Election 2023: Berkeley Township Council Candidate Doug Bowens

BERKELEY, NJ — Election Day is nearing, and Berkeley voters will head to the polls to cast their votes for a new mayor and three council seats.

Patch sent questionnaires to all candidates seeking their responses. Here is the response from candidate Doug Bowens.

Editor's Note: Patch sent out emails to all candidates to the email addresses listed for their campaign provided to the office of the clerk. The responses received will be published between now and the Nov. 7 general election. These responses will be published edited only for style. Candidates who would like to participate but did not receive one (for whatever reason) can contact veronica.flesher@patch.com

Berkeley Township Republican Council candidate, Douglas Bowens is currently a Senior Sales Representative at The Hartford Insurance Company. He received his Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University. Born and raised in Bayville, he and his wife Megan, a current elementary school teacher are the proud parents of two boys, who both attend district schools.

As a former teacher, Doug enjoys giving back to his community by serving on The Board of Education as well as on the Education and Grounds Committee. 39 years young, Doug enjoys being an active dad, riding dirt bikes, kayaking and landscaping.

“Being involved and giving back to the community that helped raise me is a great way to pay it forward. This began for me at a young age in Boy Scouts. Community service projects were the foundation and requirement of my Eagle Scout project and taught me that helping others in your community is an important way to give back. My younger brother, Shawn learned this lesson as well and is now a Sergeant in town, also giving back in many ways to our local community. My youngest brother, Keith is an Air Force veteran who just moved back to Bayville to settle down and start a family”.

Doug is pursuing the Town Council position to become more involved in the town’s overall operations. Doug feels that his time spent serving on the Board of Education separates him from other candidates. This experience has provided him with the knowledge, experience and discernment that it takes to be a leader in a position like Town Council.

During his tenure on the BOE, Doug played an instrumental role in applying for the state funded Preschool Expansion Program. Once the grant was awarded to our district, Doug continued to work hard with school officials to prepare schools for the expansion. Providing children with access to preschool programs sets our students up for success, and yields both short- and long-term economic benefits for their families and our community at large.

As chair of the Building and Grounds Committee for Board of Education, Doug has also applied for many grants to update our school buildings with state funding. Within the last year Doug has been able to update the windows and boilers at Bayville School, all funded by the state which keeps local taxes low.

I would like voters to know that if I am elected as your next town councilman, I will understand the importance of walking that fine line of ensuring we don't overspend in an effort to keep taxes down to a minimum. This issue is more important now than ever with the financial situation that our country is in. I am proud to be joining a team that has a proven track record of keeping taxes low making Berkeley Township an affordable place to live for all residents. Together we will continue to keep Berkeley safe, preserve open space and promote recreational activities.

Lastly, Integrity is a quality that I possess and it has been kept at the forefront of my character. In a world full of uncertainty we have to rely on each other within our community, and you can count on me to do so with integrity. Thank you for your consideration and support!