversations which dealt with the backgrounds – both personal and while on council – of the two mayoral candidates. Alongside of their history , residents will be able to hear each candidate – in their own words – state why they want to be mayor of Roselle Park.
These discussions go beyond the immediacy of a quick answer or slogan snippets. They allow the public to listen and digest the words of the candidates to find answers or ask more questions in the event what was provided was unclear. Although a bit longer than usual interviews, the few hours that it will take to listen to all sections are short in comparison to the time either of these men will serve in office as the leader of the Borough; they are also of benefit to not only the voters but the community.
The introduction to the interviews deals with the history of each man. One born and raised in Roselle Park and the other immigrating from Russia, they provide insight into the lives they lead to get them to this point.
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The second question asked each candidate to reflect on their time on council with Michael Yakubov currently serving his third term as Fifth Ward Councilman and Carl Hokanson finishing up his second term as Council-At-Large.
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The final part of this section deals with the fundamental question of why each candidate wants to be Roselle Park’s next mayor.
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The next sections, to be published Monday, will have the candidates discussing their views of the business community as well as their ideas on how to make the municipal government improve in its service to the residents.