Take Five With Chatham Borough Council Candidate Len Resto

CHATHAM, NJ - Patch asked Chatham Borough Council Candidate Len Resto to take five with us and share some thoughts on the city, the campaign and beyond. His answers are below, with minor courtesy edits for style.

1. Why are you running for office?

I am running for re-election because I enjoy being of service to the residents of Chatham. I am a “middle of the road” person by nature and have learned that the only way things get done is via compromise. People have said of me that I am a good listener, a pragmatist, a consensus builder and a doer. I like serving the residents of Chatham and believe I have done it very well and deserve another term.

2. What is the biggest challenge you see facing the community and how will you address it?

I see the biggest challenge facing Chatham as the retention of our senior citizens in the Borough so they can “age in place” while simultaneously making housing affordable enough that we do not lose our millennials because they cannot afford to live here. This is why we are pursuing initiatives such as Post Office Plaza Redevelopment where the housing stock could be such that a senior can scale down from a large home to a smaller, single level residence. The project, if done correctly, would also appeal to millennials anchoring them in Chatham. I am committed to making that happen.

3. What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidates? What do you bring to the table that others don’t?

I am running for my second consecutive term, and counting my first term which was non-concurrent, this would be my third term. As a result, I am very experienced at how government works at the local level which allows me to get things done more quickly. I also retired from the insurance industry after a 42 year career and have been invaluable in analyzing the Borough’s insurance arrangements saving the taxpayer money.

As I mentioned above, I treat all people with the dignity and respect they deserve. I am available 24/7 to any resident. I take their issues as seriously as I would take my own. That is the nature of the position: constituent service. I am a consensus builder and a pragmatist. I am willing to compromise to get things done. I am not a doctrinaire Republican or Liberal set in my ways and wanting everything to go my way. I act as a completely non-partisan, independent voice getting things done.

4. What will you do to facilitate communications with the community?

I would seek to continue to improve the Borough’s website. We just implemented a program where you can report an issue via “See, Click, Fix”. This allows a resident to register a concern and see how that concern is being addressed every step of the way. I also discovered the capabilities of Planet Civic (www.planetcivic.com), a public engagement tool to allow residents to weigh in on issues online. We are currently using it to determine the views of residents on whether Chatham should have a recreational marijuana shop. I also support having a pre-recorded phone message each day for seniors or those of lesser means who do not have access to a computer to know what events are going on each day. I would also make better use of online media, print media and social media.

5. What inspires you?

Growing up, we collected food stamps out of necessity. My late Dad was an upholsterer with a 3rd grade education; so, money was scarce; yet, I didn’t feel poor. Because we collected food stamps, my Dad volunteered to be a handyman for Bayonne’s City Hall and from there came the example of serving something greater than oneself. It made me volunteer for many activities and volunteering and pleasing others is just in my DNA.

(Photo courtesy of Len Resto)

Editor's Note: Patch has reached out to every candidate that has filed to run for office and is publishing all responses received. If a candidate does not have a story on the site it is because they did not respond. Those with questions are encouraged to contact russ.crespolini@patch.com