Ocean County Commissioner Primary 2022: Virginia Haines

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — The 2022 Ocean County Commissioners race is nearing the first milestone with the June 7 primary election.

There are two, three-year seats up for election in November, and there are four candidates seeking the Republican nomination for November for those seats.

Patch asked each candidate to answer questions to give voters information about who they are and their stances on various issues. We are printing their responses in full, unedited except for spelling or punctuation.

Your Name: Virginia E. Haines

Age: 75

Town Of Residence: Toms River

Position Sought: County Commissioner

Party Affiliation: Republican

Tell voters about your family: I have a wonderful family, a brother, 2 sisters, 6 nephews, 2 nieces; 14 great nieces/nephews. My parents and oldest sister passed away.

Tell voters about your education: I graduated from Lakewood High School and took some college courses.

Previous elected office if any: Assemblywoman 10th Legislative District, Toms River Township committeewoman; Appointed clerk of the NJ General Assembly; Ocean County Republican State Committeewoman 1985-present, Republican National Committeewoman For New Jersey 2004- present.

Do you or anyone in your family work for the state, county or local governing bodies or public agencies? No

Why are you seeking office: My interest in public service runs deep, having worked on my first campaign while in high school. It's a great privilege to serve the citizens of Ocean County as a member of the Board of Commissioners. I want to continue in this office to maintain good government for the 630,000 people who live in Ocean County. While the board has accomplished so much, there is still much to do. As chair of the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust, I want to continue the legacy of Freeholder (John J.) Bartlett by expanding our park system to bring the construction of a new park in Manchester Township to fruition so there is a regional park in reach of each resident and to preserve additional open space in order to protect our environment. I want to do my part to move Ocean County forward in a positive way so that it will always be a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire.

What do you feel is the most pressing issue facing the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, and what do you want to do about it:

At a time when President Biden and his Washington D.C. cronies have pushed through failed policies that have caused unbridled inflation, out-of-control gas prices and disastrous supply chain problems, our residents like so many are concerned about what I refer to as pocketbook issues. They are worried about paying the rent and feeding their children. They are concerned about their finances. The Ocean County Board of Commissioners has always approached county finances conservatively. This year is the sixth year that we have lowered the county property tax rate while funding all the core services for our residents. Our seniors can access home-delivered meals, our disabled residents can access transportation and our veterans can access assistance. Both our vocational-technical school system and Ocean County College offer quality and affordable education to our residents. This board fights hard as we oppose increases in tolls and utility rates. We have made every effort to fund programs and services for the needy and most vulnerable and pledge to continue to do so. Making certain we spend wisely will help keep Ocean County affordable.

Homelessness is a growing issue in Ocean County, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. The county is the only one in New Jersey without a year-round facility to provide temporary shelter. What role do you believe the county should have in assisting those in need?

The Ocean County Board of Commissioners works closely with our Social Services, Human Services and numerous nonprofits to provide the best possible service to the needy and most vulnerable in our communities to maintain a roof over their heads along with other essential help. For instance, the Ocean County Board of Social Services provides housing assistance to approximately 750 persons a night through a variety of programs and services including temporary shelter, temporary rental assistance, rental subsidies, assistance with back rent, back mortgage, security deposit, first-month rent and utilities in order to prevent eviction. Ocean County has and continues to encourage nonprofit, charitable and faith-based agencies to develop a plan for a homeless shelter to meet the needs of our most vulnerable citizens. Shelters throughout the state and other states are run by organizations such as Salvation Army, Catholic Charities and similar faith-based organizations. Our role is to support and invest in initiatives that promote health, wellness and independence.

Preserving open space continues to be a hot topic across Ocean County. What role do you believe the county should have in preserving open space?

I couldn’t be more proud of Ocean County’s Natural Land Trust Fund program. The program was approved in 1987 by the voters and since that time Ocean County has made every effort to preserve land across the county that provides great environmental benefits. All totaled — county, state and federal — almost 60 percent of the county is preserved as open space. Our largest acquisition which was completed last year is the property known as the Forked River Mountains in Lacey Township. Home to the highest point in Ocean County, this environmental jewel will be preserved into perpetuity. We amended the program about two years ago without increasing the taxpayer contribution to include historical preservation. Let me assure you, however, the priority will forever remain the acquisition of open space.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you will be effective in office?

As I mentioned previously, as a legislator I introduced and it was signed into law a license plate for shore protection, which provides funding for shore protection. This is still the No. 1 plate sold. Also when I was director of the state lottery my office returned to the state monies every year which funded many programs such as county colleges, school nutrition, veterans services, etc. In my 8 years as director we went from returning $642 million my first year to $763 million my last year as director.