Election Profile: Suzanne M. Brennan For Howell Mayor

HOWELL, NJ - Two newcomers will be challenging seats currently occupied by Howell's mayor and deputy mayor come November.

Mayor Theresa Berger will be seeking a second four-year term on Nov. 3, challenged by Republican Suzanne M. Brennan. Berger won the Democratic mayoral primary with 3,612 votes in the July 7 election, with Brennan garnering 3,432 votes from the Republican race.

Republican deputy mayor Evelyn O'Donnell will also be seeking reelection. O'Donnell currently serves on the Howell Township Council and will be seeking another four-year term come November.

Brennan has previously served on the Howell K-8 School District Board of Education, elected twice in 2010 and 2013. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University as well as a J.D. from Boston College Law School. She is a practicing attorney and a 24-year resident of Howell. She has been married for 25 years and has a 23-year-old daughter and two sons, 21 and 20.

Are you running for office in Howell? Contact Nicole Rosenthal at nicole.rosenthal@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I love my town. Howell has so much to offer! I hope to lend my talents to keep Howell the amazing place it is. I will work to prevent overdevelopment, keep taxes down, and bring people together. But this doesn’t just happen. It takes committed leaders to ensure that the local government is meeting its responsibilities to the residents. It takes experienced leaders who know how to plan, prepare, and then pivot if circumstances change. It takes dedicated leaders who are willing to do the hard work and give all the time necessary to get the job done. I have the experience, the passion and the work ethic needed to be an effective and engaged mayor.

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

I am ready to stand up and fight for Howell. I am trained to advocate, I am skilled at negotiating, and I don’t give up. I don’t take the easy way out or pass the buck. I get the job done. I bring my whole heart to everything I do. I respect the value of collaboration and am a confident team-builder. When you have a group of people with different perspectives and backgrounds making decisions, it should not devolve into chaos. Strong leaders set the example, find common ground and bring people together. I have served my community in many ways, big and small, as long as I can remember. I have a breadth and depth of experience, knowledge and skills to bring to Town Hall including participating in public meetings for ten years, reviewing budgets with a fiscally conservative approach, developing policy, and working with professionals and administrative teams to solve problems and advance innovative programs for the benefit of the community. I am prepared to work hard to make a positive impact on our town.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

We need to have real leadership in the Office of Mayor. I do not know of a single initiative our current mayor has presented in almost four years. Voting “no” without offering suggestions, compromises or explanations does not accomplish anything except a record of ineffective leadership. Manufacturing talking points during campaign season further demonstrates a lack of engagement and preparedness for this important role. The lack of consistent communication from the mayor has caused unnecessary confusion, frustration and a lack of trust. Creating a Facebook profile to engage with the community as mayor only after filing a petition to run for re-election is disappointing and disingenuous. Our town deserves a mayor who sees beyond any partisan divide, who can and will rally the governing body and community to work collaboratively to achieve our common goals. We need a mayor who is ready, willing and able to fight for the residents of Howell. The town will benefit from a mayor who has always been and always will be involved in the community. If elected, I will be the leader our town needs. I will advocate for us. I will bring people together. I will use multiple platforms to maintain open lines of communication and be held accountable from day one. I am and will remain available to all residents, always.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform?

I am focused on four key areas as our greatest and most immediate priorities. These include (1) holding the line on taxes, (2) enhancing public safety, (3) stopping unnecessary development and (4) working to make our community even more business friendly.

On taxes, we need to continue to run the township like a business and find ways to be more efficient in all we do. We need to look for additional opportunities to engage in shared services with the County and other communities. To relieve the burden on homeowners, we should seek ways to responsibly boost our commercial tax-base and use technology to create operational improvements in how we provide services to the residents. Republicans have held the line on spending in Howell and I will continue to follow that path.

Because public safety is vital to our town, we must continue to fully support our police department and our EMS services. We will ensure Howell is safe and protected. Our police serve with respect and are part of the fabric of our community. It is imperative to continue to invest in the resources necessary to maintain the high level of service that our police department provides.

Our farms and open space are the foundation for the beautiful, rural character of Howell.

Republicans have preserved 22 farms and more than 650 acres that will never be built on. We must continue to protect farms and open space because our residents want this and deserve this, so we need to maintain the toughest zoning standards to stop large scale development. While the Democrats say they are against more development and affordable housing, it is their party at the state level that created and expand the mandates. We will fight hard to oppose COAH policies and prevent high density housing.

Our small businesses need our support more now than ever because of the continuing repercussions from the pandemic. To promote a healthy business climate, we will continue to partner with our Chamber of Commerce and Howell's COVID-19 Business Recovery Task Force and will cut red tape, eliminating any obstacles that are within the governing body’s purview to allow businesses an easier path back to stability and success. We will work to develop a local shopping program and seek ways to implement programs to stabilize the businesses.
Additionally, our town deserves a strong leader who will not only fight for our town and its residents but will work alongside them. I am committed to ensuring consistent, meaningful communication with the residents of Howell. It is the mayor’s responsibility to lead by example, with strength and courage. It is up to the mayor to make sure residents are engaged and fully informed, especially during times of crisis.

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

I believe my personal and professional experience together provide me with a strong foundation for the role of Mayor. I have lived in Howell for 24 years with my husband and three children. I have always been engaged in the community, including I organized various neighborhood events, chaired numerous PTA events, and served on the Howell Board of Education Strategic Planning Committee on three separate occasions. I was elected to the Howell Township Board of Education in 2010 and in 2013. During my tenure, the BOE and administration worked together to reduce the tax levy by more than a million dollars one year and held the budget flat another year. Since 2017, I have had the privilege of serving as a Trustee for Brookdale Community College. From my years of serving on public boards, I have grown comfortable speaking from the dais, am familiar with statutes that pertain to public meetings, and have worked extensively on complex matters and budgets with colleagues.

Professionally, I am a practicing attorney with experience in labor and employment law as well as municipal court matters. I served for six years as the Howell Township Municipal Public Defender, which gave me a unique perspective on many of the serious issues that challenge our community and a deeper appreciation for all that the court and the police officers do for our community. I believe my volunteer and professional experience coupled with my love for Howell will help me be an effective Mayor and leader for our community. If elected, I will apply the many skills I have developed, and will work collaboratively with the councilmembers to serve Howell with honor.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Just when you think you can’t swim another stroke, dig deep and push through. Keep doing this over and over and you will get across the pool. - My Dad, the most sincere, smartest, and greatest man I will ever know.

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

I want to protect and preserve Howell’s lovely, rural character. I do not stand for overdevelopment; I will fight it! I have never served on the Planning Board, Zoning Board or Town Council, so I did not, and could not vote on development nor the storied “dump”. The misinformation that has been put out about me is frustrating, but worse, it is disrespectful to the residents. Conversely, I respect the residents and want to earn their vote by working hard to show my heart is with this town. I would never try to trick or deceive them. I would never do anything to hurt our town. I want to use all I have learned from many years of being involved in the community to help Howell stay the wonderful hometown that it is. I am ready to be held accountable from day one and will answer any questions of me at any time. I am a serious, dedicated, tough leader who will also bring a positive, can-do, uplifting spirit to Town Hall.