Somerset County Commissioner Election 2024: Nick Cuozzo

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Somerset County's general election on Nov. 5 has four candidates running for two open seats for the County Commission.

Republican Nick Cuozzo is running with Republican Rakesh Ganta against incumbent Democrats Shanel Robinson and Sara Sooy.

Nick Cuozzo

• Age: 41
• Town of residence: Bernards Township
• Position sought: Somerset County Commissioner
• Party Affiliation: Republican
• Family: I am New Jersey-born and raised, and a third-generation Italian American. I have been a resident of Bernards Township for 17 years. My immediate family and extended family live in Somerset County, and around the state.
• Education:
  • Bachelor’s Degree (BA), Kean University
  • Master of Public Policy (MPP), Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University
  • Master of Arts (MA) Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies, Rutgers University
• Occupation:
  • NJ Casino Industry Executive, Public Policy and Regulatory Specialist
  • Director of Skill on Net, Inc. - Country Manager for the U.S. and Senior Regulatory Compliance Manager for U.S. Markets
• Previous elected/appointed office:
  • Currently elected Somerset County Committeeman, Bernards Township District 10
  • Appointed member, Bernards Township Planning Board (Class I Member, Mayor’s Designee)
  • Appointed member, Bernards Township Environmental Commission (Regular Member)
• Campaign website: somersetcountygop.com

Why are you seeking election for the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners?

I am seeking election to the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners because, as a public official in Bernards Township, I have seen the effects of the lack of communication and lack of attentiveness the current Board exhibits towards our municipalities in Somerset County. As a resident, I have experienced our county government’s disastrous response to Hurricane Ida for which Somerset County is now being sued, the frivolous spending and skyrocketing county property taxes that we are all subject to, and the increase in crime. I believe I can do better for our fellow residents.

The County Commission manages county government and a lot of the job is regulatory in nature. I am especially suited to this position because, as a private sector executive, it is my job to build and manage sustainable multimillion-dollar businesses within one of the most complex regulatory frameworks, the casino gaming industry. I need to do this both operationally, and to make sure we are meeting our regulatory obligations to state governments across the U.S. I also have an advanced degree in public policy analysis, and I work with New Jersey legislation and regulations, as well as state regulators, on a daily basis. I will bring this background, and a results-oriented mindset to Somerset County government.

We need Commissioners who are not only effective in dealing with crisis situations, but can handle the important everyday tasks we depend upon our county government to provide; paving our county roads, managing public works, and administering health services.

Overdevelopment has been a concern across many towns in the County. How do you propose preserving land in Somerset County?

The ability to acquire and preserve open space is the greatest tool the County Commission has in its arsenal to combat overdevelopment. Our opponents tout preserving a lot of land, but what they don’t tell you is a lot of the acreage they have preserved are wetlands that can’t be developed, so they aren’t actually preserving land effectively.

We need a Commissioner with a background and experience in land use and preservation to determine the viability of land to select for preservation to fight overdevelopment in our towns.

We want our towns to be able to develop responsibly for the future, but I will encourage “smart” development as an alternative to overdevelopment, which is out of control under the leadership of our opponents. Where development is necessary, I will work with our municipalities to encourage adaptive re-use of existing unutilized or underutilized footprints, as opposed to entirely new construction.

The County Jail cut its operations to a limited basis due to the lack of inmates. What would you like to see for the future of the Jail?

Under a shared services agreement by our current County Commissioners, Somerset County Jail has started sending its inmates to Morris County Jail this past summer. Our County Jail now functions as short-term housing for those inmates awaiting court hearings.

The reason the jail is empty is because of the New Jersey criminal justice reform legislation passed in 2017. Accused offenders are simply released, and go on to commit more crimes. This is why you have the massive uptick in car thefts and now home burglaries in Somerset County. To these offenders, the potential reward is now worth more to them than the risk.

Lawmakers are now receiving pressure to act because of the unintended consequences of these reforms, and are considering re-instituting suitable penalties for these crimes.

In anticipation of this, I would keep the jail open, and operating at a minimal capacity that ensures we mitigate job losses and keep our county and law enforcement and correctional employees safe, while preparing for a future where we would need our jail to be more functional again.

I believe in and encourage shared services where they make sense, but Somerset County cannot be caught flat-footed by relinquishing our County Jail, or ceding to another county our sovereignty over the ability to house inmates that commit crimes in Somerset County, in the likely event that more sensible criminal justice legislation is passed.

In the immediate term, as County Commissioner I would look into evaluating the costs of different scenarios for keeping the jail operational in a way that would best save residents’ county tax dollars.

There has been an increase in home and vehicle burglaries in towns across the county, do you think enough has been done to combat this? What else would you propose to address this issue?

This a big issue countywide, particularly along the I-78 and 287 corridors. Our local police, especially where I live in Bernards Township, have been outstanding in working to combat the rash of car thefts, and now home burglaries for key fobs to steal cars. However, they must have more assistance from our county government, which is currently sorely lacking. This issue has been an early pillar of my candidacy because it is a big concern where I live, and it becomes personal when you hear about your fellow residents’ homes being broken into.

In Bernards Township, our Mayor Jennifer Asay has fostered innovative methods, such as license plate readers, and other technological means to prevent these crimes. Several municipalities, including Bernards, have also led by making it a municipal crime to commit these acts by passing a local public safety ordinance, stepping up where our higher levels of government have failed to act. These are valiant and correct efforts, but they should have assistance from the county as well.

If I am elected County Commissioner, I will regularly convene our county’s mayors to share best practices our towns have developed to fight these car thefts and burglaries. We can identify what has worked, and supplement our municipal police with county grant money to give them the tools they need to keep our residents safe.

The County Commission needs to be a partner to our local elected officials, and our local law enforcement. Our police know how to do their jobs, and our local elected officials know their communities best. Our county government should help.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in Somerset County?

County property taxes must be brought down, first and foremost. When our opponents took office six years ago, they inherited a $238 million budget to manage Somerset County government. After two terms, the county just passed a $270 million budget under their leadership. That’s a $32 million increase in six years. Now our opponents are asking for a third term, making it almost a decade in office for each of them. Our county taxes will only continue to escalate.

We need to stop the excessive spending, and make sure the money that is being spent, is spent for the tangible betterment of Somerset County residents. In other words, instead of spending $28,000 of taxpayer dollars on an extravagant dinner for county employees, as our opponents did this past May, the county should focus on finishing paving Mt. Airy Road in Basking Ridge, or fixing Greenbrook Road in North Plainfield.

Somerset County is the best place to live in the U.S., but we have a serious leadership problem in our county government. We need change.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

What sets me apart is that I believe our residents deserve a County Commission that engages in a robust debate before taxpayer money is spent. If you review the County Commissioners’ meeting minutes, under the leadership of our opponents you’ll see the spending mostly flies through with little resistance; a lot of 5-0 votes. I believe it’s time for a fresh perspective and new ideas so we can bring balance to county government.

What also sets me apart from other candidates is my desire to not only better address the issues facing Somerset County residents in the immediate term as detailed in my answers above, but to plan for the long-term future, so we can preserve our quality of life. This is critically important, and it is not being done under the current county government. Under the leadership of our opponents, you see largely insufficient, short-term funding measures, a proven inability to manage crises, and no long-term planning whatsoever. I will bring leadership to the Board of County Commissioners that considers the future of Somerset County, and invests accordingly. Extraneous spending should be cut from the budget, and residents should see those savings in the form of relief to their county property tax bill.

What makes my candidacy unique as well is that I have served at every level of New Jersey government. I currently serve in municipal government. I have worked in Somerset County Government within the Cultural and Heritage Commission, and have worked in both the Somerset County Clerk’s Office and Surrogate’s Court. I have also worked in state government at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Coupling this public sector experience with my private sector skill set, I am ready to hit the ground running as a County Commissioner on day one.

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself or your campaign?

The best part about my campaign has been meeting so many of my fellow Somerset County residents, and listening to their concerns – Not talking, but listening. I created my policy platform as County Commissioner based on the feedback I received from the hundreds of residents I’ve spoken with. My priorities are lowering county property taxes by cutting excessive spending, fighting overdevelopment, preserving open space, and prioritizing safety and security.

It is important to me to be a County Commissioner for all of Somerset County, not just part of it. That’s why I started campaigning in early March, and have been knocking doors and meeting residents every day that I have been able to do since then, all across the county – from Bernardsville, to Franklin, to North Plainfield, to Montgomery.

Somerset County residents deserve a full-time County Commissioner. It’s 2024, and with all of the concerns facing our county, the job is now too big to simply show up to vote and then call it a day. I will put in the work, and before every resolution I consider or vote I take, I will ask myself: how would this affect the average taxpayer? How would this affect residents living on a fixed income?

I will be a County Commissioner who is responsive to the residents of Somerset County, and the residents alone. Asking a resident for their vote is asking to be entrusted with their hard-earned tax dollars, and with their family’s future. I will approach the job with that level of seriousness.

I can promise Somerset County residents that a vote for Nick Cuozzo is a vote for accountability, and to ensure your voice is heard in your county government. You can count on me.

I respectfully ask for your vote by mail, your early vote, or your vote on Election Day, Nov. 5.