Livingston Council Election Profiles: Dr. Rosaura “Rosy” Bagolie

LIVINGSTON, NJ — What are the most important issues in Livingston? What should happen with affordable housing? How much does one's political party influence local issues? Livingston's seven Township Council candidates recently participated in a debate.

They also have answered questions from the press, including from Patch.

Patch has posted the Q&A's we've received (see the latest below). Watch for more election coverage before the Nov. 8 election.

The three Democrats, three Republicans, and an independent are vying for three seats on the five-member Township Council.

• Note that you can (and should!) submit letters, photos, events, and releases to be posted on Patch by following these instructions.
  
• Find out when and how to cast your ballot on the town's website here.

Below are candidate Dr. Rosaura "Rosy" Bagolie's answers.

NAME: Dr. Rosaura “Rosy” Bagolie

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE (if applicable): https://2022.livingstondems.org

AGE: 42

EDUCATION:
2020 Master of Education Ed.M. Learning Disabilities Teacher- Consultant Rutgers University 2012 Applied Behavior Analysis BCBA Certification Program University of West Florida
2012 Doctor of Education Ed.D. Educational Leadership, Management, and Policy Seton Hall University
2003 Master of Arts M.A. Elementary Education Seton Hall University
2001 Bachelor of Arts B.A. Social and Behavioral Sciences Seton Hall University

FAMILY INFORMATION AND WHERE FAMILY MEMBERS ARE ATTENDING SCHOOL (be as specific or non-specific as you want)

Husband: Ricky Bagolie, Attorney, Past President Passaic - Clifton Chapter UNICO National, Great Cook;
Children: Frank Bagolie, Sophomore, Livingston High School, Lacrosse Goalie; Jacob, twin of Aaron, 8th Grade at Heritage Middle School, Football Lineman, Actor in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Volunteer at TBJ;
Aaron, twin of Jacob, 8th Grade at Heritage Middle School, Builds Games in Roblox, Master of 3D Printer, Comedian

OCCUPATION: Superintendent of the East Newark School District, Building Principal & Learning Disabilities Teaching Consultant (LDT-C).

OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME: Educate Testing LLC- Bilingual Educational Testing Services

DOES ANYONE IN YOUR FAMILY WORK IN GOVT OR POLITICS? No

VOLUNTEER WORK, COMMUNITY POSITIONS: I am highly involved in giving back to my hometown community and am dedicated to helping minority and underprivileged youth. I participate in coat and clothing drives, food drives, and scholarship programs. I am an active member of my synagogue and support programs from the Community Foodbank of NJ and Livingston Neighbors Helping Neighbors. In addition, I counsel families of children with special needs at no cost, helping them to navigate the process of special education so they can be the best advocate for their children.

OTHER EXPERIENCE AND ELECTED OFFICES:

Questions about your thoughts and stances in the race:

1. What is the best thing about Livingston, and what are some things you believe should be improved?

I love this town and am so glad we moved here to raise our family. The best thing about Livingston is its people and our sense of community. This is truly what sets us apart. We band together like no other place I have ever lived. If someone is down, we pick them up. If a family needs help, we all step up and ask how we can help. I believe that our growing town needs to improve and expand our recreational and social opportunities. From playing fields and sports to community gardens to public concerts, public displays of art (remember the life-sized sculptures placed around town a few years ago for our bicentennial?), or just adding additional “hang-out” space for our teens. I believe that recreation and entertainment bring our community together while improving wellness and mental health for our students, adults, and seniors alike, and we need more of it.

As we, all, look to the future, my plan for strategic growth and growth with purpose depends on working collaboratively and in cooperation with all stakeholders, including the Board of Education, EMS, fire department, DPW, police, and the residents. The opportunity humbles me, and It’s time for me to give back to the community I love.

2. What makes you uniquely qualified to serve in this position?

Holding a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Management, and Planning, I am a Certified Business Administrator and School Superintendent with over 21 years of experience in public service. Part of my strength is that running a school district has also given me the crossover experience needed to be effective as a councilperson from day one in that I have learned to communicate openly and successfully with all stakeholders, make decisions with transparency, given the best information available, successfully negotiate with unions, advocate for funding and grants while working within a budget (anyone who knows me knows I take budgets seriously and do not spend money frivolously) and to provide a service that pleases the public and serves their needs.

I am a mom running because I see a need on our Town Council for diversity, energy, and a fresh new perspective, as well as someone who can say no to power while working collaboratively but without being a rubber stamp. To help us grow strategically, while maintaining our hometown feel, we need individuals on the council, such as myself, with experience in the inner workings of our schools to help collaborate for our future. I believe our council needs new ideas, problem-solvers, creative thinking, successful negotiators, and experts during a time of change, and I am someone who brings all these qualities to the table. I care deeply for our families and community and look forward to earning your vote on November 8th.

3. With which political party are you registered? How much do you think political party, and national politics, should matter in the local race?

I am a proud Democrat running with my Team, running-mates Shawn and Ed, our fellow democratic councilmen Al Anthony, Rudy Fernandez, and Michael Vieira, and our Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill and Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. This Team, united, is the perfect mix of new perspective and steady leadership that Livingston and our government needs.

Your vote sets the tone for our town, so be wary when you are told to “vote the individual and not the party,” or national Issues don’t belong in a local race. Be wary because it does matter, now more than ever. The individual running can’t help but be shaped by the party they have chosen to represent their ideals, and no matter how hard they try to carve themselves out from the party, they are intertwined.

I want to live in a town where our leaders share my values. We know a council vote cannot restore the rights taken away by the repeal of Roe v. Wade or prevent an AR-15 assault-rifle from being sold to a high school student. Still, the symbolic votes or proclamations made by our Democratic Council set the tone and raise the bar for all to follow. It loudly and proudly signifies our ideals and states “this is what our town believes in and what we stand for”. It helps create an atmosphere of acceptance and tolerance, which we want; this is why knowing a candidate's party and belonging to a party matters in local elections.

4. How do you think Livingston should provide affordable housing, and what sort of development would you like to see in town in the future?

My goal to find a balance between affordable, commercial, and general housing is strategic growth or growth with purpose. Livingston is attractive to developers because we have done a great job at being a town where people want to be and move to…but we need oversight and limits with an eye toward preserving our hometown feel. I see myself as that watchdog over that growth.

All New Jersey municipalities—not just Livingston—are required by the Mount Laurel Doctrine to plan, zone for, and take affirmative steps to offer reasonable possibilities for their "fair share" of the affordable housing needs. I understand that before we can develop a strategic plan for growth, we must first establish a clear community vision of what our town wants to be, for, without vision, we are reacting to growth instead of creating, controlling, and managing it. We must be proactive in our approach, and this is best accomplished by working cooperatively and in collaboration with all stakeholders: the Board of Education; all of our municipal departments; our citizens, in an environment of partnership and transparency.

Believe that I will scrutinize each developer's application and its actual impact on the community and not just be a rubber stamp. As a town, we need to negotiate where we can and fight when we must while also exploring more creative options to help us mitigate the impact we will experience.

5. Just to have a more offbeat question: If you could donate just one book to the Livingston library, which book would you donate, and why?

I would probably donate Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. I still pick up this book and read it to this day. Written by Elizabeth, New Jersey’s own Judy Blume — my hometown — it is a book with a lot of personal meaning to me. For one, it was the first book I was able to read on my own in English. It is filled with humor and idioms that were difficult for me to understand as a bilingual child. Most of all it was the first book given to me by my favorite teacher Mr. Monesterski. He instilled in me a love of reading and a passion for learning; even after he left the profession, he was a friend and a mentor. There are not many educators like my fourth grade teacher, and I miss him very much. I hope he looks down on me, proud of his student, as much as I looked up to him.