Take Five: Cranford Committee Candidate Kathleen Miller Prunty

CRANFORD, NJ - There are seats opening up on the Cranford Township Committee and Patch caught up with the candidates ahead of the general election this November.

Questionnaires were sent out out to all candidates registered with the County Clerk's Office in the 2019 general election using the email addresses they went on file with. The responses will be posted on the site by those who submitted in the order in which they were received. They will also be included in an election preview wrap.

This Take Five features Kathleen Miller Prunty. Her responses to the questions are below and unedited.

1. Why are you running for office?

In many ways, this is another opportunity to serve my town. Throughout my 40 years in Cranford I have been involved in many civic, community and school organizations and for 20 years I was privileged to serve as the Downtown Director. I am very proud of the work we did to make Downtown Cranford the Best Downtown. For the past eight years, I have been Cranford’s representative working on getting better service and midtown direct trains on the Raritan Valley Line. Commuters suffer bad service every day but this is a bigger economic issue because the lack of direct trains negatively impacts home values.

I raised three sons here and now my two granddaughters call Cranford home. I genuinely believe Cranford is a terrific town and I also believe we have the potential to be even better, more inviting and affordable for residents of all ages.

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

There are numerous issues facing Cranford that Township Commissioners have worked on for many years and they continue today. I think some of those issues might have a different outcome if we were more forward thinking, understand trends (good and bad) and economics that impact communities like Cranford.

There is no shortage of wonderful community activities that bring people to downtown, parks, schools and playgrounds and we encourage people to walk but not every road or intersection is easy to cross. Both pedestrians and motorists have to be responsible but Cranford needs to do more to make the town more walkable for kids, young families and the elderly.

We must be more proactive about our future, lay the groundwork well in advance to ensure changes are smart and consistent with the character and long term vision for our town. Changes can and should make Cranford better.

3. What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)?

I always try to approach an idea or issue by looking at the bigger picture and long range consequences or benefits of decisions. I think it is important to hear new voices and new ideas. I am not interested in people telling me what they think I want to hear. Tell me what I need to hear to better serve you.

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

Cranford needs to do a much better job getting information to residents and general public. Keeping residents informed and engaged makes sense and saves time for everyone. Cranford suffers when rumors and misinformation get more attention than factual information. I have extensive experience in communications which I put to use for Downtown Cranford and Raritan Valley Line Mayors Alliance. I will get started on improving communications immediately.

5. What inspires you?

The abundance of opportunities for Cranford and the endless willingness of our residents to step up and give time to make our town and each of us better. I grew up in a family that valued public service and everyone was expected to participate.

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