Bridgewater General Election 2023: Marguerite Baranowski

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater's general election on Nov. 7 has two candidates running for Mayor and four other candidates running for seats on the Township Council.

Democrat Marguerite Baranowski is running for one of two, three-year open seats on the Township Council along with Saad Toor against Republican incumbents Timothy Ring and Michael Kirsh.

Additionally, Democrat Dan Hayes is running for Mayor against incumbent Republican Matthew Moench.

Are you running for office in Bridgewater? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Bridgewater Patch.

Marguerite Baranowski

Age: 80

Town of residence: Bridgewater

Position sought: Township Council Member

Party affiliation: Democrat

Family: N/A

Education: Associate Degree of Applied Science in Accounting - Somerset County College (Now Raritan Valley Community College)

Occupation: Owner/proprietor of Bookkeepers Express. I have worked in accounting positions at Merrill Lynch, Gavin Instruments and Somerset Medical Center. In 1988 I utilized my business experience, skills in accounting, staff supervision, financial management, government securities and real estate, to start Bookkeepers Express, which is now in its 35th year of operation.

Previous or current elected appointed office: Councilwoman, Somerville, NJ (1989-1991); Somerville Police Department Commissioner (1990-1991); Liaison to the Library Commission and to the Public Works Commission (1989-1990)

Campaign website: BestforBridgewater.org

Why are you seeking election as a Councilmember in Bridgewater?

All residents of this township are not being heard. My motivation to run is to give voice to their
concerns. I will work collaboratively with the mayor and fellow council members to develop long
range projects which address our residents’ concerns and continue to foster Bridgewater’s
lifestyle into our community’s future. This means addressing our constituents’ economic needs,
ecological concerns, building and development issues, municipal services, transparency of
administration, and quality of life and opportunities for all residents. The current councilmen are
letting the current mayor get away with outrageous actions, such as interfering with our schools’
business, increasing our debt by over $30Mil over the last four years, not releasing the 2022
mall incident report, to name a few. I would speak up and speak out always to right what I
believe is wrong.

Manufacturing buildings or warehouse applications are becoming more common in NJ. How do you feel about proposals to bring this type of development to Bridgewater Township? And how do you propose to limit it?

Our local economy is not doing well. S&P Global downgraded our outlook from stable to negative and our debt has skyrocketed in our years! Unfortunately the council actively supported the administration’s dismantling of resources intended to keep a pulse on our commercial base. Since the change from the Hayes Administration, major commercial tax generators like Sanofi and Ethicon have announced their plans to leave. Intentionally out of touch with our business community, Mr. Moench and the council have only reacted to the situation by approving warehouses and pushing unwanted billboards.

I want us to be proactive in our approach. Dan Hayes has demonstrated that he understands the importance of a strong local economy and has a track record of delivering high value solutions - not warehouses and billboards. The Hayes Administration successes include attracting world class technology, leisure, dining and retail establishments which added value to our community including Nestle, iconnectiv, Linde Gas, Lifetime Fitness, AC Hotel, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.

We should start by looking at all the empty and underutilized buildings and encourage business again. It was foolish for Mr. Moench and council to eliminate the Department of Economic Development which could have continued to provide valuable insight and support, directed at protecting what up until the current administration, had been an enviable commercial tax base.

It is very sad to see that Mr. Moench and the Council are advocating for low paying warehouse jobs and unsightly billboards as economic solutions instead of enticing corporations to move to or stay in Bridgewater.

Having trust and transparency in the township government and police department is important to residents. Do you feel the township is doing a good job of being transparent? How would you improve this?

I think this is really two different questions. I believe the majority of residents have confidence in
our police department, I certainly do. My experience is that the police do reach out to the
community. As far as the township government goes, transparency has NOT improved under
the current Council. For example, a more timely release of information is needed and there’s
very little detail provided on annual budgets. Important information from the Planning Board
isn’t shared because the current administration is two years behind in approving their meeting
minutes! It is an insult to Bridgewater residents’ intelligence to suggest we have a transparent
administration when the Attorney General’s report on the mall incident in 2021, which was
delivered to the township in October of 2022, has still not been released by the Mayor. There is
no transparency when the Mayor fails to obey the law by failing to disclose his campaign
contributors, contributions and expenditures for two years! And trust sinks lower as the
magnitude of unqualified political hires and politically motivated proposals, like the monument
billboard comes to light. This leaves Bridgewater residents’ no choice but to think something is
being hidden by the administration and these actions only serve to create an erosion of trust in
our municipal government.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in the township?

I, and many Bridgewater residents, do not want to see electronic, distracting billboards on our roads, especially at dangerous junctions of highways. These will expose us and our children to
advertising and propaganda of the advertisers we don’t control. Thank goodness my running mate, Dan Hayes, had his 3/16/23 “The Municipal Billboard is a Monumentally Bad Idea” letter to the editor published and many residents signed the online petition or attended council meetings to air their concerns with electronic billboards in Bridgewater! Unfortunately the issue is not over. One must listen carefully to this administration. When they stated that the billboard project is “off the table for now”, this is likely code for bringing it back for political reasons after the election. If elected, I would oppose all future electronic billboard applications and concentrate on more meaningful positive development.

We need to address the vast amount of office and retail space currently not being utilized, indiscriminate housing and commercial development that affect the quality of life and the ecosystems of our community, as well as the flooding issues that continue to affect so many of
our residents. The loss of the pharmaceutical company, Sanofi, to Morristown now mandates that we need to replace the loss of Bridgewater’s largest corporate taxpayer. Bridgewater is uniquely positioned to major highways making us attractive to many corporations. We need to pursue opportunities that address existing vacant office and warehouse space while preserving our residential neighborhoods.

Future development needs to be planned and drafted in a non-partisan manner to ensure corporate political donations do not pave the way for political favors. Development must always be about what is best for Bridgewater now and its future generations. Long term development should be planned with input from a wide variety of stakeholders.

There’s no doubt that Bridgewater Township is appreciated by so many residents because of its beauty. While the overall look of our township is guided by the master plan, a particular priority of mine is the direct impact the council can have on preserving open space and managing our parks. We need to maintain our parks, open space, and walking trails better. Maintaining our
parks needs to be ongoing, not something performed in election years only. The current administration slashed its park maintenance budget from $910,680 to $640,000 over the last four years but, now, because it's election season, they are finally giving a couple of playgrounds a make-over to give the appearance that they care. I will work with Dan Hayes as Mayor, Saad Tood, and the other council members to invest in our outdoor and recreational space.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

I have functioned in local government and witnessed its impact on residential and commercial neighborhoods in Somerset County. I also have the experience and wisdom in local government, to see how actions taken today will impact Bridgewater in 10, 15, 30 years down the road. The current administration does not invite, nor embrace diverse community opinions as a part of decisions being made for Bridgewater. This is a direct result of "one-party rule" and the Mayor's "hand-picked"; boards and committees. I know that it requires really listening to hear constituents&' input and concerns. We have become a diverse community capable of great things together, for all of us. I will listen.

My opponents are not doing their job to oversee the administration. These two guys are lock-step with whatever Mr. Moench wants them to do when it’s time to vote. I will ask tough questions and speak my mind, and I will represent ALL of Bridgewater.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

Over 40 years as a resident of Bridgewater, I've seen a young town develop into a diverse township. During those years there was a period of time that I moved to Somerville and became involved in politics and held a Council seat. I learned to work both sides of the aisle to accomplish town issues. Moving back to Bridgewater in 2005 I joined the Somerville Elks Lodge to continue my civic involvement. My membership includes helping on the Somerset Children's Center Committee, which helps children with special needs. I'm currently a Trustee of the Bridgewater Senior Club, President of the Altar Rosary Society at Immaculate Conception Church, Treasurer of the Dumbal-Vogel Foundation (which provides assistance to children under the age of 18 years who are at risk because of socio-economic constraints). In addition, I am a Member of the 200 Club of Somerset County, a non-profit group of residents and businesses in Somerset County with a deep concern for the welfare of over five thousand Police Officers, Fire Fighters, Rescue Squad members and New Jersey State Police.

The team of Hayes, Toor and Baranowski is “Best for Bridgewater” and we will work to restore good governance in Bridgewater Township. The current administration’s utter fiscal mis-management resulted not only in higher taxes, but the recent S&P Global Ratings revision of our outlook from stable to negative because of the township’s "weakened reserve position" and increasing reliance on fund balance. This is serious and unprecedented in our recent history.

Debt is at an all time high and all Mr. Moench and the council seem to be focused on is hiding their record tax hike behind claims of a “lower” tax rate. My taxes certainly went up quite a bit recently. How about yours? Lacking any real responses to major corporate exits, the council and administration continue to approve low value warehouses and push unsightly billboards.

The current administration’s repeated habit of hiring under-qualified politically-connected cronies is adding to our higher taxes. Mr Moench has appointed only politically-aligned members to boards and committees and has alienated many in our township. Our team will unite the community and work hard to get the township back on track with qualified professionals, not
political cronies.

I want the residents to know that I will listen to their concerns regarding the future of our community: our economic needs, our ecological concerns, our building and development issues, our municipal services. I promise to meet my responsibilities with the openness and integrity currently so sadly lacking. All residents of Bridgewater deserve to be treated with respect.

I have heard Mr. Moench and some council members address members of the public in a shockingly rude and dismissive manner. If elected, I will help change this negative culture and will show each and every one of my constituents the respect they deserve.

Dan Hayes, Saad Toor, and I will put residents' concerns before politics, restore fiscal stability and accountability, attract revenue generating, sustainable businesses (not warehouses and billboards), work with our schools, not against them, and provide the open and honest government you deserve! Visit our website and follow bestforbridgewater on Facebook and
Instagram.