Election 2021: Parsippany Township Council Candidate Gary Martin

NEW JERSEY — In a few short weeks the first wave in election season 2021 reaches the Garden State and Patch has asked local candidates to share their

thoughts before the June 8 primary election.

Patch sent out emails to all candidates to the email addresses listed for their campaign provided to the office of the clerk. The responses received will get published between now and the primary election.

Here is the response from Parsippany Town Council candidate Gary Martin.

Name: Gary Martin
Age: 68
Town of residence: Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills
Position sought: Township Council
Party affiliation: Republican
Family: Wife, Elyse, and son, Corey
Education: Attended the County College of Morris and Montclair State University
Occupation: Retired
Previous or current elected appointed office: Board of Education – Parsippany-Troy Hills

Why are you seeking elective office?
Like many of us, I moved to Parsippany because it was a remarkable, special place with residents who were proud to call this Township our home. We were blessed with some of the best municipal services in the County coupled with relatively low taxes and an atmosphere which made living here truly a pleasure. Unfortunately, both administrations over the past ten years have embarked on policies and behaviors that have been a substantial threat to much of what makes Parsippany great. Higher taxes, reduced services, political cronyism and nepotism, utility mismanagement, and Township employees facing a record-low morale problem are just to name a few. On the Board of Education, we made some tough decisions, but I always voted for what I believed was right ensuring that residents were getting the best for their money. With the right management in Town Hall, I believe that we can get ourselves back to a position where for every tax dollar in revenue we receive, residents will get back at least a dollars’ worth of value in return.

The single most pressing issue facing us is recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. What do you intend to do about it?
COVID-19 has strained municipal resources for the foreseeable future and changed the way we deliver local services. It is essential the Township react and respond to this crisis correctly for residents to have easy access to these resources stress-free. We live in an ever-changing digital age and while there are many tools that can be used to enhance the experience of those seeking help from our government, we have seen little action from the Soriano administration in this area with the exception of a website that has less functionality than the previous one, which was made in the early 2010’s. With new digital tools, we can enhance communications and municipal services while keeping costs relatively low if done properly and without waste. Another issue of concern is the partisanship that plagues our constituency services department so lovingly called the “Mayor’s Action Center”. Knocking on doors throughout the Township has revealed a recurring theme of resident concerns about our municipal government and the inaction of the Mayor’s Action Center. The disappointment they face when cases are not followed up or in some situations completely ignored is unacceptable and will only exacerbate the original issue they faced. It is vital residents facing the hardships of this pandemic have the support of our constituency services so they can spend time on other pressing matters. Our team will make sure that the Mayor’s Action Center operates as it should, creating policies that ensure each resident is not only listened to, but followed-up on in a reasonable time and assisted to the best of our ability. This brings me to the final point on recovering from the COVID pandemic, which are the abominable tax increases year after year and the complete and utter mismanagement of the utilities, something I am sure residents noticed this year after they received their utility bills with a 40 or so percent increase. For residents struggling under the weight of these increases, especially those losing their jobs due to the pandemic, I feel for you. If elected, ensuring our budget is stable without draining the utilities will be my number one priority. Period.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
Some candidates running for Council are more concerned with national issues that have little relevance in this race. They ignore the real issues plaguing this Township like mismanagement, nepotism, and a general disregard this administration has for not just municipal employees but residents as well. I am laser-focused on providing the best possible municipal services at the lowest possible cost.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
My time on the Board of Education was marked by strong cooperative action that may not have always resulted in the most popular decisions made, but always the right ones, at least in my opinion. Our schools today are a big reason many new families pick Parsippany as the place to raise their children and make a new life. I intend on bringing that vision of forward thinking and compromise to a Township Council that will surely be missing it should our opponents be elected. In my Naval career, dealing with high-pressure situations without breaking and ensuring that things were “ship-shape” were no small order. Following this, my time as a police officer was served with distinction, as I worked my way through the ranks to achieve the role of Police Captain while also earning the Police Medal of Honor. Putting other people before myself was a hallmark of my service to the nation, both in the United States Navy and as a police officer, and I intend on continuing doing exactly that in the Township Council. My whole life has been dedicated to public service in one way or another, and this experience making sure the right decisions are made regardless of outside pressure are exactly the qualities we require in our local government.

The best advice ever shared with me was:
In my travels as I walked door to door for my first Board of Education election, a resident gave me some advice using this quote from the first female Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. “My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people; those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition.”