Bridgewater Council Primary Candidate: Allen Kurdyla

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater's preliminary election on June 8 has six candidates running for three open seats on the Township Council. Allen F. Kurdyla, 73, is one of three Republican candidates running.

Kurdyla currently works as is retired from Somerset County as Director of Archives and Record Management. He currently serves as Councilman for Bridgewater Township since 2004- 2007 and again in 2010- current. He has also serves as Fire Commissioner for Bridgewater Fire District No.4 since 1978.

Kurdyla has been married for 51 Years with three children and six grandchildren. He has an Associate Degree in Mechanical Technology.

Are you running for office in Bridgewater? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements.

Allen F. Kurdyla

Why are you seeking to run for the township council?

Long time desire to have a voice and contribute to the community that I choose to live in.

How would you address the overdevelopment in Bridgewater?

Overdevelopment is a term typically used by the last person moving to town who wants to close the gate behind them as they move in. Our town's housing is controlled by our master plan. In 2021 the master plan is scheduled for review and update. Governing officials must follow rules that allow development. I have seen our Governing body address work with developers to reduce the number of units for a project while also complying with State mandates related to COAH.

Roads are a major issue in town, how do you plan to tackle this?

This has already been addressed by presenting a plan to touch every road in Bridgewater over the next five years. This plan which I agree with is the result of a significant engineering effort to identify then set priorities as to which roads to stat with.

What other issues do you feel must be tackled in town?

• Development of Open Space properties such as Camp Cromwell so we as Township residents will have the ability to enjoy the natural beauty of Bridgewater.
• Support of our Police Department and Fire and Rescue Organizations to provide the security and safety we all depend on.
• Recognize the diversity in the Bridgewater population and work to enjoy the unity of a bringing groups together.
• Manage our Township Budget with a focus on providing services with financial planning that includes the justification and thorough understanding of need versus want.

What sets you apart from the challenging Democrats?

I would use the term "Promises Made, Promises Kept" as a Council Candidate in the past my comments were to support the Open Space initiative, work to maintain a low tax rate and to improve our infrastructure. I have the opinion that Bridgewater Township deserves Candidates who have lived in the town and have the knowledge of how we all would be affected by our decisions.

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

In the past my opponents have made challenging comments that were basically telling our residents what they wanted to hear. I have never taken the position of offering false promises. I do understand that a major responsibility of a Councilman is to work to address the concerns of all Bridgewater residents.

• Semi Retired: Senior VP of Business Development for a Document Imaging Company
• Former County of Somerset OEM Planner for Homeland Security
• 53 year member of Finderne Fire Department
• Fire Commissioner Fire District No. 4 since 1978
• Somerset County Executive Committeeman for New Jersey State Fireman’s Association
• President Bridgewater Township Fireman’s Relief Association

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