Dempsey and Mathiasen Announce Reelection Bid

Chatham Borough Council Members Carolyn Dempsey and Jocelyn Mathiasen announced today that they will run for re-election in 2021.

Dempsey and Mathiasen ran, in part, on making sure Chatham Borough was a welcoming community that listened to many different voices.

“I think we have lived up to that,” said Dempsey. “Chatham is a more diverse community than many residents realize, and we believe that is a strength that we should take advantage of.” The Council recognized Black History Month and Pride Month for the first time in 2020, and continues to seek out ways to celebrate the contributions of many different groups to our society and community.

“We have gotten so much accomplished in the past two and a half years, but there is more work to be done and we are excited to be part of it,” said Dempsey.

Asked to identify some of these accomplishments, Mathiasen cited communication and transparency. “We made communication a top priority and we have delivered. From streaming meetings on Facebook Live to community surveys on garbage pickup, recreational amenities, and plastic bags, we strive to be in touch with our residents and responsive to their needs.”

Mathiasen pointed out that much more information is online than in the past. Where in the past, stagnant posts on the web site reached a few dozen individuals, the Borough now reaches hundreds through a weekly online newsletter, its Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds, and wider use of the emergency alert system.

“We are not a government that will shove things through” Mathiasen added, pointing to the three two hour-plus forums that the Borough held on the complex River Road project. “Residents may not agree with every decision that we make, but they will understand the issues and our reasoning.”

Dempsey pointed to the work she and the Council have undertaken to promote a stronger sense of community, especially during the COVID crisis, including supporting the Chatham Community Food Distribution and the Chatham United Methodist Church Community Food Pantry.

During their Wednesday Food Distribution, the CCFD regularly serves 60-90 families each week. Noting how devastating the pandemic has been to our small businesses, Dempsey launched the “Shop Small for a Big Impact” which benefitted residents visiting the food distribution during the holidays and poured thousands of dollars back into our small businesses. While goals of expanding community events such as a summer concert series were stymied by the COVID outbreak, Dempsey looks forward to focusing on these in the future. She also said that their focus on downtown does appear to have paid off: “Our downtown is a treasure for Chatham, and we are thrilled to see so many new restaurants and other businesses opening up. We will continue to do what we can to support them as we navigate the current economic crisis.”

Dempsey also pointed out the great potential of the former Stanley Congregational Church as a venue for community events such as concerts and other forums. “Jocelyn and I are working together to explore ways to make the best use of Stanley, and the opportunities are incredibly exciting,” she said. They are working with other residents to look at options ranging from a safe, supervised place for Chatham pre-teens and teens to hang out after school to hosting community events, holiday concerts, weddings and receptions.

Legislatively, Mathiasen says, their greatest accomplishment is probably the prohibition on single use plastic bags at checkouts. She estimates that the ban has prevented almost three million plastic bags from being manufactured and then disposed of. “This ordinance, which was supported by most in Chatham Borough, was a huge win for our natural environment,” she added. Beyond that, the implementation of plastic bag bans in Chatham and neighboring communities was likely a major factor in getting the state to finally act on this issue, according to

Mathiasen.

As Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, Mathiasen has successfully found cost savings and other ways to reduce the tax burden on single family homeowners. In particular, the Borough was paying for several different software systems with similar capabilities. Under her leadership, these are being consolidated into a single system, saving the Borough thousands a year. In addition, she discovered that some of the Borough’s fees for zoning review and water/sewer connections were out of sync with our neighbors. She has worked to update these fees. “Costs directly related to construction should be paid for by the contractor and property owner, but in Chatham some of these were being subsidized by the general fund,” she said. The new fees will bring in over $40,000 to the Borough, offsetting property taxes.

For their next term, Dempsey and Mathiasen would like to build on what they have done -– more community events, greater outreach to residents, and responsiveness on the part of Borough Hall. Beyond that, Mathiasen said her top goal is ensuring the Borough navigates the current economic downturn and is on a healthy long term fiscal path. “Our residents want property taxes to be contained and they want exceptional municipal services and good infrastructure. My number one goal is to put us on a sustainable path to accomplish this.”

For her part, Dempsey would like to see more options for passive recreation in town. Serving on the Joint Recreation Committee, Borough Recreation Advisory Committee, and the Historic Riverside Trail Advisory Committee she has already helped spearhead expansion of the Riverside Trail and the creation of a walking trail around Garden Park, as well as rehabilitation and expansion to pickleball for three of the tennis courts at that park. “Residents need good options to enjoy the outdoors, not just during COVID. We want to make sure our facilities are updated and modernized for all of our residents, from senior citizens who want to play pickleball to toddlers riding tricycles.”