Election 2022: John Anthony For South Brunswick Council

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — Former correctional officer John Anthony is running for town council on a Republican ticket.

Anthony wants to work towards preserving the natural resources and open spaces in town and talks about the perils of over-development.

Below is his candidate profile.

(All candidates were given the same questions. Answers are candidates' own.)

Editor's Note: Patch sent out the questionnaire to each candidate's email address provided by the County clerk's office. All responses received will be published between now and Nov. 8 general election. Local candidates who did not receive the questionnaire from Patch can contact sarah.salvadore@patch.com.

Name: John Anthony

Age: 38

Town of residence: South Brunswick

Position sought: Town council

Education: South Brunswick schools, Middlesex County vocational high school, Middlesex County college, State of New Jersey Correctional, Police Academy

Occupation: Retired New Jersey State Correctional Police Officer

Previous or current elected appointed office: None

Political Affiliation: Republican

Campaign website: Voteforyourneighbors2022.com

What makes you the best person for this position?

I am the best person for this position because I can dedicate my full attention to improving the town. I do not need to juggle my responsibilities for the town along with a full-time job. I am not a professional politician, I will not let the interest of furthering a career in politics interfere with what is necessary to improve our town. I also do not have any affiliation with any businesses or groups that would cause a conflict of interest with the governing of the town. I am simply one of your neighbors who wants to do what I can to help the town.

Property taxes is always a big election-year topic in South Brunswick. What’s your plan to keep taxes low for residents?

Property tax is a big election topic in South Brunswick, because every year property taxes are increasing and it seems as though our services are decreasing. The first thing that needs to be done is the budget needs to be gone through with a fine tooth comb find out exactly where we’re spending all of our money and see what can be cut from the budget to save our residents money. Our residents deserve better than to have their government spending their money wastefully.

Development is also a big talking point in town. How would you address it?

Development in our town is a major concern. Any town that allows over development will suffer a ill-equipped infrastructure, high taxes and diminishing open space. I would like to limit building to preserve our natural resources and open spaces. I would encourage renovating already existing buildings in town before building new and insist that we build in areas that will be less of a strain on our already crowded roadways.

What are the major challenges facing the community and how would you address them?

A major challenge for South Brunswick is habitat sustainability. It is usually a term used for describing wildlife I believe we can also use it to describe our town. Habitats can only hold a fixed number of occupants. Our infrastructure can only handle a fixed number of occupants. The expansion of our town needs to be done with caution and careful planning. our over-crowded roads and our over-crowded schools are an early warning that we are reaching the limit of our habitat. Eventually we need to decide do we limit building and expansion in our town or do we continue to over build and then try to make massive improvements to the infrastructure at the expense of taxpayers.

What according to you is the best part about living in South Brunswick?

The best part of living in South Brunswick is the people. Even as I travel through town passing through rural areas, small town villages and suburban neighborhoods, the people I have stopped and talked to have always been friendly and inviting. One of the things I heard from asking what they would want me to improve in town is to have more community and social activities. There is a clear interest in keeping South Brunswick’s small town feel and keeping it from turning into one of our urban neighboring towns.

What sets you apart from other candidates?

I have the ability to give my full attention to the town. After I retired, I could have simply moved out of state like so many people do but I still have the drive to help others. I realized my hometown is like a sinking ship I can either abandon it or I can lace up my boots and do everything I can to save it.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

I would like to thank everyone for their time and encourage them to come out and vote Nov. 8.

Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com