Dear Friends and Neighbors,

With three weeks to go before the November 3rd election for the two seats on our Raritan Borough Council, we feel there is an important question that needs to be answered. Why do we want to be your Council Representatives? It is a good question that deserves our honest answer.

Our Raritan Borough is at a crossroads. Do we continue in the direction of do nothing and let things continue to slide, or do we get involved and turn back the tide in favor of our community and its people? Our downtown is deteriorating. As parents we are concerned for our childrens safety. The cost of living in our homes is skyrocketing. Many of our life-long residents are being forced to make a decision of whether they can stay in their homes or must they leave. This decision is often made

by a cost factor they cannot control.

So again, why do we want to be your Council Representatives?

Answer: We have tired of waiting for others to fix and/or address our concerns. We have heard all the promises before and seen no results. It is time for Raritan to have people of action with a goal of bettering our entire community. We are those candidates. We are proud Raritan residents and we want to RECLAIM RARITAN for us all. WE WILL make a difference if YOU give us a chance. On the reverse side of this letter you will read our pledge to you. It is not a pledge of mere politics. It is

one of sincerity from us to you.

With your support we can again make Raritan one of the shining communities in Somerset County. Please give us your support on Tuesday, November 3, 2009

             Sincerely,

              Stefanie Gara and Greg Lobell

OUR PLEDGE to the Residents of Raritan:

* We promise to serve Raritan with honesty, integrity and accountability in everything we do.

* We will be proactive for our entire community knowing that what affects one area or aspect of our borough life affects us all.

* We will bring efficiency by enacting a long-range plan with a vision for Raritan.

* We will plan, with fiscal responsibility, both short and long-term goals.

* We will demand accountability from those within our Borough's government.

* We will amend and enforce our Housing Ordinance and aggressively address stacking and overcrowding.

* We will form a Grants Committee to help offset Municipal costs.

* We will support the Raritan Senior Citizens and work diligently on behalf of our Senior Community

* We will work closely with the Borough Engineer on a multi-year plan for maintenance, repair, and preservation of our roadways and sewers.

* We will work with our Borough's Chamber of Commerce and all local businesses to revitalize our downtown area.

* We will respect and support our volunteers acknowledging the vital services they provide our Borough. Volunteers help us make Raritan a better place to live.

* We will initiate a skills bank to recruit additional qualified residents who wish to participate on our many boards and committees.

* We will pursue all applicable shared services opportunities which can help reduce our tax burden.

* We will serve and communicate openly, readily, courteously, and responsively with our community.

Paid for by the Committee to Elect Gara/Lobell. Treasurer Michael DiBianco, 44 West Somerset St., Suite B, Raritan, NJ