Caldwell Council President Speaks On Election, Redevelopment

CALDWELL, NJ — There’s been one constant thread throughout Christine Schmidt’s tenure on the Caldwell Borough Council, she says: “communication.”

In November, Schmidt will be running alongside Francis X. Rodgers III for a seat on the council in the 2021 general election.

Schmidt – who currently serves as council president – ran uncontested for the Democratic Party nomination with Rodgers in the primary election. No Republicans filed to run. Read More: See 2021 Primary Election Results For The Caldwells

Patch recently asked Schmidt to answer some questions about the election. See her replies below.

• Town of residence - Caldwell, NJ
• Age - 62
• Party affiliation - Democrat
• Occupation – ESL Tutor
• Education – B.A. Political Science, B.A. French (concentration in translation) Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language
• Previous or current elected appointed offices - Completing my first three-year term on the Borough Council

Biography – “Christine Schmidt has been living in this area for over 50 years. She attended Montclair State University and received two degrees; Political Science and French. She went on to work at the French Embassy offices in New York and later at the United Nations Public Information office in Rome. In addition to those positions, she has used her skills in writing and language in many ways, from working for an import-export company, working in a soup kitchen in a German train station after the Berlin Wall came down, and most recently, teaching English as a second language. She, her husband Brian chose to move to Caldwell in 2013 because of its school system, its diversity, and its walkable downtown. With two daughters, Christine has dedicated much of her time to sharing her love of learning, travel and discovery with them. Throughout all of these experiences, Christine has always put forward her passion for research as well as her deep desire to help all people connect on meaningful levels.

“Over the past three years, Christine has been deeply involved in her many roles on the Borough Council. Christine has been the Downtown & Library Board of Trustees Liaison, Chair of Community Center Committee and member of the Personnel, Communications Committees & Mayor's Advisory Council on Senior Services. She has actively worked to bring our Project Main Street Organization back and has dedicated much of her time to the Community Center through her active participation in the Task Force as well as the Advisory Board. As Council President, Christine has worked tirelessly to help Council members understand the complexities of Redevelopment as well as the day to day business of the Borough. She has rewritten ordinances for snow removal, signage and certificates of occupancy and works to maintain solid working relationships between the governing body and the professional staff of the Borough. With all that, her first priority is to serve our residents, responding quickly to their inquiries and always seeking new ways to open channels of communication so our residents may keep informed of the work of the Borough.”

PATCH: What skills or abilities can you bring to the table if elected to the Caldwell council?

SCHMIDT: In my biography, you can see that communication has been the constant thread throughout my entire professional career. Communication is a critical skill in our work; be it with residents, colleagues, professional staff, the press and with our neighboring towns. I take pride in always responding to every resident who reaches out to me. Secondly, I have a flexible work schedule which has allowed me to be present at Borough Hall, attend important meetings and work closely with our staff. This has given me a strong hands-on knowledge of the day-to-day challenges facing the Borough and how to get things done.

PATCH: What is the most pressing problem(s) facing the borough? And what is your plan to fix it?

SCHMIDT: Earlier, I would have said that our most pressing problem today is Affordable Housing. The Redevelopment Plan gives the Borough a detailed set of parameters necessary to meet our mandate and it protects us from Builder’s Remedy lawsuits, putting the Borough back in control of development. Redevelopment will not only provide mandated Affordable Housing, but it will also breathe new life and energy into our downtown. With the unprecedented rainfall we have recently experienced, the biggest challenge we now have is to develop while improving our aging infrastructure so it can meet our needs well into the future. A complete study of stormwater flow in our area will provide valuable insight about possible solutions to flooding, this together with including green infrastructure in future projects can help us develop with the future of the Borough in mind.

PATCH: What's one thing about Caldwell that always makes you smile?

SCHMIDT: Can I name two? The thing that always makes me smile is getting things done. The wheels of government are painfully slow. There are processes and safeguards in place that must be followed to assure legality and transparency. When we complete a project, it is an accomplishment worth celebrating. Most recently, I worked to establish an email mailing list for regular informative newsletters to be distributed to residents. Second and most important: Our residents, and business owners make me smile. Their passion, volunteerism and pride for Caldwell never cease to humble me.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Caldwells Facebook page.