TEANECK, N.J. — Duane Harley says Teaneck needs a different vision, but he does not want that change to come at the expense of basic services.

The longtime Teaneck resident, attorney, Planning Board member and youth adviser told the League of Women Voters forum that months of knocking on doors showed him something he believes Township Hall needs to hear.

Some residents, he said, “don’t feel seen.”

Harley directly challenged the idea that Teaneck is not divided.

When another candidate said there was not “two Teanecks,” Harley said that candidate was apparently not talking to the residents he had met while canvassing.

Taxes were another major issue.

Harley said residents pay taxes for essential services and the answer is not simply to slash spending. Instead, he called for finding new sources of revenue and taking a more creative approach to the township’s finances.

He also wants a broader look at Teaneck’s roads, drainage, municipal equipment, facilities and parks.

On Crossroads at the former Stop & Shop site, Harley questioned whether the project fits Teaneck’s character and said the township should not simply accept development without considering the long-term impact.

He also raised concerns about the amount of affordable housing and the size of the project.

On the proposed Votee Park turf, Harley said he supports recreation but believes the township should look at other infrastructure needs before rushing ahead.

Harley’s position on the Municipal Green is more complicated.

He said that personally, he does not believe anything should be placed on the Green because monuments could divide the community. But he also acknowledged that the Council has already approved four monument locations and said he would support construction of the approved monuments as well as other monuments.

That puts him in a different position from candidates who now say the projects should not proceed.

The debate is taking place as the Northern New Jersey Holocaust Memorial moves toward construction after receiving a $100,000 donation and the Enslaved African Memorial Committee continues raising money for its project.

The two memorial efforts have historically operated with separate fundraising.

Harley did not tie his position to that funding difference. His argument was about division and the decisions already made by the Council.

Throughout the forum, Harley emphasized that residents should be heard even when their views do not match those of Township Hall.

His pitch is straightforward: change the direction of the town, but keep the services residents depend on.