Election 2022: Millburn Town Council Candidate Oyin Owolabi

MILLBURN, NJ — Election Day is coming up, and Patch sent out questionnaires to all candidates seeking local public office.

The Millburn Township Committee election will be held on Nov. 8. Two seats on the five-member committee are up for election that day.

Six people are running for the two seats. You can vote for any two candidates, even though they are running on tickets.

Among the big issues this year: How Millburn will meet its state affordable housing mandate. READ MORE: Emergency Meeting' Will Address Millburn Affordable Housing Mandate

We asked each candidate four serious questions and a more creative question. Here is the candidate profile for Oyin Owolabi.

Name: Oyin Owolabi

Campaign website (if applicable): https://oyinandfrank.com/

Age: 47

Education: Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ

Family information: Husband: Physician; 3 children attending Millburn High School, Millburn Middle School, and the Washington School

Occupation: Director of Research, Colfax Oncology, Clifton, NJ

Other sources of income: n/a

Does anyone in your family work in government or politics? No

Volunteer work and community positions: Elected member Board of Education; Service Unit Manager of Millburn Short Hills, Girl Scouts; Adult Leader, Boy Scouts Troop 15 and 19; Nigerian American Public Affairs Committee, Chairwoman for State of NJ, Millburn Environmental Commission.

Other experience and elected offices: Millburn Board of Education, 2017-2021

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

The best thing about Millburn is that it is a safe, suburban town with an excellent school system. My extended family has lived here for 30 years, and my immediate family has been here for 15 years. We chose to come here for the same reasons as everyone chooses Millburn: top quality schools, as education is the greatest gift we can give to our children, picturesque and safe neighborhoods, great businesses and restaurants, and easy commute to NYC.

I believe that the following can be improved, and I intend to work at these once elected:

1) Revisiting our Fair Share Housing Settlement Agreement so that it is fair for the entire town, especially compared to other similarly situated communities;

2) Eliminating the looming toxic dump housing project that will segregate the residents from the rest of our community;

3) Returning the safety that our residents used to feel in their homes and neighborhoods. We need to invest in technology, equipment, and training to find solutions to deter criminal activity. We must be transparent in all reporting on the police blotter. We must stop blaming our residents and start being much more proactive in crafting creative solutions to prevent crime in Millburn.

What makes you uniquely qualified to serve in this position?

I am the only candidate who has been on the other governing body in Millburn, our Board of Education. I have extensive knowledge and excellent relationships with the Board of Education that will help me to bring the necessary skills to the Township Committee when we plan for the future impact the Fair Share Housing Settlement agreement will have on our town. If elected, I will focus on maintaining the conditions that allow for our children’s excellent schools. I have a scientific background, and I will use my experience and skills to bring a more data-driven, analytical and proactive approach to the challenges that we face.

We first need to identify the problems before we can jump to solutions. We need to stop the stopgap measures and develop a long-term strategy and strategic plan for the Township. I will use my people-driven approach as a unifier to bring our residents, business owners, property owners together with the Township Committee to deal with the enormous issue of state-mandated affordable housing to preserve the quality of life for all of us.

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

I am a registered Republican. I believe in the core values of the party which include fiscal conservatism and constitutional rights for every American. I would urge every voter to consider my qualifications and those of my running mate, Frank Saccomandi, in deciding your vote for local Township Committee. Unlike the other candidates in this race, we have no political party agenda, nor are we beholden to any local developers. We have the relevant experience and credentials to govern.

How do you think Millburn should best meet its affordable housing obligation? Also, do you believe the amount of affordable housing mandated by the state is enough, too little, or too much?

For almost the entirety of the existence of the Mt. Laurel doctrine, Millburn was widely recognized as being a fully developed community with very little developable land. The amount of affordable housing mandated by the state is too much because it essentially changes the nature of our town from suburban to urban. The first goal stated in our Master Plan Reexamination from 2018 is to “encourage appropriate land uses that promote the character of the Township as a small suburb of the highest quality” (emphasis added). While it is possible to satisfy both the affordable housing obligation while maintaining the character of our town, the existing Township Committee has not chosen to do so.

The settlement agreement authorized by our existing Township Committee was the worst deal in the state of New Jersey. It includes a 75-unit 100% income-segregated housing project at the current DPW site as well as high-density zoning changes of up to 40 units/acre that only serve to incentivize overdevelopment. Our campaign has published viable proposals based on court precedent that can help us to avoid these two disastrous components of the existing agreement. Our town does not even need the Fair Share Housing Center to agree, as the binding court precedent would require them to argue why the proposed alternative is invalid. You can find more details, along with in-depth videos on our website: https://oyinandfrank.com/affordable-housing/

Just to have a more offbeat question and learn more about you: if you could donate just one book to the newly renovated Millburn library, which book would you donate, and why?

I am reading a great book at the moment: The Girl with a Louding Voice, by Abi Dare. I would love to donate this book because it is a celebration of girls who dare to dream. It’s an inspiring story about a teenage girl from a rural Nigerian village who longs to get an education so that she can get her “louding voice” and speak for herself.