Bernards Township Committee Candidate: Robert Mascia

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Democrat Robert J. Mascia is one of the four candidates running for township committee in the contested Bernards Township election being held on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

There are four candidates vying for two three-year seats on the township committee including: Democrats Robert J. Mascia and Joan B. Harris and Republicans John Surano and Joseph Esposito.

Robert J. Mascia

Description:

I am originally a Jersey Boy, grew up in Green Brook. I went to Lehigh University and double majored with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. Upon graduation, I worked for a consulting company going in and out of asset management firms and hedge funds. A few years later I joined my family business, which is Dunkin' Donut franchising, plus a few other brands. I spent nine years with my family business and in that time we doubled the amount of locations. So, I spent a fair amount of that time pricing out commercial projects, working with trades, township committees, planning and zoning boards. I later transitioned out of my family business back into finance with the intention of helping business owners grow and develop wealth through the appropriate consulting and financial planning. Six years ago I opened my own financial planning firm, Green Ridge Wealth Planning. All of this experience I think would be vital to the position on the township committee.

In the mix of all of that, the more important things in life happened. I met and married the love of my life, Brooke, a guidance counselor at Madison High School. We moved to Basking Ridge after our first child, Aidan, was born. Being a Connecticut girl, moving from the city into the burbs, she was insistent on choosing our new home town. Knowing the perfect place from growing up just a few towns away, I brought her to Basking Ridge and the rest is history! Since then we have had two more children, Daniel and Riley. I coach my two boys in baseball and football through Ridge’s fantastic programs. Riley is only 3, so my days of coaching her have yet to come.

Why are you running?

I decided to run for this office toward the beginning of the year. I was approached to throw my hat in as a candidate. As most people my age and with children my age, I spent my time in a bubble. I read and watched all the appropriate news for my business, but didn’t pay to much attention to what was going on locally. After researching what has been going on locally, I was concerned. Concerned with how the mosque was handled, concerned about how the quarry was handled, concerned about my town, the taxes we pay, and litigation that was filed and on the horizon. What concerned me most was that there seemed to be no foresight or planning, just reaction from the current committee. As a planner, that didn’t work for me. I am not the type of person who can sit and hope for the best. For better or worse, my belief is if you don’t get out and be part of the solution, then you have to be OK dealing with the outcome of the problem.

What issues would you like to see addressed if elected?

Thinking about our town and what we have heard from the residents, the three biggest concerns are as follows: taxes, quality of life, safety and in no particular order. So how do we ensure to the residents that we are addressing these issues and we hear them? Effective and timely communication! If I get elected to the committee, first and foremost I would like to work on how the committee not only communicates with the residents of the town, but how the committee takes the feedback from the residents and puts a plan of action together. Communication about taxes. It seemed like the open space tax sun set and we used that more than $2 million toward road improvement. Were we that far behind over the past few years and why? How does that work out for the plans in the future? Not only do I think we can more clearly let people know when their roads are going to be addressed, post storm cleanups and power issues resolved, as well as where and when detours will effect their lives, but the inbound communication that needs to happen better as well. I believe we have a lot of smart, educated, and successful people that have a great value to our town, especially when dealing with our meeting the affordable housing requirements. Inclusion and involvement on plans that will effect quality of life as well as potential tax issues need to be more effectively and timely communicated to residents. What I think has been lost, and what Joan and I have been most adamant on, is that the committee people in charge have chosen to be the representatives for the town. Peoples inability to engage regularly due to life does not imply that they should not still try to engage strongly with the residents, especially on the larger items that will disrupt quality of life and taxes.

— (If you are a candidate and would like to participate in the profile, please email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com)

(Image provided: Robert J. Mascia)

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