Somerset County Commission Primary Election 2022: Melonie Marano

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Somerset County's primary election on June 7 has two candidates running for one open seat on the Township Committee.

Democratic incumbent Melonie Marano is one of two candidates running in the uncontested primary. The other candidate is Amber Murad, who is running on the Republican ticket.

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

Melonie Marano

Age: 58

Town of Residence: Green Brook

Position Sought: Somerset County Commissioner

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Family: Husband, 2 Adult Children

Education: Highland Park HS Graduate, Rider University Graduate BS Accounting, Certified Tax Assessor (CTA)

Occupation: Vice President Business Development Universal Vending Management

Previous Elected or Appointed Office: Currently serving as Somerset County Commissioner since 2020. Green Brook Township Committee 2004-2009, Mayor 2009. Somerset County Tax Board Commissioner 2011-2019

Why are you seeking to run for Township Committee?

Government requires compassion, quick decision making, fiscal responsibility, creativity and energy. In my current term, I feel I have shown these attributes for the best interests of the residents, workers, students and guests of Somerset County; dealing with a global health pandemic and leading the State as one of the highest vaccinated populations, repairing infrastructure after a thousand-year storm named Ida, securing millions of dollars of State aid for the expansion of the County Vocational & Technical School all while providing a 0 percent tax rate increase to our taxpayers. There is more to be done, and I strive to continue providing creative economically sound progress for Somerset County.

What issues do you feel need to be tackled in Somerset County?

Putting People First is my mantra and after a major flood and pandemic, our county is still in repair mode. To make these fixes, we need to focus on expanding educational and technical training, becoming more resilient and proactive to the impacts of climate change especially regarding stormwater management, offering mental health services to heal wounds suffered during these traumatic events, assisting our businesses to recover and maintaining talented public safety personnel.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

Experience. I have served the public for 6 years as a local official and 11 years as a county official, all while truly delving into each subcommittee and task assigned. Professionally, I have a solid background in business currently working as a Vice President for a small family-owned organization, allowing me the empathy for small business owners and what they are facing in today's economy. And personally, I'm a mom, wife, daughter, sister and friend - which keeps me grounded to know what everyday people are going through so I can do my best to support them for their best lives.

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

I love working for Somerset County, and as those around me can attest, I put my all into the job and the responsibilities that surround the privilege of serving. It will be my honor to continue this commitment to the county, its employees, residents, businesses, students and visitors.