Election Profile: Skip McKay For Hazlet Township Committee

HAZLET, NJ - Two seats are up for grabs on the Hazlet Township Committee this year with five candidates vying for a spot. Hazlet resident James “Skip” Mckay is seeking one of them.

Incumbent James “Skip” McKay first moved to Hazlet in 1959 and graduated from Raritan High School in 1970. He is a Republican who will be joined in his reelection campaign by his 2018 running mate, current Mayor Tara Corcoran-Clark. They will be challenged by Democrats Cerrie Virgilio and David Personette in November.

Skip McKay is the CEO of a financial firm Cumberland River Financial Group and holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Rutgers College and an MBA from Rutgers Graduate School of Business. He became a Navy SEAL after graduating from Raritan High School. He continues to mentor young men into the SEAL community, including one mentee in SEAL training currently and another awaiting enlistment who hopes to be Hazlet’s third Navy SEAL.

McKay is a widower and the proud father of three children. His youngest daughter Jennifer is the captain of the Hazlet First Aid Squad.

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Why are you seeking elective office?

In 2018, I ran for office because I met Tara Clark, who was to be my running mate to be a powerful advocate for our town. She had proved herself to be amazingly effective in the “Rage” success. I saw a unique opportunity to join a great team to improve quality of life in Hazlet. First task, I wanted to ensure the town would purchase portable CPR pumps. Having seen the numbers of cardiac events (CPR) we had in town; I knew this technology would save lives. Today, CPR pumps are in select police cars and my intuition was correct. Over 40 Hazlet citizens, mostly seniors have gotten to the hospital alive to be treated by doctors because of this investment. I am currently championing new projects that I hope the town will enjoy. We are launching the Hazlet Pops Band
this summer. Already we have over 40 players committed to play in our parks. We will offer a music camp for our young musicians this summer, a camp unique in the area. On Memorial Day we will launch our Honor Hazlet Heroes program. Red, white, and blue Banners will fly in Veterans Park to honor our citizens serving in the military, our veterans and those citizens who perished in the service of our country. A lifelong entrepreneur, I plan to continue driving innovation and improved quality of life in our town.

The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what you intend to do about it:

Taxes and the resulting budget decisions are the most challenging items facing the town post-pandemic. The onset of inflation has begun from the annual minimum wage increases which will continue for several more years combined with material cost increases and shortages. Everyone wants the quality of life to continue to improve in town while keeping taxes stable. We are employing new technology to gain productivity, join shared service opportunities wherever possible and outsource services when it provides a cost reduction. My experience running financial enterprises should be an asset as we face these economic challenges, not of our making but from the state and federal levels. Hazlet must remain affordable!

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Running for town office is a daunting experience. Your neighbors really get to know you and your family. The election process is exhausting done well, one should not do it unless you can advocate specific changes you would make. Mayor Clark and I had specific goals for our first term and have achieved them, notably refurbishing over 6 miles of town roads in our first two years on the Committee. Operating the town and serving its citizens is not easy. Anyone that chooses to enter this fray is welcome. I do not know my Democratic opponents as I have not seen them in any activities in town, either volunteer or on town Advisory Committees.

What is your vision for Hazlet in 2022 and beyond?

The pandemic challenged town leadership in a manner never seen before. Revenues are reduced, costs are escalating and the very lives of our citizens at risk. Going forward, we must adjust to the “new normal” rapidly, we have no other choice. That new normal should include more recreational activities when the pandemic and state allowed none. We will be hiring a new Recreational leader shortly. Our Swim Club is open this summer again and our Day Camp has returned at a price lower than anywhere local by a significant margin. Our Memorial Day ceremony will include our new Honor Hazlet Heroes program and the first show for Hazlet Pops brass section. Fourth of July fireworks are being planned in anticipation of the state allowing it to go forward. Hazlet is moving forward!

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

Our platform is simple. Keep Hazlet affordable while facing all the oncoming mandates and inflationary pressures from the state and federal levels. Sustain our strong road improvement program. Support all our wonderful First Responders, in particular our Volunteers as well as our Community groups as Volunteerism makes our community stronger. Continuous improvement in the quality of life in our hometown.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can
handle this job?

There is nothing more important than protecting the lives of our citizens. From my first day as Committeeman, I was focused upon improving our First Responder capabilities. As I cited before, the CPR Pumps have already saved many lives thanks to our Police and First Aid Squad volunteers’ diligence and this technology. Mayor Clark and I championed this investment, and the results speak for themselves. We were early adopters of cleansing technology for our police cars, ambulances and office spaces. We acquired disinfecting systems that enable us to disinfect ambulances between transports of COVID patients to avoid the ambulances becoming super spreader devices. We acquired a medical oxygen generating system so our citizens would always have emergency access to oxygen should COVID, a respiratory ailment strike them. Shortages of medical oxygen has become all too common when power is lost and Hazlet has more than its share of outages. Our First Responders, thereby our citizens will be no longer reliant upon outside vendors for our emergency medical grade oxygen. Last, we created a Vaccination appointment system that has helped about 1,000 citizens find a location to get vaccinated. I believe we have focused upon the most important tasks for our Citizens.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

“Never Quit.” This lesson was burned into my DNA during “Hell Week” as a young sailor becoming a Navy SEAL. My guiding rule…quitters never win and winners never quit.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am “all in” for Hazlet. Always have been. My father was elected to town committee in 1965 and passed away in 1966, at a charity ball game playing for the North Centerville Fire company team. He was prouder to be a volunteer fireman than a town committeeman. He fervently believed firemen saved lives and nothing is more important. My daughter is the Captain of the Hazlet First Aid Squad and I used to ride for the First Aid Squad four times a month before being elected to town committee. My family has been “all in” for Hazlet for decades and proud of it.