Three candidates are running for two seats in the Democratic primary (June 2) for Maplewood Township Committee. Read our submission guidelines here. Read our election coverage here.
I support Martin Ceperley for Maplewood Township Committee because Martin is not afraid to dream big, call out problems, and take risks to try to solve them. I know Martin from volunteering together on SOMA Bike Bus and advocating for safer walking, biking, and transit locally. Like many of our neighbors, we share a vision for our community that caters less to private vehicles and embraces safe, clean alternative ways of getting around. It’s important to have leaders like Martin who will take bold steps to address the climate crisis. He has also shown that he’s responsive to the evolving needs of our community.
Julia Flath, Chair of Walk Bike Ride South Orange
South Orange, NJ
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Martin leads with joy. That may sound like a small thing in local government, but I think it matters. The issues facing Maplewood are serious: street safety, traffic violence, the need for safer transportation choices, and whether our town is truly built for kids, families, seniors, and everyone who moves within it. Martin has a gift for making those issues feel not abstract and unapproachable, but immediate, human, and hopeful.
I’ve seen that most clearly through the SOMa Bike Bus, the weekly tradition that hundreds of SOMa families including mine take part in every week. On the surface, it is fun: kids riding to school together, families connecting, neighbors cheering each other on. But underneath that joy is a real vision for Maplewood. It gets people thinking about safer streets, more transportation choices, and what it would mean to build a town where children can move around with more freedom and independence.
That is what I appreciate about Martin’s leadership. He does not just talk about problems. He invites people in, including people who might otherwise stay on the sidelines, and helps them see that better things are possible here. But he also puts in the less visible work: showing up, organizing, communicating, and advocating for Complete Streets policies that can turn that vision into something real. Martin embraces “show, don’t tell.”
I’m supporting Martin because I want Maplewood to be safer, more connected, and more joyful. I believe he has the vision, temperament, and work ethic to help move us in that direction.
Rob Howley
Maplewood, NJ
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Hello Village Green!
My name is Aaron Kirtz, a local resident for over ten years and a small business owner. I have known Martin Ceperley for several years, and in the past few I’ve gotten to know him even better as a part of the Seth Boyden Bike Bus, a volunteer organization Martin helped spearhead. His ability to lead a team and empower other volunteers, including some of the Seth Boyden staff and younger riders, immediately made an impression on me. In just two years, the bike bus has a ridership of 10-15% of the school on a Friday, even on the colder days.
Additionally, he helped lead the community charge for the Parker Avenue bike lanes, which faced several obstacles to completion, and his ability to organize and push for positive change (while being positive in the face of negativity) really set the table for this next step to join the Township Committee. In a way, he’s already been working with the Township Committee and the Maplewood community. This next step would give us a Township Committee that is more open to creating a next generation safer, people first community.
His presence on the committee will help all five members move towards the community I hope for. Safer ways to walk, more commuting options within our towns, not just to Manhattan. Martin’s ability to collaborate and innovate are two strong skills he brings, which will help us navigate the complex problems we all face. He’s not a one issue candidate, rather he brings these same skills and worldview to all the problems we face.
The town council has made positive steps in this direction, and we can do more, which is why I hope that Martin will take us on that journey.
– Aaron Kirtz
Maplewood, NJ
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We’re proud to support Martin for Township Committee. Through his leadership in creating the SOMa Bike Bus, we’ve seen firsthand the kind of person he is: calm, thoughtful, dependable, and deeply community-minded. What could have simply been a group bike ride to school has become something much bigger – a cheerful, welcoming space where kids and parents feel connected and supported, while also reflecting Martin’s ability to create creative, community-centered solutions.
Our own family has benefited tremendously from knowing Martin and his family. As we settled into this community, they have been a consistently kind and welcoming presence, helping create the sense of connection and belonging that makes a town feel like home. His steady, actionable approach to community building creates an environment where people naturally want to participate and help one another. As parents, we’ve appreciated not only his leadership, but also the example his family sets – even one of his children has become a wonderful role model to our kindergartner, and those relationships have made a meaningful impact on our lives.
Martin leads with kindness, consistency, and a genuine commitment to making our community better. We believe those qualities would make him an excellent member of the Township Committee.
Courtney and Mark Magahis
Maplewood, NJ
