Election 2023: Wayne Council Candidate Mercedes Aguirre

WAYNE, NJ — In the 2023 general election, residents in Wayne will be voting for state, county, and township officials, as well as the local school board. Patch has asked candidates in contested races to answer profiles about their campaigns.

Early voting begins Oct. 28 in Wayne and across New Jersey, for the general election Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Here is the candidate profile of Mercedes Aguirre, the Democrat challenger for Ward 4 on the Wayne Township Council.

Editor's Note: Patch sent out emails to all candidates to the email addresses listed for their campaign provided to the county clerk’s office. The responses received will be published between now and the Nov. 7 general election. Local candidates who would like to participate but did not receive one (for whatever reason) can contact Michelle.Rotuno-Johnson@patch.com.

Name: Mercedes Aguirre

Age: 27

Town of residence: Wayne

Position sought: Town Council (Ward 4)

Family information: I am a daughter, sister, and proud aunt to my two wonderful nephews.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, Doctorate in Physical Therapy

Occupation: Pediatric Physical Therapist

Have you held any elected or appointed offices before? If so, what are they?

I have not held an elected position at the town level; however, I have various leadership positions which demonstrate my qualifications for this current position. I attend Capitol Hill meetings in D.C annually and I am one of the Federal Affairs Liaisons for the APTA (American Physical Therapy Association) and the NJ Pediatric Advocacy Liaison. I have also been invited to speak at several professional meetings hosted across the country to teach other PTs on how they can advocate for their patients at a national and state level. I was the Passaic County Local Legislative Lead for Moms Demand Action and I am an active member of the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey. I am also a strong advocate of disability rights, hold a leadership position in a DEI committee and my abstracts regarding dismantling ableism within our society have been accepted to 4 different national conferences.

Why are you running for this position (or running for re-election, if you are an incumbent)?

In February of 2022, I became a U.S citizen after 20 years of living in this country. I am running to give back to the country that has provided an endless amount of opportunity and to protect the town she has grown up in. The town has drastically changed since I moved 15 years ago.

What sets you apart from other candidates?

I currently work as a pediatric Physical Therapist helping the littles ones of Wayne take their first steps and bring their families joy. I grow very close to the families I work with. I advocate for my families every day. I call their insurance companies, primary care providers, and even assist them in the process of transitioning to the public school system with a child with a disability. I also advocate for them regarding gun violence prevention in the county. I go to Capitol Hill on a regular basis and advocate for improving health care access and increasing funding for children with disabilities who receive services in the school system. I want to run because I will advocate for your family just the same no matter what background you are from.

I am also the new voice that Wayne needs. Our town is going to change drastically due to residential over developments. The ways we have been dealing with issues are no longer going to apply. Wayne needs someone who will be more future thinking, not cut corners to stabilize taxes and instead seek real long term solutions.

As a Wayne Township council member, what would be your main priority and/or focus?

My highest priority as a council member will be to make sure our town is ready for the 4th round of the affordable housing mandate. Wayne has given our task to meet our affordable housing mandate in the 3rd round to private developers. To put it simply, we needed about 500 affordable housing units, but because we gave our task to private developers, we will have about 2,500 extra units that are not affordable that we do not need to meet our state mandate. That doesn’t mean it's only about 3,000 people moving in, these are families who are going to be moving in, an estimated around 9-10,000 people if you are considering how many rooms there are in those units. I will strive to provide alternatives to residential over development, so that we do not make the same mistakes for the 4th round.

Wayne saw the biggest municipal tax hike since 2008 was passed this year, and the township's population keeps increasing. What should township officials prioritize moving forward?
In 2021, the mayor reported that since 2008, they have eliminated 42 full-time employees in the town. Our town has been running with low resources because instead of looking for a solution to stabilizing taxes, we have been cutting corners and decreasing our resources. We need to take a look at getting grants from the county and state to help us in our town projects.
We also need to actively market our town for businesses to come in. We can't just have a vacant building and expect a business to come. We need to make sure we actively search for small businesses. We also need to have a Wayne Economic Development Commission. This is important, so that residents and business owners in Wayne can have a say in how we can bring other businesses to Wayne to bring in positive ratables.

What do you think makes Wayne Township shine - what makes it a desirable place to live? What could use some more work?

My family moved to Wayne because of its school system. Many families move to Wayne for the same reason. If we do not protect our schools and find alternatives to residential over developments, our schools that are already reaching their max capacity of students will become overcrowded and when they do we will need to build new schools which will be a huge tax burden to Wayne residents.

Is there anything else you'd like to share about yourself or your campaign?

As a pediatric physical therapist, I work with children with disabilities. I have presented on the topic of disability justice at various national conferences and I work with DEI committees in my professional organization. Once elected, I will promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in Wayne. I will also promote a culture of belonging. Coming from an immigrant background and not being a US citizen for 20 years living in this country, I know what it feels like to not know where you belong and I will strive to make sure everyone feels like they belong in this town no matter what background they are from. If you would like to learn more about me or have any questions, please visit my website: https://www.mercedes4ward4.com/

More info on election deadlines and early voting

For new voters, New Jersey’s deadline to register for the Nov. 7 election is Oct. 17. This is also the deadline for people who need to update their registration to change their name or their address on their voter record.

In-person early voting for the general election will be Oct. 28-Nov. 5. Hours will be Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.to 6 p.m. The Wayne location is Wayne Main Library, at 461 Valley Road.

If you are already registered to vote and want to check your registration status or see where your polling place is, you can do so online.

Any New Jersey voter may apply for a vote-by-mail ballot by completing the application and returning it to their county clerk's office.

Then, they may return it by mail, in a secure ballot drop box, or at the county Board of Elections office.

All 40 of New Jersey’s legislative districts also have elections this year for state Senate and General Assembly seats. A full list of state Senate and General Assembly candidates is on the state’s website.

Related articles:

• School Board Elections 2023: See Who Filed To Run In Wayne Township
• Wayne Election 2023: See Council Candidates Who Filed To Run
• Elections 2023: See Who Filed To Run For Passaic County Offices