The Best kept Secret in Englewood is the Municipal Committee
Englewood Democratic Municipal Committee - Elected Officials
(A work in Progress)
Candidates for the Englewood Municipal Democratic Committee may only run in the Primary. They do not appear on the ballot in the November general elections. Each of the 2 parties (Republicans and Democrats) elects 32 committee people every 2 years. This is usually done in even number years. The Pandemic altered that a bit. When this information was originally assembled, the Municipal Committee seemed the smallest and least important elected position in the City.
The Englewood Democratic Municipal Committee just may be the most important position for a Democrat in the City of Englewood, County, State and Country. It just may rate right up there with the Electoral College that elects the President of these United States of America.
The By Laws of the Englewood Municipal Committee do not require that the Chairperson of the Municipal Committee be elected by the voters . That is the reason previous Democratic Committees have elected persons to this position who were not elected by the people of Englewood. As of this current date, the Committee Chairperson IS someone elected by the People of her District.
What is the line?
Think of it this way. We read from left to right. As I type this, I am focusing from left to right. The LINE runs down the left side of the Election Ballot. Candidates that appear farthest to the left have an advantage. Most people do not read across the ballot, they go straight down to almost the bottom. Some people don't even get to the bottom. When the Board of Education Elections were in the Spring, many voters admitted that they just voted for the top 3 Candidates and called it a day. Most of the people I have interviewed admitted to just voting Democratic without even reading the names. They just vote straight down the line, without reading very much at all. In a Utopian world that would probably be okay, but alas, that is not where we live. We need to read the names for the sake of the world and Democracy.
In Presidential Elections, voters have admitted that they just check that top Presidential box and VP box and leave the booth, never going all the way down to the bottom where the local Elections are. Elections for members of the Englewood Democratic Municipal Committee take place every 2 years during Primary. One must have declared themselves a Democrat or a Republican before one may run for either Party's Municipal Committee.
In 2016, those who challenged incumbents were called insurgents by the local media, because they dared run against persons who had held the position of Municipal Committee Member in their Districts for over 30 years. A very large number of the 32 Member Committee found themselves actually having to work to stay on the Englewood Municipal Committee. They were being challenged. It was actually the first time that the people of Englewood was truly aware of the competition for this invisible elected position.
In 2018, it seems that the people became even more aware of the Municipal Committee and nearly half of the Committee was changed. Candidates for Municipal Committee even had lawn signs and campaigned more vigorously than ever before. There was a great deal of interest in the Englewood Democratic Committee in 2018. Part of that was because Mayor Michael Wildes ran off the LINE against Philip Meisner. Some people even say that Mayor Wildes created his own LINE. When the Candidate who runs off the LINE is well known by persons in the City the LINE may become irrelevant. Just like in all Elections having resources and endorsements from well known folks helps immensely.
In 2020. It was time to do this again. The Democratic Committee was again tasked with the problem of deciding who will get the LINE in the 3rd WARD to run for Council and who will get the LINE in the 1st WARD to run for Council. As stated above, the person who gets the line, generally wins the seat unless there are some very special circumstances as in 2018. In June, there may be an entirely different set of names listed below. Each person in this City should learn what this very important and very mysterious group of people really do. In hindsight, it was quite a mess in the middle of the pandemic.
It is also very important to note that as in the last 1st, 2nd and 3rd WARD elections the person already declared as running for Council in the 1st Ward is a member of the Englewood Democratic Committee. In the last election for these council seats, the 3rd WARD candidate was a member of the Englewood Democratic Committee. It is decidedly easier to get the LINE if you have sat at the table with the persons who will ultimately recommend or not recommend you to the Democratic bosses at the County.
In Presidential Elections, voters have admitted that they just check that top Presidential box and VP box and leave the booth, never going all the way down to the bottom where the local Elections are. Elections for members of the Englewood Democratic Municipal Committee take place every 2 years during Primary. One must have declared themselves a Democrat or a Republican before one may run for either Party's Municipal Committee.
In 2016, those who challenged incumbents were called insurgents by the local media, because they dared run against persons who had held the position of Municipal Committee Member in their Districts for over 30 years. A very large number of the 32 Member Committee found themselves actually having to work to stay on the Englewood Municipal Committee. They were being challenged. It was actually the first time that the people of Englewood was truly aware of the competition for this invisible elected position.
In 2018, it seems that the people became even more aware of the Municipal Committee and nearly half of the Committee was changed. Candidates for Municipal Committee even had lawn signs and campaigned more vigorously than ever before. There was a great deal of interest in the Englewood Democratic Committee in 2018. Part of that was because Mayor Michael Wildes ran off the LINE against Philip Meisner. Some people even say that Mayor Wildes created his own LINE. When the Candidate who runs off the LINE is well known by persons in the City the LINE may become irrelevant. Just like in all Elections having resources and endorsements from well known folks helps immensely.
In 2020. It was time to do this again. The Democratic Committee was again tasked with the problem of deciding who will get the LINE in the 3rd WARD to run for Council and who will get the LINE in the 1st WARD to run for Council. As stated above, the person who gets the line, generally wins the seat unless there are some very special circumstances as in 2018. In June, there may be an entirely different set of names listed below. Each person in this City should learn what this very important and very mysterious group of people really do. In hindsight, it was quite a mess in the middle of the pandemic.
It is also very important to note that as in the last 1st, 2nd and 3rd WARD elections the person already declared as running for Council in the 1st Ward is a member of the Englewood Democratic Committee. In the last election for these council seats, the 3rd WARD candidate was a member of the Englewood Democratic Committee. It is decidedly easier to get the LINE if you have sat at the table with the persons who will ultimately recommend or not recommend you to the Democratic bosses at the County.
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CURRENT DEMOCRATIC MUNICIPAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS
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W D MALE FEMALE
1 1 Howard S. Shafer Nina Mare Ninasi
1 2 Joshua Tenzer Rivka Gordon
1 3 Horace Ragbir Debra Zarate
1 4 Jose Reyes Melvina Cobb
2 1 Frederick Horowitz Sarah Rovner
2 2 Yale Shulman Vickie Barnett
2 3 Abe Kaner Eda Greenbaum
2 4 Peter Jansen Position Vacant
3 1 Walter Young Maria E. Klose
3 2 Joseph Sorbanelli Ann Sparanese
3 3 Stephen Brown Laura Vogel
3 4 Gene Autry Backus Aleta Frezzell
4 1 Joseph Hoyle Sr. June C. Gregg
4 2 Position Vacant Theresa Thomas
4 3 John P. Babb Esther Santiago-Babb
4 4 Daniel Henry Creighton Shakee J. Merritt
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IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE FACES OF ELECTED OFFICIALS
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The Line At Work
Some members are not pictured. I would like a photo of all Committee Members. Perhaps when the ones not pictured see this page they will provide me with one.
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WARD 1, DISTRICT 1
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| Nina Mare Ninasa |
 |
Howard Shafer
|
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WARD 1, DISTRICT 2
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| Rivka Gordon |
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| Joshua Tanzer |
Just for practice, let us just pretend that you have decided to run for office in Englewood. When presenting your case to the 32 Members of the Municipal Committee, one must gain at least 17 of the 32 votes. 32 people, members of the Municipal Committee. (Democrat or Republican, it is the same, or is it?) As a Candidate, you must present your letter of intent and resume to the Municipal Committee. The person who can get 17 votes from the 32 Members generally wins The Line, if the County agrees with the choice.
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WARD 1, DISTRICT 3
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| Horace Ragbir |
example of how the
Municipal Committee may wield its power. Scott Reddin seemed to have been the choice of the Democratic Club, which some think is the "fundraising arm" of the Democratic Municipal Committee. He presented himself as an experienced, and former 3rd Ward Council, with recommendations from Assemblyman Gordon Johnson and the then 3rd Ward Councilman.
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| Debra Zarate |
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WARD 1, DISTRICT 4
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|
| Melvina Cobb |
 |
| Jose Reyes |
Scott Reddin was clearly the 3rd Ward choice for Council, but the majority of the 32 Municipal Committee Members out voted the 8 Municipal Committee Members from the 3rd Ward. Katharine Glynn got the line and pushed Scott over to the right where Human eyes seldom wander. Scott was denied a Debate. That was interesting and happens quite often when a favored, but weaker speaker is pit against a strong speaker and not so favored. True to form, 3rd Ward voters went straight down that powerful line and Katharine Glynn was the winner. Scott would have been forced to run off the Democratic line in November, had he chosen to take the fight further.
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WARD 2, DISTRICT 1
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| Frederick Horowitz |
 |
| Sarah Rovner |
more lawn signs than he got votes. How can that happen? Easily when the challengers name is put all the way over to the right of the ballot. One must be awful fed up with the status quo to go looking that far over. Most people are not "awake" enough to move that far over to the right. Notice that Katharine Glynn did not even have that many signs out. It seems she did not even need signs, or money, because she had The LINE.
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WARD 2, DISTRICT 2
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| Vicki Barnett |
|
| Yale Shulman |
This writer is in no way against Katharine Glynn. Katharine was actually a rather good Councilperson.
Fast forward to the last Democratic Primary Election. The
County Democratic leader in fundraising was approached by Candidates and other Politicians about the 4th Ward line. 5 Elected Officials decided that they were better equipped to select the Council for 4th Ward, my ward. A letter was delivered to homes across the ward. Some homes were actually visited by our state Senator trying to get support for this Candidate that most of us had never heard of. She was a complete stranger to most of us 4th Ward Residents.
****************************************************************** WARD 2, DISTRICT 3
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| Eda Greenbaum |
 |
| Abe Kaner |
She was not a stranger to the Mayor, the 1st Ward Councilman, 3rd WardCouncil, or the state Senator. They all put their names on a letter endorsing a person they preferred. They lobbied the Head of the Democratic Party at the County and he gave them what they wanted. So the 1st Ward, the 3rd Ward, the 2nd Ward, the Mayor and a State Senator took the choice away from the Democratic Committee and the 4th Ward Voters. They all put their names on a letter endorsing someone that we did not know and who did not know us.
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WARD 2, DISTRICT 4
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| Peter Jansen |
|
change or don't want to give up.
The 4th Ward Voters were tested in the 2022 Primary. We waltzed off that LINE and voted for someone we knew. We rejected the Candidate given us by the County and the big money Fundraiser. Fingers press the button in that booth, not dollars. Kevin Wilson won off the LINE.
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WARD 3, DISTRICT 1
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| Walter Young |
|
| Maria Klose |
So why did Municipal Committee Members from all over Englewood decide to give The LINE to the mild mannered Librarian? She actually demonstrated quite adequately that she was capable of using her own mind. Let me say this again: Each Ward has only 8 votes. 1 for each Municipal Committee person in that Ward. The only way a Ward may have a chance in hell of "electing their own candidate" is to convince at least 17 Committee Members that their Candidate is the best one for the entire City, not just the Ward in question.
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Ward 3, District 2
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| Joseph Sorbanelli |
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| Ann Sparanese |
College" that is utilized when electing the President.
The recent Presidential Election gives even the clueless a fine
example of how the system may be circumvented.
I guess if one has lots of resources, one might easily find the "price" of every single Committee Member.
Just saying. There is evidence that this has been happening in many little towns and cities across America.
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WARD 3, DISTRICT 3
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So let us just say that our Candidate has the 17 needed votes, because the Committee is functioning in an objective way without outside interference. TheCandidate's name is submitted to Mr. Democratic Chairperson at the County and even if he likes the choice, he must answer to his Party Bosses.
 |
| Stephen L. Brown |
|
| Laura Vogel |
********************************************************************WARD 3, DISTRICT 4
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| Aleta Frezzell |
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| Gene A. Backous |
It is hoped that the County would automatically accept what the Englewood Municipal Committee decides and give their Candidate The LINE. What happens here is still up in the air. Money and Power ultimately control who gets the LINE, not votes. It is a conundrum and has very little to do with Ethics and what is morally right. Voters must Educate themselves to READ and vote for the person that they know, by name and not by LINE placement.
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WARD 4, DISTRICT 1
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 | |
| June C. Gregg |
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| Joseph Hoyle Sr. |
Few voters take advantage of the opportunity to select the people who will decide who gets the LINE. It appears that Voters may not even understand how and why one person is on the Line to the Left and another, perhaps even the ones they prefer are all the way over to the Right where the eye seldom goes.
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WARD 4, DISTRICT 2
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| Theresa Thomas |
|
| vacant |
Perhaps the general public does not know enough about the Committee to actually look forward to those even years when a change may be made.
There is also the issue of persons holding the spots so they can vote. These Members never show up for regular meetings. They appear to vote to put persons on the line only. One wonders if these Members are simply taking instructions from
someone outside the Committee.
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WARD 4, DISTRICT 3
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| John P. Babb |
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| Esther Santiago-Babb |
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WARD 4, DISTRICT 4
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Shakee J. Merritt
It is entirely possible, perhaps even probable that one may
stay on the Committee for a prolonged time and then run
stay on the Committee for a prolonged time and then run
for office. If Committee Members live in that Candidates way,
the Candidate may have Committee Members sign their
petitions for the LINE. At this point, that practice is totally
legal and okay, but I see problems there. Those that
signed the petition will vote for that Candidate once
they appear before the Committee. Does the Committee have access to the Petitions?
the Candidate may have Committee Members sign their
petitions for the LINE. At this point, that practice is totally
legal and okay, but I see problems there. Those that
signed the petition will vote for that Candidate once
they appear before the Committee. Does the Committee have access to the Petitions?
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