Bridgewater Council Primary Candidate: Jill Gladstone

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater's preliminary election on June 8 has six candidates running for three open seats on the Township Council. Jill Gladstone, 57, is one of three Democratic candidates running.

Gladstone currently serves as member of the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education Member since 2007. She also previously served as board president from 2017 to 2020.

In the past, she was an Account Executive at a global industrial packaging company and a regional specialty foods and candy distributor.

Gladstone is married to her husband, Cliff Gladstone, They have lived in Bridgewater since 1995 and have three children, Keith (BRHS Class of 2013), Jeff (BRHS Class of 2016) and Evan (BRHS Class of 2021).

She also has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Tulane University.

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.

Jill Gladstone

Campaign website

www.OneBridgewater.Org; Instagram @gladstone4council, and email Gladstone4Council@gmail.com.

Why are you seeking to run for the township council?

I love Bridgewater. After living here for 26 years and being a dedicated Board of Education member for 14 years, I want to use my experience, energy, and integrity to serve the community on the broader range of issues dealt with by the municipal government. I believe I can help make Bridgewater better. I'm proud of the work I have done on the Board of Education by asking tough questions and providing oversight, always striving to improve our already great school district. Because I have spent half of my time on the Board serving as either President or Vice-President, the community has seen that I am a respected leader as well as a thoughtful public servant with a sensible perspective. I have worked alongside more than 20 other hard-working Board of Education members through the years and know the value of listening and debating all sides of every issue. Unfortunately, this has not been the case in our municipal government. Bridgewater has had one-party rule for decades, which has deprived the township of the benefits of full exploration of the issues. Our community would be best served if we had municipal leaders representing all residents’ voices.

How would you address the overdevelopment in Bridgewater?

Because our planning and zoning boards are dominated by party loyalists, decisions often favor Republican big-money donors. We need much broader representation from the community when deciding how to control the impact of future projects. For example, a couple of years ago, the school district was denied a seat at the table for discussions about PILOT (Payments in Lieu of Taxes) developments, which would add students with no funds to pay for their education. This is shortsighted. When I was Board of Education President, the Board approved a resolution urging the township to include the district in negotiations when new development may bring an influx of hundreds of students. We must scrutinize plans for any new development to be sure they meet our long-term goals. Also, future development plans should include the latest innovations in technology, energy efficiency, and environmental awareness. Our economic future and the quality of our governmental services depend on a more balanced, creative approach than has been the case in the past.

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

Roads have been a disaster in Bridgewater for many years. The efforts of the mayor and council, including the three long-time incumbents who are seeking re-election, have been too little, too late. An assessment of the roads in Bridgewater was finally undertaken, but it has taken far too long to address the absolute worst roads. For example, Steele Gap Road should have been completed by last fall, not in April 2021. Communication from the township regarding closures and detours from road work is often non-existent until community members express rage on social media. The pothole-filling system has been a failure, resulting in unsafe roads and damaged vehicles. The township should find better methods and materials that will keep potholes filled for more than a few months without leaving loose asphalt everywhere. Additionally, the township should create a live dashboard that would publish the location of potholes reported by the public, how long it will be until they are repaired, and the date they are repaired.

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

1. Political cronyism and fiscal management. The current township administration, with the full approval of the council, began its term by filling the highest ranks of township government with political cronies, and even created additional positions for still more political appointees. The council voted to water down the long standing qualifications required of a key position so they could fill it with another political crony who did not meet the prior qualifications. Having created these high-salary positions, when financial constraints suddenly arose several months later there was not enough money left to fund some of the positions the township needs, such as some employees in the public works department and code enforcement. As a result, some of the people who have worked hard for years in our township were laid off. Municipal services have suffered as a result, and this became glaringly obvious this past winter when the township had a delayed reaction to a snowstorm that brought everything to a standstill. Additionally, the township continues to ignore its spiraling debt, in contrast to the Board of Education, which has significantly reduced its debt.
2. Transparency and communication. In the past 2 years, the township has gone backwards in this area as they have stopped posting minutes of Planning and Zoning Board meetings. (Note: Finally, on April 29, 2021, they posted some of those Boards’ minutes from 2020.). There should be audio or video recordings of all council meetings posted on the township website. The township also has failed to publish a directory of staff, boards, and committees, as has been done in the past. Regarding transparency of COVID-19 reporting, the initial amount of data provided by the township was woefully inadequate and incomplete. It was only after I engaged with the township multiple times starting in April 2020, and continuing for several months, that they finally added age spans. I also asked for more details in their reporting such as positivity rates and hospitalizations, as some other towns publish. I was disappointed in their lack of interest in providing this information so residents can follow our local trends. Transparency creates trust.
3. Policy. There should be a review of all policies and codes. For example, the hiring code with regard to nepotism hasn’t been updated since 1998. Many other towns, and even our Board of Education, have adopted a more stringent nepotism policy that not only prevents the abuse of public funds, but emphasizes the fairness and impartiality that must exist in a governing body. My experience with a comprehensive review of all policies as a Board of Education Member will be beneficial to the residents if I’m elected.
4. Shortsightedness and use of fear. A recent example is when the township rushed to ban all cannabis-related businesses even after 61% of the residents supported legalization. Instead, the township should have been showcasing our prime, centralized location and industrial space to be utilized as a warehouse and distribution hub to bring in desperately needed new tax revenue. Saying “our quality of life is not for sale” is a ridiculous distraction to instill fear in township residents while suppressing opportunity for broader public input.

What sets you apart from the incumbent Republicans?

I am a leader who is not afraid to challenge the status quo or speak up when I see something wrong. I would never engage in certain behaviors that I have seen on the current council, like advertising my business during public meetings. If elected, I would work hard to restore the balance between strong and empathetic leadership. Over the last four years the country has become more polarized and, unfortunately, this has trickled down to municipalities across the country including here in Bridgewater. We need leaders to take the higher road and call out bullying and the twisting of facts. We need leaders to stand up and unite our community, not sit idly by when some leaders and some of their supporters foment divisiveness for political gain. I would bring civility and exhibit the professionalism and decorum that is expected from municipal leaders but is not always shown by our Bridgewater elected officials, which was especially apparent during the 2019 local elections. Acknowledging that these issues exist and that Bridgewater deserves better is the first step in uniting our township.

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

I am not a politician. I am an advocate motivated to help others based on what I believe is the right thing to do. I ran for the Board of Education in 2007 to be an advocate and fight for every stakeholder in our excellent school district. I testified before the New Jersey State Senate and Assembly Education Committees and helped draft a bill on Core Curriculum Standards because I wanted to fight for all New Jersey students and taxpayers. I know I am well-equipped to speak up and speak out for residents who do not feel represented by the current township administration and council. My running mates, Jennifer Feigley, Saad Toor, and I are ready to make positive changes for all residents. As we all emerge from the many effects of the pandemic, whether physically, mentally, or financially, it's time to elect new leaders who will lead in a new way.

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