Leading by Example & Raising the Bar with the Morris Township Trio of Godwin, Rothman, and Lyon

Morris Township residents are often too busy living their lives — enjoying all the township offers them and their families — to stop and think about what makes this way of life possible.

Politics is seen as a grubby business.Understandably so. But our neighbors who give of their time to serve on local committees, boards, and councils are the people to thank for all we appreciate.

I am endlessly impressed and encouraged by the talented individuals who raise their hands in this town. This November’s election is no different — and perhaps raises the bar.

Most candidates for Morris Township Committee bring experience, acumen, and commitment worthy of our residents. Three in particular have gotten my attention.

Jeremy Godwin, Samantha Rothman, and Stephanie Lyon are speaking honestly about their values, what they love about Morris Township, and how we can improve.

In a recent candidate forum, some candidates criticized what they thought may be true about various important contracts and key aspects of municipal finances — while Stephanie, Sam, and Jeremy had done their homework, reviewed publicly available documentation in detail, and shared where prior officials had gotten it right and where they would take a different approach.

For instance, as a communications professional, Jeremy pointed out how challenging it could be for a typical citizen to find key information about upcoming development projects, if they knew what was happening in the first place.

Rather than speculate about impenetrable financial statements, Sam had already sat down with the officials responsible for maintaining solvency and monetary health, poring over the numbers to wrap her arms around the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

When housing development was raised, Stephanie spoke candidly on the matter, appreciating the importance of affordable housing additions and discussing the import to the community, focused more on practical reality of ensuring shelter for all than the political expediency of saying yes-but-not-here.

Quality of life is driven by more pedestrian matters — pun fully intended.And the Township Trio has done the legwork on pedestrian and bicycle safety, first responder equipment funding prioritization, as well as hyper-local matters such as vehicle speed on residential streets.

Sam, Stephanie, and Jeremy have led by example with civic volunteerism.They encourage and inspire others to do the same, acknowledging the bedrock of participation underpinning society.

They also know that parks and trees are the lungs of the township, that shared services with neighboring towns can make even more possible, and that an idle senior bus is a problem worth solving.

Thank you to the League of Women Voters for giving my neighbors a chance to get to know all those aspiring to Township Committee. Thank you to all the candidates for investing yourselves in our delightful burg.And thank you to everyone who does their civic duty this November — or sooner!