Warren General Election Profile: Michael Marion, George Lazo

WARREN, NJ — Warren's general election on Nov. 3 has four candidates running for two open seats on the Township Committee. Incumbent Republican candidates Michael "Mick" C. Marion, 55, and George Lazo, 57 are running together on the ticket.

Marion has 25 years of corporate business experience at Michael E. Marion & Associates Inc., a global management consulting firm with proven success as a Senior Executive and Owner. He also has 18 years of entrepreneurial real estate consulting and property management ownership.

Marion and his wife, Sheila, have been married for 29 years and have lived in Warren for 21 years. They have 3 children. Scott, 23 graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fairfield University in May 2019. Samantha, 21 is a junior at Syracuse University studying Information Technology. Luke, 16 is a sophmore at Delbarton. Sheila taught in the Somerville Public School system for 8 years before raising their family. Sheila has worked as a facilitator for the Somerset County, Child Assault Prevention program for the past 6 years and has also been very active in the Warren Township schools as a past PTO president and council member.

Marion has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from the State University of New York, Syracuse University, New York.

Lazo has worked for the past 34 years as Senior Executive for Marriott International as a leading service provider. Lazo has experience at Marriott in Leadership roles in both Operations and Sales has led to a significant focus on service and delivery to our residents, businesses, and Township Staff.

Lazo and his wife Monica, a registered nurse at Children's Specialized Hospital of Mountainside, have been married for 31 years – 24 of which have been spent living in Warren. George and Monica have two children. Their son Dylan, 28, graduated with an Accounting Degree from La Salle University. He is now living and working in Philly as a Senior Accountant. Their daughter Whitney, 25, graduated with a degree in Government and Politics from The University of Maryland in May 2017. She just completed her second year of Law School at Seton Hall.

Lazo has a Bachelor or Science Degree in Hospitality Management.

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Campaign website

Website: vote-marion-lazo.com

Instagram: @marion_lazo_2020

Facebook: Marion & Lazo – Warren Town Council

Why are you seeking elective office?

Our goal when we first ran for public office in Warren has remained unchanged — we seek to represent the Warren residents as best we can. That passion for public service to Warren has compelled us to serve our friends, neighbors, and residents for the past nine-plus years and has been critical in times of need, which has become no more obvious than in the current pandemic. As Mayor and Deputy Mayor, we have been relentless in meeting with various emergency, health, and government officials and providing information, resources, and direction to help all our residents in Warren. We televise regular meetings to address the many issues surrounding the pandemic and how to meet those challenges in Warren. We also have been sending frequent email and social media messages to people in town and established new social media network and a new camera for our live meetings, all in an effort to keep our community as up-to-date with information as we can during these difficult times. We have been visiting businesses in Town and working with health officials to develop policies and ordinances that help our residents be prepared to return to the "new normal" as efficiently as possible. Our almost decade long experience on the Warren Township Committee has prepared us to be able to address these issues without delay, and our longstanding and deep roots and ties to our wonderful Town fuels our daily efforts to do so. Our response to this unprecedented and tragic event is but the current example of why we wish to continue our public service to Warren. We stand ready to continue to meet today's challenges and those, yet unknown, challenges of tomorrow.

The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Much like the rest of the Country (and world), Warren's most current pressing issues surround the pandemic, as addressed in our response above. Probably the most pressing issue facing Warren prior to the pandemic, and which Warren likely will be facing during and after the pandemic, is managing Warren's fair-share housing obligations. As many of you may know, Warren, like all other towns in this State, is subject to fair-share housing claims that have been making their way through the court system. As decade-long residents of this great rural Town, we have challenged Trenton-mandated housing requirements and continue to fight for fellow residents to try to manage our own housing goals locally. This is a time—more important than ever—that experienced leadership is needed for our Township on this issue. This is what we bring to the table
on this critical issue, and we will continue to vigorously defend the small town character
of Warren in which we have raised and continue to raise our families.

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

While there may be others, the two most distinguishing characteristics between us and the other candidates are our extensive governmental experience and knowledge of our Town, which are critical to good governance. You have to know your community and know how to do what is needed for your town, and we do. We have been serving this Town for almost a decade and have navigated and addressed a multitude of issues facing Warren, from fiscal matters to open space and beyond. Nothing can take the place of that experience. Similarly, we have been actively involved in various Town organizations and functions for decades, as well. That intense and intimate involvement with our friends and neighbors has given us an important insight into the opinions and desires of our Warren residents, which can be varied at times. With these experiences, we have been able to help Warren achieve important goals, which we highlight elsewhere in our responses.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

In addition to the pandemic and affordable housing matters already addressed, we continue to champion and pursue the pillars on which Warren rests — fiscal responsibility, open space / rural character, and safety. During our tenure, we have maintained a fiscal responsibility that has minimized tax impacts to our residents, while providing the quality services our Town has come to expect. Indeed, for this year, we were able to deliver those same exemplary services without raising taxes for the Township. That is rarified air in today’s times. As a result of this stewardship, Warren has enjoyed a AAA bond rating by Standard & Poor's and Moody's, which translates into financial savings and options for our Town. We also continue to value and preserve open
space, improve our parks and trails, and maintain our historic sites, all of which exemplifies the beautiful rural character of our Town. Even the sophisticated and diverse options available in our downtown have retained the Town's overall quaint nature with the planning employed and use of florals and arrangements. Overall, we have maintained hundreds of acres of open space, most recently obtaining 25 acres on Ferguson Avenue. All of this might be lost if not for the exemplary safety services we have continued to maintain in Warren. We always work closely with our Police, EMS, Fire, and OEM, to provide them with the training and tools they need so they can ensure our residents continue to be provided with the safety and security each home and business has come to expect. All our efforts on the Township Committee have contributed to Warren being nominated as the Top Town by New Jersey Monthly magazine in 2013 and being named the 3rd Safest Town in New Jersey by SafeWise in 2018 and the 29th Safest in the Nation by Alarms.org in 2020. We are also extremely proud to have been unanimously endorsed by the Warren Township P.B.A., Local #235. We have worked hard with our law enforcement to ensure that the highest level of protection is provided to our community. Safety has been, and continues to be, of paramount importance to us, and we could not be more humbled by the endorsement of our Police force.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Marion: Member of the Warren Township Committee since 2011, having also served as Mayor – 2015, 2020 and Deputy Mayor 2014,2019. Lord Stirling School- past board member. School for disadvantaged and at risk children; raised much needed funds to bring in needed resources. Twelve years of experience as an active and past board member for Watchung Hills Basketball Association, Boys Commissioner, Watchung Hills Pop Warner Football & Cheer Organization. Six years Treasurer resulting in zero debt to the organization while at the same time contributing to the property management of the complex which had a direct impact on lower taxes for the Township. Eight years coaching boys lacrosse and former 2 year Co-President of The Hills Lacrosse Club.

Lazo: Member of the Warren Township Committee since 2011, having also served as Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Ten-year Recreation Board Member and instrumental in reducing Township "costs and manpower" by transitioning all youth sports organizations away from the Township Recreation Commission and into private organizations. Founded WYBA (Warren Youth Basketball Association for Boys and Girls) working closely with each Township K-8 school to secure available gym time. Assisted in coordinating a successful Warren Township Recreation Survey to identify priority Recreational needs for all demographics from Youths to Seniors. Nineteen year Executive Board Member and President for Warren's oldest youth athletic organization, Pop Warner Football & Cheer. Negotiated a comprehensive agreement with Somerset County and Warren Township to defer costs and manpower from the Township by privately improving, maintaining, and operating East County Reserve Complex- raised more than $750,000 of private money to do so. Coached girls lacrosse for three years, and organized and managed Warren Township Fishing Derby for 6 years and the Summer Concert Series for 5 years. Former State Board Member for N.J. Junior Achievement, and Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation

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

We have noted some of our accomplishments over the past almost decade on the Warren Township Committee in responses to prior questions and think they evidence our desire and ability to serve the best interests of Warren. These included lowering taxes for FY 2020, as well as devising a three-year budget plan to ease taxation on residents based on planning, forecasting, and fiscal restraint. In addition to these accomplishments, we have also implemented an annual street paving effort to help maintain the quality expected in Warren and established a Park-and-Ride program to help serve our residents. Moreover, we initiated the East County Reserve, which
provides fields and a park for our residents, as well as two dog parks and many trails.

We also include shade and gazebo structures and benches in the Reserve, so all our residents can relax and enjoy the beauty Warren has to offer. We continue our commitment to open space and land preservation, most recently acquiring a 20-plus acre farm lot on Ferguson Road. In total, the Township has now preserved over 500 acres of open space utilizing the Open Space/ Recreation and Historic Trust Fund. Our dedication to the environment remains strong, with Warren Township having been selected to receive a 2020 ANJEC (Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions) Environmental Achievement Award and Silver Certification from Sustainable New Jersey (only one of 46 out 565 municipalities in the State of New Jersey to receive that certification).

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Marion: Integrity — never compromise your integrity and always do what is right, regardless of any outside pressures. Work hard to represent all your constituents, and while you may never make everyone happy, they all will respect your sincere efforts.

Lazo: What do you do when people aren't looking... Actions speak louder than words. Success is defined as: finding the best in others; giving of one’s self; earning the approbation of honest critics; enduring the betrayal of false friends; and ultimately, leaving the world a bit better.

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

In our nine years since being elected officials, it has been most rewarding to solve problems and help all the residents in our Town. Public service is not always easy, and one may often have to wear many hats, but it is the love of our home and community that provides the drive to continue and always seek to better Warren. In sum, we want to continue to evolve and provide the quality services in a fiscally responsible way that our residences and businesses have come to expect.