Gregory Gillette: Hillsborough BOE Candidate Profile

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ —There is a contested race for the Hillsborough Board of Education election this upcoming November election with five candidates vying for the three open seats.

Incumbent Gregory Gillette is among the five candidates running for the three, three-year seats in the election being held on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The other four candidates include: John Oliver, Paul Marini, Joyce Eldridge-Howard, and Jean Trujillo.

Here is a look at who Gillette is and why he is running. Candidates were asked to answer the same questions and each candidate profile will be posted on Patch's site as it gets closer to the election.

Gregory Gillette

Describe yourself:

I am a longtime New Jersey resident and have lived in Hillsborough since 1993. I was elected to the Hillsborough Township Board of Education in 2007 and also serve as chair of the Historic Preservation Commission. I have also served on the Hillsborough-Millstone Municipal Alliance and as chair of the Cultural Arts Commission.

Along with my wife, Patty, I have also served as co-chair of "Central New Jersey Walk Now for Autism," the local chapter of the international research and awareness organization Autism Speaks.

A music major at New York University, I spent most of my career in the Entertainment Division of the Six Flags Corporation where I was primarily responsible for writing and producing live educational assembly programs for New Jersey school children.

I am currently a full-time stay-at-home dad, concentrating on raising my two children, and on community service. People may know me best as the writer/editor of Gillette On Hillsborough, a local history blog and Facebook Page that I have been producing since 2007. I am currently 56 years old.

Why are you running for school board again?

I am very honored and humbled to have been elected to serve the residents of Hillsborough and Millstone as a school board member. As I look to the challenges that face this school district in the near future, I feel that there is no other person running more qualified and prepared to meet these challenges with leadership, insight, and most importantly integrity.

Why do you feel you are qualified for this position?

My long experience on the school board makes me uniquely qualified to serve the people of Hillsborough and Millstone. In 2010, after a multi-million dollar reduction in state aid led to dozens of teachers and other employees being laid off, I helped bring the district back to prior staffing levels through diligent financial oversight and cost-saving strategies. As we face what could be an even greater financial crisis, I am again prepared to not only "lend" my knowledge to the board, but to "lead" the way back.

What are some issues you would like to address if elected?

The number one issue to be addressed is the settlement of the contract with the 1,000 members of the Hillsborough Education Association. There is great value for our community in having a new three-year contract in place, and although I am not currently on the board's negotiating team, I will take my re-election as a mandate to assert myself to the greatest degree possible in order to settle the contract.

The second issue is the district's near-term and long-term financial stability. To a great extent the financial problems the district is facing are not of its own making. State aid continues to decrease at the same time costs for special education, transportation, and health care continue to increase. Having said that, I have disagreed these past two years with some of the district's spending decisions, and will continue to call out irresponsible financial planning when I see it. I will also continue to suggest ways to fix the unfair state aid funding formula (as I have done in the past) and am prepared to lobby Trenton on behalf of Hillsborough's taxpayers.

Thirdly, we need to go back and "push reset" on the district's Strategic Plan. The current financial crisis demands a complete reexamination of priorities. While Hillsborough will need a new High School someday - and I hope that when that time comes it will be a wonderful building - it needs to move down the list. First we need to fix the current school buildings. We can do that now by borrowing over a 20-year period and taking advantage of "debt service aid" from the state - essentially a 1/3 off coupon. Because our old bonds from 20 years ago will be retired and the debt service on the new bonds will be less than the debt service on the old bonds, the taxpayer will end up paying less in taxes than they do currently, and all of the schools will be repaired. This will be a great benefit to our students and staff. I would also like the board to better address the needs of our special education students. I asked that special education initiatives be part of the strategic plan previously, but I was rebuffed. This is wrong. Ultimately we will be judged on how we take care of the neediest among us.

Finally, I have become aware that the public is losing trust in the board. It is difficult, if not impossible, for me to address this while not in a leadership position, as the board president is the official spokesperson for the board and the only one permitted to speak for the board. I would like people to remember that when I was board president in 2017 I served in that position with honesty and integrity, and allowed complete and open communication from the public and from board members. I am still that same person today, even if my current position on the board does not allow me to act on it. I will continue to serve with those qualities the next three years.

— (If you are a candidate and would like to participate in the election profile, email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com)

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