Election Profile: Scott Feirstein For Hazlet Township Committee

HAZLET, NJ - Two seats are up for grabs on the Hazlet Township Committee this year with five candidates vying for a spot. Hazlet resident Scott Feirstein is seeking one of them.

Feirstein, 62, is a Republican running under the “For A Better Hazlet” ticket. Incumbents James “Skip” McKay and Mayor Tara Corcoran-Clark, both Republicans, will also be challenged by Democrats Cerrie Virgilio and David Personette.

Feirstein, a 33-year resident of Hazlet, is a security monitor at the domestic violence nonprofit 180 Turning Lives Around and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Law/Justice from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University). He is a retired police officer with 27 years of service under his belt, having served with the South Belmar Police Department for two years and the Marlboro Township Police Department for over 24 years.

His wife Joyce currently works in the tax and sewer municipal departments. The pair have three children, Kyle, Brian and Lindsey (Kyle is self-employed; Brian and Lindsey work for the Monmouth County Sheriff's Department). The Feirsteins also have three grandchildren: Brian, Connor and Addison.

“The reason I am running is that I have differing views on running the township and dealing with the people that work for it,” Feirstein told Patch. “When COVID-19 hit, the current council decided to do away with the Recreation Department, which consisted of a full-time director and a part-timer. COVID restrictions were not going to last forever, and those individuals could have been reassigned to help in other departments. This town always had an excellent recreation program from an affordable summer camp program to individual sports instructional programs to running the Swim Club. Now they farmed out the summer camp to a third party who charges much higher prices and does not employ the Hazlet teens who worked that as their summer jobs.”

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What is your vision for Hazlet in 2022 and beyond?

The township needs to hire and retain the right people for the right jobs and I do not believe that is happening. Our employees should be cross trained to assist wherever they would be needed. We need to stop losing qualified employees because we wind up replacing them with higher paying ones.

Another thing I would do is inspect each park in town and see what needs to be done at each. This would include simple things like benches and trash cans up to grounds maintenance to new equipment. We need to keep ALL the parks up to a standard so parents and children can enjoy the outdoors.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I coached girls softball at HYAL for many years as well as the girls travel team. I had volunteered with Hazlet Recreations Hazlet Day program also for many years. I also spent 2 years as the treasurer of The Rocket Launchers at Raritan High School.

I believe my experiences working for a municipality would be an asset for this position. I have over 20 years in employee/management dealings. I have been involved in 7 different contact negotiations plus dealing with arbitration and grievances at both the local and state level. I have experience as treasurer and vice president of my PBA local and also served terms as President and State Delegate for my FOP Lodge. I am currently in my third term as financial secretary of the Garden State Law Enforcement Officers Association.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I would just like the residents of Hazlet to know that if I win in this primary and then again in the general election I would strive to do what is best for Hazlet. I know that may sound like a cliche but I have a large extended family in this town and I want to make it the best possible place to live for them and their kids.