Chatham Moms for Change is proud to endorse Tracy Smith Ness

CHATHAM, NJ – Chatham Moms for Change is proud to endorse Tracy Smith Ness for Chatham Township Committee in Chatham Township, New Jersey.

Ness is a 23 year resident of Chatham Township, local businessperson, a mom and a volunteer in our community. She has been a voice for the township fighting for all residents, speaking out for gun safety, recreational and community services, open space, and community decision-making. She has rallied against trophy hunting, limited communication, the Pilgrim pipeline and development concerns.

She has raised her family here and served as an active volunteer in many capacities. She is running “…because we need a moderate voice on the (Township) Committee. Someone who will represent everyone in the community. Someone who will work hard to serve in the best interest of Chatham Township and its residents and not their own political beliefs.”

Having spent 11 years as a writer and editor for the Chatham Independent Press, Ness attended every Chatham Township meeting and wrote about the issues affecting residents such as: affordable housing, road improvements, open space purchases and much more. She was present at the bimonthly meetings to hear what both the elected officials and the citizens of Chatham Township had to say about the issues. While it was the “concern over the lack of a dedicated recreation director…and (the) cancelling the Summer Camp” that inspired Ness to run, she believes that “a committee that represents any community should look to solicit ideas from its community, not impose them.” Chatham Borough and neighboring Madison are known to have open dialogues between elected officials and constituents and Ness would look to institute this in Chatham Township.

Ness recently completed her term as President of the Chatham Athletic Boosters, who, under her guidance, raised and donated almost $100,000 to the Cougar Field Referendum Project. The Chatham Athletic Boosters raises funds for additional coaches and equipment for teams in addition to assisting with the start-up costs for new sports programs, like paddle tennis and sailing. Both of her sons are CHS graduates: the youngest is a D-1 lacrosse player at Lafayette and the oldest is pre-med at Loyola College.

Currently as a realtor in Chatham, she is in constant contact with families that are moving in and out of our community and hears what works and doesn’t work for them in Chatham. This provides Ness with a unique insight of how to improve certain offerings and maybe scale back others, which will be valuable information to other members of the Township Committee.

Ness believes “collaboration creates a better experience and provides better results.” We fully agree with this statement and are endorsing Tracy Smith Ness for Chatham Township Committee in Chatham, NJ.

"I am honored to receive the endorsement from Chatham Moms for Change - a group of women and men dedicated to preserving our democracy and advocating on the local, state and national level."

Chatham Moms for Change is a grassroots organization that was founded in October of 2016 and has now grown to over 800 members. We have built a community of support that allows our members to have a voice representing them at all levels of government and community involvement. Our members inspire and empower each other to spearhead community service projects, celebrate the diversity of our community, run for office, campaign for candidates and stand up when we see injustice.

www.chathammomsforchange.com

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