MATAWAN, N.J. — Matawan residents are voting in a Borough Council election that will fill two seats and help shape decisions on taxes, development, infrastructure and public spaces.

The candidates are Democrats Arlan Feiles, an incumbent, and James McCue, and Republicans Raymond Stuetz and Mark Gabriel. Voters may choose up to two candidates. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, and in-person early voting continues through Sunday, November 1.

Taxes and Municipal Spending

The Feiles–McCue campaign says it has begun efforts to remove Matawan from Monmouth County’s annual property assessment program. It argues that yearly changes in assessed values create uncertainty for homeowners.

Gabriel and Stuetz have made careful budgeting, accountability and transparency central to their campaign. Matawan’s Future, which supports their campaign, questions the cost of borrowing and the local funding required for some public projects. Matawan’s official 2026 budget presentation allocates 16.88% of its “How Local Taxes Are Used” breakdown to debt service. That figure describes the borough’s local spending breakdown, not a percentage of a homeowner’s entire property tax bill.

Development and Public Spaces

The Feiles–McCue campaign points to downtown investment as a way to improve access to businesses and public spaces. It supports plans for additional parking, a public use for the former police station and improvements to Terhune Park following work at Clinton Street Park.

Gabriel and Stuetz call for development that is financially and environmentally responsible and preserves Matawan’s character. Their campaign has raised questions about projects near the train station and at 160 Main Street, including their effects on infrastructure and surrounding neighborhoods. The costs and effects of individual projects should be examined through public records.

The Water Utility

Matawan’s Future says it wants a fresh review of the borough-owned water utility’s financial options, including keeping it or considering a sale. The group says it has made no decision to sell. Residents deserve to know what repairs will cost, how rates might change and what each option would mean for local control.

The campaigns emphasize different priorities, but voters should ask all four candidates for specific costs, timelines and explanations of how their plans would be paid for. Campaign statements are a starting point for that discussion, not a substitute for detailed proposals.

Early voting is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Polls on November 3 will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Residents should confirm their assigned voting location before heading to the polls.

TN News encourages every eligible resident to participate, consider the candidates’ records and plans, and vote for the people they believe are best prepared to serve all of Matawan. We wish every candidate well and hope the borough emerges from this election with leaders worthy of the community’s trust.