Millburn Township Committee Candidate Profile: Annette Romano

MILLBURN, NJ — New Jersey's Primary Election Day is June 7. Locally, three Democratic candidates are facing off that day to become the two nominees to run for two seats on the Millburn Township Committee in November. They will face two Republicans for the open seats.

Patch sent out questionnaires to local candidates and will be running the profiles of those in contested primary elections.

The three running as Democrats for the two seats are Annette Romano (see her profile and answers below), Michael H. Cohen, and Jeffrey Feld.

The local Democratic Committee, chaired by Romano, has endorsed Romano and Cohen for the seats.

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Below are Annette Romano's answers.

Name

Annette Romano

City or town of residence

Millburn

Office sought

Millburn Township Committee

Party affiliation

Democrat

Education

Bachelors of Science- Human Resources Management

Occupation

Human Resources Administrator

Family

Married and raised 3 adult children that attended the Millburn Public School system from
Pre-School to graduation

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

n/a

Age

n/a

Previous public office, appointive or elective

n/a

Why are you seeking this office?

I was raised in Millburn-Short Hills, and, in due course, my husband and I raised our children here. Millburn-Short Hills is a wonderful place to live and to raise a family.
The safety of our residents is of upmost importance to me. I want to make sure that our first
responders have the tools and technology to ensure the continued well- being of our residents.

I also plan to work closely on the Township Committee with the professionals in regards to
current and future development in our community. We are currently paying for the neglect of past administrations.

Affordable housing has been in existence since the 1980's or earlier. An unanswered question
over the years is why it took Millburn so long to adopt affordable housing in our community.

In addition, I would like to continue to address our ongoing flooding issues. Homes that never flooded before are now experiencing water damage. There is a list of needed mitigation
priorities due to recent storms. We have to continue to work closely with surrounding
communities, counties and elected officials to address any and all possible solutions.
My running mate and I are pledged to help restore a sense of civility and good will to the
proceedings of our Township Committee.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is
___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Flood Mitigation: The current Flood Mitigation committee is doing a great job of addressing the ongoing flooding issues in our town. Having grown up in Millburn I can tell you that I've seen my share of flooding disasters in our community. As I mentioned earlier, I will work with our elected officials throughout the state to find the solutions to help with flooding. Having worked with the American Red Cross, disaster preparedness must be taught in our community, especially in the areas that tend to flood. These tools can ensure residents safety and teach other tools that can help in the event of future disasters. It's going to happen again, our neighbors need to be prepared.:

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this
post?

Michael and I love our community and wish to serve and see it flourish. Our opponent has
several lawsuits open against the town. He is suing the township over its 9-11 Memorial.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the
community?

n/a

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Gun Safety, Public Safety. Transparency, and open government

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

I'm a career problem solver. I work very well with people. I'm a good listener. I have the ability to multi-task and wear many hats. I'm a uniter not a divider.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Be who you are, because being who you are got you to where you are.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am very passionate about my community. I've been a volunteer in some capacity for the past 30 years. I'm a public servant. I saw the need in our community for a food pantry, and with determination I made it happen. I want to serve all the people of MSH. I ran twice before. I care about the future of this town. I want to continue to move Millburn forward in a positive, responsible way. I will make myself available to our residents.

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