Bridgewater General Election 2023: Timothy Ring

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.

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

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.

Timothy Ring

Age: 55

Town of residence: Bridgewater (born and raised in Bridgewater)

Position sought: Township Council

Party affiliation: Republican

Family: Wife of 28 years, Terri and two grown

Education: Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales

Occupation: Director of Corporate Security for Aimbridge

Previous or current elected appointed office: Completing my first term on the Township Council

Campaign website: www.rightforbridgewater.com

Why are you seeking re-election as a Councilmember in Bridgewater?

I come from a family of public service. My father was a volunteer firefighter in town for 48 years. My brother is a former Fire Chief. I have volunteered with the Rescue Squad for 35 years. Being elected to the Township Council has allowed me to serve the township in a new way. As a lifelong resident of the Township, my first priority is the township and all of the residents. I hope to be re-elected and continue to serve all of the residents of the Township.

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?

Recognizing the impact that warehouses can have on a community, in 2022 the Township Council took steps to significantly limit future warehouses in Bridgewater, by changing the Township’s land use ordinances for warehouses. We were one of the first municipalities in the area to do such but since then several other towns have joined us with similar restrictions. Like any other land use requirements, land owners have the legal right to apply to the Zoning Board of Adjustment to ask for a variance to our law. While landowners have the right to hearing before our land use boards, the reputation of our land use boards has changed dramatically over the last four years.

Applicants are now realizing that approval of even the most standard variance request is not guaranteed. We must continue to be aggressive in our ordinances and ensure that we continue to appoint residents to our land use boards who will be ensure that each and every application is carefully reviewed.

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?

Prior to being elected to the Town Council, I advocated for the broadcasting of Council Meetings. We now not only broadcast Council Meetings, but we also broadcast all land use board meetings. Once we started broadcasting meetings, we quickly learned that upgrades are needed to the current audio system. Last year we awarded a contract to upgrade the audio and visual in the Council Chambers and with our upgraded system we are now broadcasting meetings, as well as making past meetings available via You Tube.

Since being appointed last fall, Police Chief John Mitzak has launched the Bridgewater Shield (Security, Honesty, Integrity, Expertise, Loyalty, Discipline), which includes a Citizen’s Policy Academy, Virtual Reality use of force simulator training and Coffee with the Command Staff. These events, all of which help bring even greater transparency to one of the best police departments there is, are all open to Bridgewater residents at no cost.

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

While there are many things a governing body must tackle, our infrastructure is the most important. Many of Bridgewater’s roads have not been properly maintained over the years. During the 2019 campaign, a commitment was made to develop a road improvement program. We are currently in year three of that program. We need to continue to improve our roads, as well as develop a better road maintenance program. We need to continue investing in our sewer system.

Similar to roads, we must also look to develop a plan to improve our parks.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

Being a lifelong resident of the township, I understand the history of Bridgewater. When you have lived in a town growing up, you witness the history and changes to the township over the years. This helps with making decisions about the future of the Township. As illustrated by the most recent census, many families are moving to Bridgewater because of what a great place it is to live. I have had the opportunity to meet and speak with many residents from the township. Whether it being listening to comments on the dais, greeting residents at Bulky Trash Days to answer questions they might have, or walking into their house in the middle of the night to help with a medical emergency, I work hard to serve all residents. This is best illustrated by an email I recently received from a Township resident. The individual is affiliated with a different political party than me but she wanted to thank me for all of my updates and replies to questions residents have.

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

If any residents have any questions or concerns about the Town, or the campaign, they are welcome to reach out to me. My personal cell number is 908-963-3079.