Meet Wantage Township Committeeman Bill Gaechter

WANTAGE — He served on the Wantage Township Land Use Board for the past two years, but now Bill Gaechter is about to get more deeply involved in the township he’s called home for most of his life. As the newest member of the Wantage township Committee, Gaechter said he’s ready to tackle the biggest issues that face the township. His work with the Land Use Board, in fact, led him to discover how rewarding it can be to get more involved with the community, he said. Now that he’s won the lone open seat on Wantage Township’s three-person committee, Gaechter, 45, said he’s looking forward to “being part of the process that makes important decisions affecting my town.” Gaechter, a Republican, defeated Independent candidate Bob Maikis in the general election on Nov. 3. He takes the seat left open when Mayor Parker Space opted not to run for re-election after serving six years on the township committee. Gaechter will be working with incumbent committeepersons Clara Nuss and Bill DeBoer. Gaechter, who runs Tri-County Audio, which he started with his brother 23 years ago, said he feels his business experience should help him in his new role on the governing body. The principal challenge facing Wantage Township is its forthcoming budget, said Gaechter. “Like most towns in New Jersey, Wantage is experiencing higher costs, lower revenues and decreasing state aid,” said Gaechter. The township’s 2010 budget “is probably going to be one of the most difficult budgets in Wantage’s history,” he added. As he looks ahead to his new role beginning in January, Gaechter said he hopes to apply a commonsense approach to helping Wantage Township tackle the challenges that come before it. Gaechter and his wife Wendy have two children: a son Cameron, 11 and daughter Calissa, 8.

I hope to be a strong voice for the residents of Wantage Township.” Bill Gaechter