With the deadline to file to run in this year’s school board election coming up on Monday, July 30th, Roselle Park News has confirmed the two current school board members will not be running for re-election.
Troy Gerten and Sundjata Sekou will not be filing their petitions and will be leaving the Board Of Education (BOE) at the end of their current term on December 31st of this year.
Mr. Sekou stated, “I want to thank my wife and children for allowing me to be a part of the board. I want to also thank the residents of Roselle Park for counseling, advising, and educating me. It has never been about me, it has been about al of us!”
Mr. Sekou ran for the BOE in 2014 but did not garner enough votes to be on the board that year. The following year, Mr. Sekou was elected to the school board. He added, “I have brought enough attention to having residents vote on the school budget. Therefore, I will not be running for the board this year.”
Mr. Gerten ran unsuccessfully in April of 2011 but was appointed to the school board in November of the same year to finish the term of Jason Tribiano who resigned from the board in October. Mr. Gerten was elected in 2012 and again in 2015.
Any resident who wishes to file a nominating petition for Roselle Park’s school board must meet the following requirements:
- Must be a citizen of the United States of America
- Must be at least 18 years of age
- Must be able to read and write
- Must be a resident of the municipality from which he/she is to be elected for at least one year preceding the date of the election.
- Is a registered voter in the district.
- Is not disqualified as a voter pursuant to NJSA 19:4-1
- Is not disqualified from membership for the conviction of crimes pursuant to NJSA 18A:12-1
The nominating petition just requires, at least, ten (10) valid signatures. One of those signatures may be the candidate’s own.
As of 2 p.m. today, there have been no petitions filed for anyone to run for this year’s school board election in Roselle Park.
A copy of a sample nominating petition is available below for review. Any resident interested in running or needing more information should call the Union County Clerk’s Office at (908) 527-4360. All petitions must be delivered to the Office of the Union County Clerk, located in the County Courthouse complex at 2 Broad Street in Elizabeth by 4 p.m. on Monday, July 30, 2018.