Election Profile: Edward J. Zipprich For Red Bank Borough Council

RED BANK, NJ – The New Jersey primary election on July 7 will challenge an array of candidates seeking to fill open seats at the town, county and state level. Two seats on the Red Bank Borough Council will be open this November, with Democrats Edward J. Zipprich and Michael Ballard seeking to keep their spots. Two Republicans, Jonathan Maciel Penney and Brian Irwin, will challenge the incumbents for the coveted seats.

Zipprich served for 25 years as a Purchasing & Operations Management of AmLaw, a law firm in New York City. He is the Democratic Municipal Chairman of Red Bank, Regional Vice Chair of the Monmouth County Democrats and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2012 and 2016 (he was an alternate delegate in 2020). He is a member on the Board of Trustees of the Count Basie Center for the Arts and a founding member of the NJ Democratic State LGBTQ Caucus.

Zipprich was also a former member of the Red Bank Centennial Celebration Committee, former president of NJ Stonewall Democrats, former chair of Monmouth County Democracy for America chapter and former vice president of the Red Bank Borough Education Foundation. He holds a B.S. from the State University of New York at Brockport and was named a Bohnett Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2012.

Zipprich lives with his spouse, JP Nicolaides, and daughter Mary Cate Zipprich.

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Why are you seeking elective office?

Building on the successes of representing a diverse community as the first openly gay elected official, I am seeking a fifth term to represent my neighbors and business community fairly and equally. My commitment to my community is evident over the course of the past 15 years of my volunteerism and passion for a town I am proud to call my home. As we look to the future of Red Bank, I will continue to fight to protect our historic fabric and landmarks as well as preserve the downtown business community to keep it visible, viable and prosperous.
The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The Coronavirus Pandemic and its impact on municipal government and the business community. I intend to continue to educate our community and participate in programing that is made available at every level of government to help Red Bank and its residents and businesses come through this historic pandemic.

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

I have twelve years experience as a member of this governing body which started prior to the Great Recession and the crash of the markets in 2009. I assisted with implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on the local level to help put the Borough back on track to prosperity and then again during and after Superstorm Sandy in 2012 where our recovery was critical to the local residential and business community.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

I have focused as Chair of the Department of Public Utilities committee on rebuilding Red Bank’s aging infrastructure. Red Bank has secured a DOT grant of $290,000 for re-surfacing Broad Street and sewer reconstruction has begun being funded through the New Jersey infrastructure bank. My running mate and I have shown our commitment to maintaining our local parks by rebuilding the track at Count Basie Field and making improvements to Eastside park. We have worked shoulder to shoulder with the business community and RiverCenter to rebuild the English Plaza parking lot and streetscape on White Street. We are prepared to finish the parking enhancements on White Street and enhance the White Street parking lot.

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

The nomination to the Ten Most Endangered (Landmark) List of Preservation NJ and the ultimate protection and saving of the T. Thomas Fortune House which opened its doors as a Cultural Center in 2019. The creation of the Washington Street Historic District. Elevating and passing legislation to empower the Red Bank Historic Preservation Commission. Adopting a bicycle and pedestrian plan to the Master Plan of the Borough. Moving forward on rebuilding the town's water treatment facility and building an additional well to enhance Red Bank's firm capacity of clean, safe water. Hiring a new Public Works Director and several other department heads, including creating a technology director to bring our municipal government into the 21st century. Supporting a management enhancement review and commissioning a report as a roadmap to the future of our town. Also, recommending a parking enhancement report based on current, actual data for recommendations that lead to implementation of a plan.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Be a leader, not a follower!

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

A great many of my neighbors know me and have become friends. I look forward to engaging in conversation with folks all around our wonderful town. My work with the RiverCenter board and business community has fostered a positive and symbiotic relationship which is mutually beneficial. I am an ardent supporter of the arts with both the Basie and Two River Theater as well as Monmouth Arts. I also give back through my work with LunchBreak and support the Boys and Girls Club of Red Bank.