We all know you love to stay quiet when people start asking real questions, Glidden. You have ignored, dodged, and refused to respond to any of these: Eight Days Without Papers: An Involuntary Psychiatric Hold in New Jersey and the Due Process That Never Came

Closter’s Choice: The Case for Term Limits as Mayor Glidden Seeks a Fourth Term The Price of Free Speech: One Year of Retaliation in Closter, New Jersey

The Weaponization of Public Health for the Revocation of Constitutional Rights

Well, you can add this one to the list, because We The People deserve answers. Let’s talk about how you manage to wear so many hats at the exact same time. Let's see... You’re the mayor of Closter, a commissioner for the Bergen County Utilities Authority, and a trustee managing billions for the New Jersey Police and Firemen’s Retirement System. But on Wall Street, you are a Senior Vice President at Gates Capital Corporation. On top of that, you run Cheney Financial, a private commercial real estate lending brokerage. There is persistent online commentary floating around stating that Gates Capital Corporation has successfully financed municipal projects totaling nearly $40 million. Since you refuse to talk to the community, please confirm or deny this right now: Exactly how many millions in municipal project financing has Gates Capital handled while you've held public office? The conflict of interest here isn't just a bad look; it’s a massive red flag. You hold immense sway over regional spending and public retirement assets while working for the exact corporate entities that profit off managing public debt. We aren't going to just trust your word on an "honor system" when you have your hands in both the public treasury and private Wall Street financing. If anyone wants a clear example of how this executive secrecy plays out locally, they only need to look at what you’re doing to MacBain Farm. That 5.5-acre property belongs to the people of Closter, who rely on it for free organic produce. But behind closed doors, your administration put out Requests for Proposals to change how the farm is run and push out its long-standing caretaker. To keep the community in the dark, you formed a closed committee and forced volunteers to sign corporate-style Non-Disclosure Agreements just to sit in the meetings. Forcing citizens to sign gag orders over public parkland is a direct violation of the spirit of the New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act. What are you hiding in those unreleased RFPs? Why are there backroom discussions about turning a public farm into a commercial venue for weddings and short-term rentals? When a sitting mayor privately owns a commercial real estate lending firm and starts slapping NDAs on public land committees, it strips away any ability for the public to verify that insider knowledge isn't being used to benefit private development networks. We are moving past asking nicely. A formal Open Public Records Act request is sitting with the Borough Clerk right now, demanding the immediate release of the caretaker agreements, committee minutes, the hidden NDAs, and the state-filed Recreation and Open Space Inventory.

The town’s response to this OPRA request is going to be the turning point. Either you break your silence, clarify these multi-million dollar corporate numbers, and give this community real answers, or we take this straight to the New Jersey State Ethics Commission and outside auditors for a full-scale independent investigation. You’ve been in that seat since 2015. You might think running for your fourth term means you've got this town locked down. But voters have memory, and we have options. If you aren't going to tear up these illegal NDAs, come clean about the financing figures, and audit your bidding procedures, the community can easily choose to vote you out. The clock is ticking, Glidden. We are waiting for a response.