09/16/2026
From Cliftonite Fred Barnes
Hello, fellow Cliftonites,
My name is Fred “Freddy Dingo” Barnes.
For the past 28 years, I have been proud to do business right here in Clifton as the owner of Dingo’s Den and Dingbatz. Running these venues, along with serving as Vice President and President of the New Jersey Statewide Licensed Beverage Association, has taught me what it takes to balance a budget, navigate red tape, work with different personalities, and make difficult decisions.
One of the most valuable parts of my job, however, is the time I spend listening.
Every day, I am in a unique position to speak face-to-face with people from all walks of life in our community. I hear their frustrations, their concerns about the future, and the things they love about Clifton.
Clifton has given me so much over the last three decades. I am running for City Council because I want the opportunity to give back to our community and help work toward a brighter future for the city we call home.
Property Taxes and Revaluations
Clifton is undergoing a citywide property revaluation while residents continue to face high property taxes. What will you do to control municipal spending, protect taxpayers, and ensure the revaluation process is accurate, transparent, and fair?
Because an independent company is evaluating properties throughout Clifton, I believe residents should have easy access to information explaining exactly how their properties are being evaluated. There needs to be better communication, and the process should be explained in plain language that everyone can understand.
Understandably, many residents are concerned about what their assessments may mean for their property taxes. Residents should also be clearly informed about the appeal process and understand that an appeal is available to them if they believe their assessment is inaccurate.
Budget and Accountability
Clifton’s 2025 municipal budget contained approximately $135 million in general appropriations. Identify two areas where you would reduce costs or improve efficiency, and explain which essential services you would protect.
One way to control costs is through stronger oversight of past, current, and future city projects, particularly when it comes to labor, materials, contracts, and development expenses.
Working with qualified professionals who specialize in these areas can help identify unnecessary spending, improve efficiency, and keep costs down for taxpayers.
At the same time, we must protect Clifton’s core services and infrastructure. Cost savings should come from making government operate more efficiently—not from sacrificing the essential services residents depend on.
Development and Overcrowding
Do you believe Clifton is being overdeveloped? What standards should apply to high-density housing, redevelopment projects, zoning variances, and PILOT agreements before you would vote yes?
Clifton needs smart development that can generate revenue and economic growth without allowing the city to become overdeveloped.
I would not support zoning changes, development projects, or high-density housing unless I believed they were in the best interests of the city and its residents.
Developers should work with the Council and the community to ensure that proposed projects provide meaningful benefits to Clifton while taking into consideration traffic, infrastructure, population density, and the overall quality of life of our residents.
Traffic and Parking
What specific steps would you take to address worsening traffic, speeding, dangerous intersections, and neighborhood parking—and how would you pay for them?
Redevelopment could potentially be used to create additional metered parking lots, garages, and designated parking zones while keeping costs reasonable for Clifton residents and visitors.
Additional convenient parking could also help support our small-business community.
Once the initial development costs are recovered, parking revenue could provide an ongoing source of income for the city. Those funds could then be reinvested into infrastructure, road improvements, parking needs, and other transportation-related projects.
Any recently implemented traffic or parking measures should also be studied over time and adjusted when necessary based on their effectiveness.
Flooding, Water, and Sewer Infrastructure
What is the plan for flooding, stormwater management, aging sewer and water systems, deteriorating roads, and recurring water-quality complaints? What project should come first?
I would support creating an easy-to-use hotline or reporting system that allows residents to notify the city about problems such as clogged sewer drains, stormwater runoff, road blockages, flooding, and other infrastructure issues.
Tracking these reports would help identify recurring problem areas and allow the city to prioritize the locations experiencing the most serious or repeated problems.
This could help ensure taxpayer dollars and city resources are directed where they are needed most rather than relying solely on generalized maintenance schedules.
Public Safety
Are Clifton’s police, fire, and emergency services adequately staffed and equipped? If not, what additional resources are needed, what would they cost, and where would the funding come from?
Before making assumptions about what our public-safety departments need, I believe the Council should meet directly with the chiefs and leadership of each division.
They are in the best position to explain where staffing, equipment, training, or other resources may be lacking.
If elected, I would want to hear directly from them, review the needs of each department, examine the costs, and determine what can realistically be provided so they can adequately protect and serve our community.
Schools and Population Growth
Although the Board of Education controls the schools, development decisions made by the city can affect enrollment, traffic, and facilities. How should the Council work with the school district to address overcrowding and the cost of continued population growth?
The City Council and Board of Education should communicate regularly about development, enrollment, traffic, facilities, and population growth. I would support occasional joint sessions between the Council and BOE so both sides can address issues that affect them.
When additional school capacity is needed, we should examine all practical options. Where feasible, that could include expanding existing facilities vertically. If that isn’t possible, another option worth considering is creating intermediate schools serving specific grade levels to reduce the number of students assigned to individual buildings.
Better distribution of students could potentially help with overcrowding, traffic, parking, and overall population flow around our schools.
City Manager and Leadership
Following the controversy, reprimand, and suspension involving City Manager Gary DeMarzo, what standard of conduct and performance should Clifton require from its city manager? Do you support retaining him, replacing him, or conducting an independent performance review—and why?
I believe professionalism and respect should be expected throughout City Hall and from everyone serving the people of Clifton.
People make mistakes; that is part of being human. Based on my current understanding of the situation, I believe the appropriate legal process should be allowed to play out before judgments or final decisions are made.
The Council should review the facts and consider the recommendations of legal counsel before determining what action, if any, should be taken.
Transparency and Ethics
Will you support placing complete contracts, legal bills, redevelopment agreements, campaign disclosures, and individual Council voting records online in an easily searchable format? What additional ethics or conflict-of-interest rules would you support?
I support making information available to the public to the fullest extent legally permitted and without creating conflicts involving information that cannot legally be disclosed.
Taxpayers deserve openness and transparency regarding how their money is being spent and where public funds are being allocated.
Government should make that information as accessible and understandable as possible.
Quality of Life and Code Enforcement
What will you do about illegal apartments, overcrowded housing, absentee landlords, neglected properties, garbage, vacant storefronts, and businesses or residences that repeatedly violate city codes?
I believe Code Enforcement should consider escalating fines and stronger enforcement for repeat offenders, absentee landlords, and owners who knowingly maintain illegal apartments or repeatedly violate city codes.
The goal should not be to punish senior citizens, residents struggling with an isolated problem, or people dealing with a first-time violation.
The focus should be on repeat offenders and property owners who continually disregard regulations and negatively affect the safety, appearance, and quality of life of their neighbors.
Final Question
What would you have done differently—and what is your realistic plan for securing the four Council votes needed to accomplish it?
My nearly 30 years of experience on Van Houten Avenue has taught me how to balance budgets, work with many different personalities, solve problems, and remain grounded in the community.
Leadership isn’t about one person getting everything they want. It requires working with a team, listening to different viewpoints, finding common ground, and building support for ideas that benefit the community.
My experience has taught me that disagreements and adversity can be overcome when people come to the table with good intentions, mutual respect, and a willingness to work hard.
Clifton has been my home and my livelihood for nearly three decades. I would be honored to have the opportunity to give something back to the community that has given so much to me.
Thank you,
Fred “Freddy Dingo” Barnes
