Bernardsville Mayoral Candidate: Mary Jane Canose​

BERNARDSVILLE, NJ — Mary Jane Canose is one of the two candidates running for mayor in the contested Bernardsville Borough election being held on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

There are two candidates vying for the four-year mayor seat including: Democratic Councilman Thomas O'Dea, Jr. and Republican Mary Jane Canose.

There are also four candidates vying for two three-year seats on the borough council including: Democrats Jeffrey Hammond and Matthew Marino and Republicans John Donahue and Lloyd Sems.

Mary Jane Canose

As a 46-year resident of Bernardsville, I have always had a strong commitment to community service and a love for our town. I first came to Bernardsville as a newlywed and as our family grew, I became involved in the Home and School Association, the Boy Scouts, and co-chaired the Municipal Alliance.

I was one of the founders and chair of Citizens for a Better Bernardsville, a grassroots organization that sponsored a community-wide survey and two volunteer-built playgrounds in town. As co-chair of the playground projects, I organized more than 100 volunteers and secured donated materials to complete them. I also began and chaired an annual Outstanding Community Volunteer Awards Dinner to recognize and thank residents for their contributions to Bernardsville.

In addition, I was one of the founders of the community-wide holiday program, now known as “Holly Days.” I was elected to the Borough Council in 1990 and served two three-year terms.

I recently retired as School Business Administrator for the Chester Board of Education, where I was responsible for a $20 million budget and the completion of a $21 million construction and energy project.

Since retiring in 2015, I have been dedicating my time once again to community service. I have been a member of the Open Space Committee since 2014 and a warden at my church since 2016. I am also an after-school tutor two days a week for the YMCA program at St. Bernard’s Church.

I am running for mayor for two reasons – one, because one of my core values has always been service, and two, because I love Bernardsville and want to create a positive future for our community.

One of the primary issues facing our community is an aging downtown. Revitalization is key and I would spearhead efforts to make that a reality by bringing together landlords, business owners, merchants and residents to create a shared vision. I would also make government more user-friendly by hosting informal forums for residents to share their ideas and concerns and create a stronger social media presence to keep residents informed on upcoming decisions and events. I believe volunteers are a municipality’s greatest resource and I would encourage and support volunteerism.

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

(Image provided: Mary Jane Canose)

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