PLATFORM
After serving my Township, I began volunteering at the County level and have been impressed with how our County is governed and run. If elected to be your Freeholder, I will continue to provide you with the fiscally responsible governing you have come to expect and will support our County departments so they can continue to serve you well.
ISSUES
Taxes and Spending
The Freeholder board has done an excellent job of cutting taxes and spending while maintaining services. I will continue to follow this fiscally responsible path for Warren County.
Health
The COVID19 pandemic showed us just how important our County Health Department is. I will continue to support the services they provide to our residents, and make sure we communicate to all about what services we do offer. As a current member of the Warren County Addiction Awareness Task Force, I believe the fight against addiction in our County is a top priority, as well as providing for the physical and mental well being of our residents, and I will continue to support that as a Freeholder.
Smart Economic Development
Right now, one of the biggest issues facing our rural character is the overdevelopment of Warren County with warehouses. As with everything, there is a place for everything, and I believe that warehouses should be on roads that can already support them. The County cannot afford to expand our roads to meet such demands, and in many places, we are prohibited from doing so due to Highlands and environmental issues. I will work with our many leaders across the county to assure that we preserve our rural character and prevent urban sprawl and congested roads. Zoning is a local issue, but it doesn't stop at a town's border.
I will support the continuation of county wide meetings that will bring our local leaders together to discuss potential projects in their towns and the impact that may exist for their neighbors. I will support using our county resources to help our towns sort through their local zoning and master plans to make sure they are planning for the development they want and protecting themselves from development they do not want. We must work together to bring in smart ratables that keep the integrity of Warren County life intact.
Education
Brain drain is an issue for all of NJ, not just Warren County, but here in Warren we have the #1 Community College in NJ, and WCCC is also ranked #11 in the nation! I will continue to support our Vo-tech school and our college, and encourage them to create new certificate and degree programs that are needed for the workforce in NJ. In order to make the school experience better for our students, I am advocating for more clubs and sports activities to help our kids choose WCCC as their school. I would like to add internship programs with our local businesses as well. If we train and educate our kids here, we may be able to keep them living here as well.
State and Federal Support
Warren County always seems to be left behind when it comes to funding and attention from Trenton and DC. I will fight to make sure we get what we deserve from our State and Federal governments.
Services
Warren County government should make sure we are doing all we can for all of our residents. From the needs of our Seniors, to transportation concerns for those who cannot drive themselves to work or appointments, we need to make sure we are doing all we can to help each other thrive. I will look to examine our services and see where we can make improvements and additions.
Technology and Transparency
As an IT Professional, technology and transparency is very important to me. I am pleased to be a member of the County's technology task force, and will work to make sure our County government and services are easily accessible online. I will look for ways to save money and time using technology, and will fight for better internet service for our entire county.
Communication is key in being a valuable public servant. I will make sure we reach out to our residents in every way possible. Regular meetings can be a tad bit too formal for open discussions, so I would love to add some public forums with groups to talk about what they need from their government. If elected, I am here to serve every resident of our County.
Preservation
As a former member of the MCCTFC, I understand the value of our preservation programs. We need to continue to fund the MCCTFC, as well as support farmland preservation applicants. As a Freeholder, I will look for additional ways we can preserve more open space at the municipal level or the county level.