Bridgewater Primary Election 2023: Marguerite Baranowski

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater's primary election on June 6 has two candidates running for Mayor and four candidates running for two open seats on the Township Council.

Marguerite Baranowski is one of three Democratic candidates running in the uncontested primary. Baranowski is running with Gigi Ksalak for Council and Saad Toor for Mayor.

Additionally, there are three incumbent Republican candidates Matthew Moench who is running for re-election as Mayor along with Michael Kirsh and Timothy Ring who are running for council in the uncontested primary.

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: Coming soon!

Why are you seeking re-election to the Township Council?

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.

Balancing the township budget becomes more difficult each year with inflation and the loss of revenue since COVID. How do you plan to address this?

Balancing the budget is quite the undertaking and a comprehensive audit of the budget needs to be done before recommendations are made off the cuff. We should start by looking at all the empty and underutilized buildings and encourage business again. It was foolish for the current Mayor 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. Mall vacancies are significant and large employers, who provide hardy portions of tax income, are leaving Bridgewater. Meanwhile the Mayor and Council are advocating for low paying warehouse jobs and unsightly billboards as economic solutions. Rather than waste literally millions of dollars on newly created unnecessary positions and unqualified staff and political cronies, I am committed to supporting a new Township Administrator and a new in-house experienced C.F.O. in order to get a handle on this administration’s out of control debt, record tax increases and eliminate positions and contracts that do not support our township’s needs.

Having trust and transparency in the township government is important to residents. How has the township improved on this or 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, there is no link on the website to Council meeting recordings, 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 many of 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. 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 police officers.

How do you feel about the current state of the township's parks and playgrounds, such as KidStreet? Is there anything you would like to improve and how would you propose doing that?

Bridgewater can pride itself in setting aside park and recreation space. However, it is extremely disheartening that the Mayor and Council slashed the Park Maintenance line item in the budget every year since they were elected. The 2023 budget presented by the Mayor is now 30% lower than what it was in 2019! Our past investments in our parks risk being negated should parks like KidStreet be left to deteriorate. KidStreet and other parks require better care and upkeep and we must budget appropriately in Bridgewater to protect our investments with an eye to our families’ needs and the future of our parks.

How do you feel about the current status of township roadways and the current road improvement plan?

It is apparent to me and many Bridgewater residents that the condition of many of our roads is disappointing. What is not so apparent is what’s going on behind the scenes. Let’s first understand how we got here. This administration fired Department of Public Works staff and replaced them with a higher priced public relations staff at a cost of over $2 million by the end of his first term. The Mayor also hired, for the first time ever, a Director of Municipal Services at a salary of $135,000 (excluding benefits). This is a position we never needed. This political appointment could not meet the educational and experience requirements of the job. Instead of finding a qualified candidate the Mayor and the current 5 person partisan Township Council changed the ordinance, eliminating degree or experience qualifications. I believe an informed Bridgewater would agree, we want our tax dollars spent on qualified people to work on our roads, not political appointees costing us over $2.5 million by end of term. The responsibility and challenge for a Bridgewater Mayor and Council Members is to be efficient with its taxpayer dollars, something I find lacking in this administration.

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

I, and many Bridgewater residents, do not want to see electronic 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. 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.

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" 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.

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.

In conclusion, I would like to use my former Council experience and commitment to community service to diversify the Township Council with both parties by representing all Bridgewater residents and to contribute to the future growth of generations to come.