Meet Bridget Hlava, Running For Old Bridge Township Council
OLD BRIDGE, NJ — Two people are running for one seat, Ward 2, on the Old Bridge town council. They are: Bridget Hlava, a Democrat and Darin Accettulli, Republican.Earlier this year, Accettulli was appointed by the sitting Council to fill the vacant Ward 2 seat.Patch asked both Accettulli and Hlava the same set of questions to introduce themselves to voters, and only Hlava got back to us. Here are her answers:Provide a brief bio on yourself. Age, education, occupation.Bridget Hlava, 51. I have a BA in communication from Rutgers University.I began my career in employee benefits almost 29 years ago. I am currently a senior consultant with one of the world’s largest insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting firms. My experience includes employee benefits consulting, risk management, vendor governance and pharmacy audit.I am running to represent my neighbors in Ward 2 on the Old Bridge Town Council.How long have you lived in Old Bridge? Have you ever run for elected position before?I have lived in Old Bridge a combined 36 years, having moved away for a number of years, returning 11 years ago.I currently hold, and have held various executive board positions with local community organizations:Vice President, Old Bridge High School PTSACo-Coordinator, Old Bridge Schools PTA Presidents CouncilVice President (former President), Lakeridge Community AssociationTreasurer, OBHS Air Force JR ROTC Parents AssociationTrustee, Old Bridge Educational FoundationFormer executive board member of the McDivitt and Carl Sandburg PTAsFormer Treasurer, BSA Troop 129Why are you running?I, like so many of my friends and neighbors, have become increasingly frustrated at the growing polarization in local politics, so prevalent at the state and national levels. In addition, I want to bring the focus of the conversation on our council back to local issues, rather than larger governmental or societal debates, in which we have little influence.What experience do you have that would make you a good member of the town Council?In addition to my volunteer experience referenced above, I am also a seasoned professional with close to 29 years of consulting experience. Over the course of my career I have provided project management and vendor governance support to my clients, including vendor selection and management, system design and build, HR and workstream integration, compliance, risk and data management. My professional experience requires me to be a problem solver, able to manage large projects and budgets, involving stakeholders with sometimes conflicting priorities. This translates well to the challenges facing local government.Where has Old Bridge succeeded in the past four years, and where has it failed or could improve?There are a lot of great things happening in town, such as making good use of open space, with a new golf course and Cottrell Farm Park. Promoting a permanent Police Chief after several years where the position was filled by officers on an interim basis. Our school's are highly rated compared to other districts in the state and continue to provide a robust learning environment from curriculum to sports, clubs and activities.Where Old Bridge can improve is where we've failed to leverage opportunities in seeking shared services between the Board of Education and surrounding towns to contain costs and maintain services. While I appreciate the current administration's efforts to keep taxes under control, there may be more opportunity there to ensure that services to residents aren't sacrificed.I'd also like to see more civility and collaboration within the local government entities. There seems to be an "Us against Them" environment at Town Council and Board of Education meetings that is grossly unnecessary when you consider that we're all neighbors and most residents are aligned with the issues facing us at the local level.Looking ahead, what are some of the biggest challenges facing Old Bridge in the next five years, and how do you plan to confront them?I believe our biggest challenges include:Balancing business development with avoiding over-developmentAttracting businesses without promising overly generous tax incentives that allow them to NOT contribute to community needs for 30 yearsPublic safetyAs a councilperson I will: Collaborate with local, county and state officials to address road and community safety issues as a result of all new building and developmentPromote common sense approaches to local planning and zoning ordinances and collaborate with those boards to realign with the needs of residents Maintain respectful dialogue and transparent intentions in pursuing results that serve our town’s residents best interestsThe election will be Nov. 5, but you can vote early in person at the Old Bridge Public Library from Oct. 26 - Nov. 3. Hours will be Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary. There is also mail-in voting.All six Old Bridge school board candidates answered our questions. Voters are asked to choose three:Meet Richard Dunn, Running For Old Bridge School BoardMeet Carl Von Stetten, Running For Old Bridge School BoardMeet Mireille Cameau-Wicks, Running For Old Bridge School BoardMeet Brooke Richards-Patterson, Running For Old Bridge School BoardMeet Kiran Venkatesan, Running For Old Bridge School BoardMeet Jay Slade, Running For Re-Election On Old Bridge School BoardThe article Meet Bridget Hlava, Running For Old Bridge Township Council appeared first on Matawan-Aberdeen, NJ Patch.
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