Elie Y. Katz

By Don Stancavish, Staff Writer
(From: The Record, November 19, 1997, Wednesday, Page L-7)

Elie Katz, 23, a lifelong Teaneck resident, was sworn in Tuesday as the youngest member of the Township Council in recent memory. But don’t expect him to be simply a voice for his generation.

“I’m going to be a voice for everyone,” Katz said on Tuesday. “Agewise, I’m 23. But my peers are from all ages, from 17 to 74. One of my closest friends is a 74-year-old man.

“To me, it has never been a determining factor in my life. To some people, it’s an excuse. Not for me.”

Katz, a restaurateur who owns Chopstix Chinese Take-Out and the Royal Bakery, both of Teaneck, edged Geraldine Singer two weeks ago to capture a seat left vacant by the resignation of Gary Fiedler.

The term ends in June 1998, at which time Katz will have to run again to retain the seat.

Mayor Paul Ostrow welcomed Katz to the council by recounting his record of volunteerism in Teaneck.

“He has participated in more municipal and township activities from age 16 to age 23 that most people have accomplished in a lifetime,” said Ostrow. “I think that that energy will translate into an intelligent and sensitive public servant.”

Ostrow added that Katz is the youngest member of the council since at least the 1950s, and possibly the youngest council member in township history.

Katz, who has a degree in business management from Touro College in New York City, is a member of the Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps, the Teaneck Community Relations Advisory Board, and the Teaneck Chamber of Commerce.

In addition, he is a trustee of the Teaneck Police Department’s Crime Stoppers unit.

Katz said one of his first priorities is to boost volunteerism in town.

“One of the biggest complaints is that people don’t get involved in the community,” he said. “I want to get people more active.”

By Navid Iqbal of Suburbanite
The Teaneck Suburbanite, March 27, 2002, p. 1 & p. 85

The municipal election officially became a competition last week as all six candidates completed their nominating petitions. Tuesday, May 14, township residents will get to vote on who will fill the four available council seats.

The four incumbants who are seeking reelection this year are Paul Ostrow, Yitz Stern, Elie Y. Katz and Michael Gallucci. Two other candidates are Benjamin Dworkin and Monica Honis.

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Elie Y. Katz

Councilman Elie Y. Katz responded to the question of litigation costs facing the township.

“Teaneck has never been the plaintiff. We are defendants trying to defend these select few opportunity seekers from pickpocketing our taxpayers,” he said.

Katz said he is running for relection this year because he has “enjoyed working for the town for the last five years” and has tried to make a difference here by “not taking a back-seat approach.”

Katz, who owns property and businesses in Teaneck, was the youngest person to be elected to the Township Council when he won in 1997. He feels strongly in finding “carefully planned ratables.”

“I absolutely am committed to stabilizing taxes the best way I can,” said Katz. “I am committed to finding alternative methods of financing projects in town and not constantly knocking on the doors of taxpayers.”

By Howard Prosnitz, Staff Writer
Teaneck Suburbanite, April 26, 2006, p. 4

Township voters have a choice among 14 candidates running for 4 three-year terms and three candidates running for a two-year unexpired term.

Long term Councilman Paul Ostrow is not seeking reelection, nor is Councilman Emil “Yitz” Stern.

Councilman Randall Day, who was appointed in January to fill the remainder of former Councilman Michael Gallucci’s term following Gallucci’s resignation, is not seeking reelection. But Councilman David Langford, appointed in January following the resignation of former Councilwomen Deborah Veach, is seeking reelection to fill the two unexpired years of Veach’s term.

The Teaneck Suburbanite is publishing interviews with candidates in two alphabetical parts. The interviews will continue next week.

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Elie Katz

Incumbent Elie Katz , 31, is seeking his third full term. Katz was first appointed to the council in 1997 to fill an un-expired term.

The Phelps Road resident was born and raised in Teaneck. He is a restaurant and real estate owner and is proprietor of Chopstix Kosher Chinese Takeout on West Englewood Avenue.

Katz is a life member of Teaneck Ambulance Corps, for which he has responded to more than 2,400 calls and a member of Box 54 of the Teaneck Fire Department, a civilian volunteer group that provides food to firefighters and facilitates communications during fires. He is also a member of the Teaneck Police Department’s Crime Stoppers and the Teaneck Youth Advisory Board. He has served as the council liaison to the Teaneck Environmental Commission and is a member of the Teaneck Clean and Green Advisory Board.

Katz seeks to stabilize taxes by finding alternative sources of revenue. He also wants to improve relationships between the township employee unions and the township management. He wants to establish additional recycling day pickups add more parking spaces to the business districts.

As examples of alternative funding, Katz cites the council’s hotel occupancy tax that has brought in approximately $700,000 over the past two years and rental of space on cellular towers that has brought in approximately $200,000.

“I feel strongly in finding carefully planned development,” said Katz. “I am committed to finding alternative methods for funding projects in town and not constantly knocking on the doors of our taxpayers.”

By Howard Prosnitz, Staff Writer
Teaneck Suburbanite, April 29, 2010, p. 2

With Mayor Kevie Feit not seeking a second council term, three incumbents and six challengers are vying for four council seats in an election to be decided on May 11. Teaneck Suburbanite  interviewed each candidate and asked each three questions:

1. Why are you running?
2. How can the financial burden on taxpayers be mitigated?
3. What can be done to improve relations among the township’s ethnic, racial and religious groups.

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Elie Y. Katz, Age: 35

Katz is seeking his fourth term. The Phelps Road resident is a lifelong Teaneck resident. Katz attended Toro College and is a real estate investor. He is married with two pre-school age children. He is a life member of the Tenaeck Volunteer Ambulance Corps and is a current member of Teaneck Crime Stoppers. Prior to joining the council, he served on the Municipal Alliance Against Substance Abuse and was the first chair of the Youth Advisory Council.

1. Katz is running, in part, because of his deep roots in Teaneck. He notes that his parents and sister still live in town and his business is in Teaneck. “I want to make sure that Teaneck continues in the right direction and that my kids can raise their kids here and that residents enjoy a high quality of life.”

2. Katz said that he has been involved in every new revenue source in the past 12 years, including the commercial sewer ordinance and the hotel occupancy tax, each bringing in more than a half millian a year, the cell tower that brings in a quarter million, meters in municipal parking lots and a program begun when he was mayor in which houses of worship and banks were asked to voluntarily fund projects. “The revenue line has increase by millions because of my efforts,” he said.

3. Bridge building and communications are the keys to successful relationships among Teaneck’s various groups, said Katz, who notes that he was one of the founders of Unity Day in 2009. “We need to have willing parties in all communities so that people are educated and learn that there is more that we have in common than separates us.”

By MEGAN BURROW, Managing Editor
Teaneck Suburbanite, May 1, 2014, p. 3.

On May 13, Voters will have a choice of eight candidates for four open seats on the Teaneck Township Council, Residents will have an opportunity to vote for incombents Adam Gussen, Elie Y. Katz, Lizette Parker and Yitz Stern, and challengers Eric Brauer, Jason Castle, Alexander Rashin and Alan Sohn. Polls will be open May 13 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Each candidate was asked questions about their background and past public service, why they are running for township council, what they believe is the most important issue facing Teaneck and how they would work to address it.

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Elie Y. Katz

How long have you been a Teaneck resident?

39 years.

Educational and professional background:

Touro College, Investor, and Real Estate Management

Family:

Married with three children.

Public service, including elected office:

Teaneck Township Council, 1998 to present, Deputy Mayor 2000-2002, Mayor 2006 to 2008, Teaneck business owner, lifetime member, Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps (joined at age 15), chairman, Teaneck Youth Advisory Board 1991 to 1992 (age 16), Teaneck Advisory Board on community Relations, Teaneck Fire Department Box 54, Teaneck Police Crime Stoppers Program.

Why are you running for township council?

Simply put, there is more work to be done. I want to streamline the building department process, help enhance business districts, work on the plan to widen route 4, find a responsible development to Alfred Avenue that could bring in millions more in ratables and continue to be responsive to our 39,000 residents.

What do you believe is the most important issue facing Teaneck and how would you work to address it?

Taxes, taxes, taxes. We need to bring in additional revenue from other sources so that our residents do not have to keep paying for everything. I have fought annually to control budget spending. I initiated sewer tax for major corporations in Teaneck. I upgraded and initiated metered parking in several lots, and I instituted paid community parking lots.

BY CHERYL O’BRIEN Managing Editor
Teaneck Suburbanite, June 9, 2016, p. 4

The Teaneck Council adopted an ordinance establishing a second deputy mayor position at its workshop meeting held May 31.

The ordinance was previously introduced in a unanimous council vote May 18 when Elie Katz, the acting mayor, motioned to add a second deputy mayor position, a move he said would mirror a system used by other nearby municipalities, including FairLawn.

Councilman Jason Castle abstained from the May 31 vote, citing a lack of understanding of what the council is accomplishing by creating a second position, and the ordinance passed with a 4-0 vote. Councilman Alan Sohn left the meeting prior to the vote and Councilman Mohammed Hameeduddin was absent.

“The worldoad is extremely busy, especially now with emails, which was never existing before,” said Katz, explaining the necessity for the second position. “That’s just one portion of the workload that’s increased.”

Katz, who was the council’s deputy mayor, has served as acting mayor since Mayor Lizette Parker’s death in April.

Castle questioned how adding a second deputy mayor would lessen the workload, and asked what precludes a member of council from being able to assist the mayor or existing deputy mayor with answering emails.

”We all are equally footed with an equal vote,” he said.

“We’re not inventing something. This is something that happens other places,” said Councilman Hemy Pruitt, adding the position will help the council “manage better.”

Councilwoman Gervonn Romney Rice, who was appointed to fill Parker’s council seat until an election is held in November for the unexpired term, noted there are certain responsibilities that warrant having more than one deputy mayor. Romney Rice provided the example of the mayor and deputy mayors’ ability to perform marriage ceremonies, and said the establishment of an additional position could be beneficial with the council currently having one acting mayor and no deputy mayor.

According to the ordinance, the council will select a new mayor and two deputy mayors – designated as deputy mayor I and II – at its July 1 reorganization meeting. The mayor has the responsibility of appointing Class II members to the planning board and sits on the board as a Class I member, and executes all bonds, notes, contracts, and written obligations on behalf of the township. In addition, the mayor and both deputy mayors have the ability to perform marriage ceremonies.

The terms of mayor, deputy mayor I and deputy mayor II will be for two years, according to the ordinance. If a vacancy occurs in the mayoral seat, deputy mayor I will become the acting mayor until a successor is elected at the reorganization meeting. In the absence of deputy mayor I, deputy mayor II will instead fill the role of acting mayor.

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