Three Summit Council Candidates Vie For Seats in Nov. 3 Election

SUMMIT, NJ — Three candidates are running for two seats on the Summit Common Council in November. Now that one candidate has dropped out of the race, two candidates will face off in the 1st Ward and incumbent Council President Marjorie Fox will run unopposed to keep representing the 2nd Ward.

Breakdown:

• In the 1st Ward, incumbent Councilmember Susan Hairston (a Democrat) faces a challenge from Eileen Kelly (a Republican).
• In the 2nd Ward, Council President Marjorie Fox runs unopposed.

Earlier in the summer, Fox's initial opponent, Republican Kirsten McCumber, left the race "for personal reasons," said Summit Republican Chairman Steven Spurr last month.

The Summit Common Council consists of seven members. Each of the two wards has three representatives, and one member serves "at large." The ward seats carry three-year terms; the at-large seat is two years.

You can find your ward by address using this list.

The 1st Ward candidates recently participated in a forum.

Here are profiles of the candidates that were submitted this summer.

Candidate profiles

Ward 1 Council

Susan D. Hairston, Democrat (incumbent Ward 1 councilwoman)

Age: 59

Family: Husband: Jerome Hairston; Daughters: Xena,35, Simone, 28, Erika, 24 Son: Jayson, 34

Education: MPA in Nonprofit Management, Seton Hall University; BA, Business Administration, University of Pittsburgh

Occupation: 24 Years in strategy and operations management for the nonprofit sector. Currently: Business Owner (CEO of consulting group that strengthens nonprofit operations); Prior to 2020: Ford Foundation — my 19-year career culminated as Director of Grants Management (1997 - 2016); JPB Foundation, Director of Grants Management (2017-2019)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office:
Current: Ward 1 Council Member, Summit, NJ. Previous: Commissioner, Union County Tax Board; Summit Board of Education - President, VP, and Member

Campaign website:

www.votesusanhairston.com

Why are you seeking elected office?

Municipal government is where the “rubber hits the road,” where tangible decision making and implementation of federal, state and county policies takes place. In times like these, where we are dealing with a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, national unrest of unprecedented levels, I want to make sure our decisions serve the public good for all residents, businesses and employees in Summit. Five generations of my family have lived, worked and volunteered here.

What is the most pressing issue facing the community? What will you do about it?

In the current avalanche of uncertainty — about our public health and safety, our economic well being, even our social institutions — we must respond to urgent issues while also maintaining a long-term view in our decisions.
For example, while we’re focused on the safety of our residents during the pandemic, we need to use this period as an opportunity to consider the overall health of our community and its residents. While we assist our businesses in weathering the current storm, let’s look for opportunities to enhance our town’s environment for both small and larger businesses. There are two risks in our current environment: one is that we become habitually reactive in our decision-making, instead of strategic and planful; the other is that we miss opportunities that any crisis opens to improve what we have for the future.
As chair of Summit’s Safety & Health Committee, I continually press for both short-term solutions and long-term opportunities in our meetings and discussions. I involve others, including the public, in decisions that will have long-term consequences for any constituent group. I take a collaborative, cross-functional approach when considering change. All of these actions and ways of working will continue if I’m privileged to serve a second (and full) term as council member.

Ward 1 Council
Eileen Kelly, Republican

Age: 34

Family: Husband, Matthew Sloane

Education: Bachelors - International Relations and Affairs from Colgate University

Occupation: Director of Finance & Integration at Refinitiv
12+ years of professional experience in financial, strategic, operational, and technology roles

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: None

Campaign website
www.eileenkellyforcouncil.com

Why are you seeking elected office?

I am running to give back to all of those who have worked so hard to make Summit such a wonderful place to live. I know and recognize that Summit is a unique and special place. I want to maintain and improve the quality of life for our current and future residents. I have the experience and the drive to bring a fresh perspective and make a difference in our local government--a new perspective that can help our local government grow with the times.

After all, Summit is changing. That change is evident in the challenges our small businesses are facing coming through and out of COVID-19, Common Council’s ambitious plans for redeveloping our downtown, and shifting demographics including a lot of fresh faces like mine. I want to help our community embrace the change, manage it well, and respect what has made our town the place we've all come to love and call home.

What is the most pressing issue facing the community? What will you do about it?

Affordability is the most pressing issue facing our community. I intend to use my financial background to propose innovative ideas that can help our small businesses navigate these uncertain times while carefully scrutinizing county, municipal, and school budgets so together we can lessen the property tax burden on Summit families. This will in turn improve the quality of life for our residents and future generations while driving commerce and boosting our local economy.

(UNOPPOSED)

Ward 2, Summit Common Council

Marjorie Fox (incumbent council president), Democrat

Age: 54

Family: Jeffrey Naiman, husband; David Naiman, 21, Summit High School Class of 2017, New York University Class of 2021; Daniel Naiman, 17, Summit High School Class of 2021

Education: Yale University, B.S. Environmental Biology, Magna Cum Laude; Columbia University School of Law, J.D., Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar

Occupation: Retired Attorney, 10 years of experience

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Summit Common Council, Ward 2, January 2018-present; Council President, January 2020-present

Campaign website
foxforsummit.com

Why are you seeking elected office?

I am running for re-election because I have the experience to execute the plans that Council has put in motion to promote fiscal responsibility, government transparency, public safety, economic development, and sustainability. My past professional experience as an attorney and 20 years of volunteering in our community make me qualified to guide Summit through an extremely challenging time while preserving what is special about our city.

What is the most pressing issue facing the community? What will you do about it?

The current health crisis and the attendant challenges are the most pressing issue facing our community right now. I intend to continue what my Council colleagues and I have been doing for the past three months – ensuring that the City continues to provide the essential services that our residents depend on, while protecting public health and supporting the economic viability of our businesses. As Council President, I have been involved in decisions about how City services are delivered, how we continue to govern through remote meetings, and how we manage the reopening responsibly. I am responsible for working with City staff and coordinating the efforts of my Council colleagues to ensure that other City priorities continue to be addressed throughout this health crisis. We have had to be nimble to react to changing conditions, implementing new measures as we receive guidance from the Governor’s Office. As a member of the Council Finance Committee, I have been involved in developing the municipal budget, which was extensively amended to reflect the adjustments made to revenue and appropriations in response to conditions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Council delivered a lean budget, with a 0.14% increase over the previous year. Summit remains the only municipality in New Jersey with an AAA rating from all three major credit-rating agencies.
I have also worked on Council’s ad hoc reopening committee to develop measures to assist businesses as they begin to reopen. We began meeting with Summit Downtown Inc. and countless businesses in April to develop measures that would be helpful to Summit businesses. We also researched what other communities throughout the country were doing. I was instrumental in crafting six measures that were passed at the June 9 Council meeting to provide for expanded outdoor dining on sidewalks, parklets, and City parking lots; sidewalk sales; and outdoor group fitness classes in City parks. Further measures were adopted at the June 23 meeting to close portions of Maple Street for outdoor dining for the summer and to approve sidewalk cafes. Council will continue to work closely with Summit businesses to accommodate their needs as they reopen and will continue to look at ways we can deliver municipal services safely and efficiently.

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