Brick Township Council Election 2023: Mary Jonas Buckley

BRICK, NJ — Election Day 2023 is near, and Brick Township voters will be going to the polls to cast their ballots for candidates at the local, county and state levels.

In Brick, there are eight candidates for the four available four-year terms on the Township Council.

Patch sent a questionnaire to all eight candidates seeking their responses. Here are the replies from Mary Jonas Buckley. They are unedited except for typographical errors and punctuation.

Your Name: Mary Jonas Buckley

Age (as of Election Day): 73

Party Affiliation: Republican

Campaign Website: BrickGOP.com

Family: Husband, Peter Buckley, 5 Children

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for. No

Education: Bachelor's of science in physical therapy; master's of education in science education

Occupation: I was a physical therapist in the Brick School District for 24 years; 2 years as a supervisor in the Lakewood Schools; and currently working as a physical therapist, self-employed for the past 15 years.

Previous or current elected or appointed office: Republican County Committeewoman District 38; currently a member of the Ocean County Senior Advisory Board; and the NJ Physical Therapy Licensing Board.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am not happy with the direction of our town, schools, and the country. I believe we can change things by starting locally, so I became involved a few years ago. There is a lack of transparency in our government with actions by the town council decided behind closed doors. So, citizens are not privy to the reasoning behind council decisions and residents have minimal input into issues.

Resident issues are rarely answered by the mayor or council when they get up and speak at council meetings. I am also concerned about the many complaints residents and contractors have with our building department and code enforcement; they seem understaffed, resulting in very long waiting times for permits and inspections.

Crime has been a concern for months across New Jersey. What do you think should be done at the local level in Brick Township to ease residents’ concerns?

I believe our police should have a more visible presence in the town. Residents tell us they seldom see a police cruiser just patrolling their neighborhoods. I know our police are busy but I would encourage addressing scheduling or reorganization of responsibilities. I’m not on the council yet, but perhaps we will find that we need more officers and I will support that request.

The township has refurbished its parks and expanded recreation programs for all ages over the last 10 years. What programs or facilities would you like to see brought to Brick Township?

The capital improvement plan that saw the renovation of the neighborhood parks was initiated and set in motion by the previous Republican administration. Currently many of our facilities are beginning to show their age and need repair. Of particular concern is the historical building being used for cultural events where repairs to the HVAC system and more have not been made. I would like to see the town partner with others to build a community theater so we can bring plays and musicals to the town on a larger scale. I would like to see us bring back Founders Day celebration, as well as, expanding SummerFest to include different bands and more fireworks.

People persistently complain about property taxes. What do you believe Brick can do at the township level to mitigate the effects of state-mandated increases in the school district property tax levy? If you would make cuts, what township programs would you cut?

There is a bill introduced by Assemblyman John Catalano, who will be our next mayor, that would restore the S2 funding cuts to all the districts affected without being detrimental to other districts. We need to lobby the legislature and governor to support that bill. Other than that, we have little influence on spending and funding of the schools. Since I am not yet on the council and have little awareness of the vulnerabilities of the town’s finances, it would not be prudent to comment on cuts or potential budget steps the council would have to take. We are committed to seeing no reduction in the town’s workforce especially since many areas are clearly understaffed.