Warren Committee Primary Candidate: Ilana Goldstein-Barsky

WARREN, NJ — Warren's preliminary election on June 8 has four candidates running for two open seats on the Township Committee. Ilana Goldstein-Barsky, 43, is one of two Democratic candidates running.

Goldstein-Barsky currently works as a Product Manager. She previously served on the Warren Township Board of Education.

Goldstein-Barsky is married to Michael Barsky and they have a 12-year-old son, Jared. She has studied Psychology at Montclair State University.

Are you running for office in Warren? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements.

Ilana Goldstein-Barsky

Campaign website

goldstein-barskyforwarren.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking office for many reasons. I love living in Warren, but right now Warren is not measuring up to the other neighboring towns; therefore, it cannot keep up with the 21 st Century needs of our taxpayers, despite the over-development of over-priced luxury homes that get special treatment from PILOT programs. We need to focus the use of tax dollars on things that will bring new revenue to the town, that will create a safe space for our children to go to "after hours" and that will help small businesses maintain their spaces and remain open.

I also think that having the same four men seated on the Committee for more than 2 decades makes for a stale and status quo environment. Doing the same things over and over because it worked 20 years ago sets us back. We need to think about the current events happening all over our country and how the needs of our residents are addressed so we can adapt and evolve as a community.

The single most pressing issue facing our township is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most pressing issue relates to the lack of transparency. The committee typically dismisses anyone's concern about upcoming changes in town, i.e., residential developments, Mt. Laurel housing, commercial business locations and how to spend tax dollars. They tell the residents they cannot discuss these issues at a particular meeting. Then at the next meeting, we learn the issues have already been decided and it is too late to change the decisions. This is not transparency. This is making deals behind closed doors. As a committee member, I would welcome input from all stakeholders before a significant decision is made. For example, the hotel at Stone House restaurant or the storage facility bordering Crown Drive and Lauren Way should have offered more input from residents. Property owners were not informed of the projects until it was brought to their attention by other residents or even after the approval at the April Committee meeting. The redesignation of neighborhood business districts or rezoning from residential to commercial zones affect the quality of life for our residents. I would be available via first-hand conversations, zoom meetings, committees and better publicity regarding these types of changes.

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

The other candidates have been re-elected over and over again. The demographics in our town have shown we have a new set of voices. Our leaders need to make sure that all residents are heard and decisions are made for the residents, not just for the five people sitting on the committee. How can there be any real changes made with the same people on the committee who insist only on doing things their way. They think that because they know the ins and outs of the way Warren government works, that they are the only ones for the job. They are selective about how they share information with their residents. For example, the PILOT program they used for the Dubois Road homes gave incentives to the builders with no explanation or breakdown of costs to the taxpayers. They also refuse to discuss the difficult issues, often receiving emails and calls and not answering. These topics include race and ethnicity, the campaign against Covid-19, over-development and zoning issues.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current committee failed the community?

Just one example is the affordable housing issue. The state gave Warren years to correct the lack of affordable housing and it was ignored until we were sued by the state. The suit was lost by the town and now we must fulfill the maximum number of affordable homes while having to negotiate with developers who look to make considerable profit from these projects. There could have been a fair negotiation with the state so we could keep our green spaces and small-town charm, but it is too late now as there was never a plan from the incumbents to do any of this.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Providing a voice that represents all Warren’s residents; assuring transparency in government; changing to elected rather than appointed mayor in the near future; expanding recreational opportunities for the youth and adults of Warren and redoing our main street in order to provide great places that will generate outside revenue as well as keep our residents happy and engaged.

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

I have been at the same company since 2005. I started out as the office assistant and worked my way up through various positions to Product Manager, my current position.

I am responsible for a large budget and have always been able to keep to it while making high-quality products and increasing profit year over year for the company.

I am a full-time working mom, so I can easily multi-task, juggle the work-life balance while making time for other important things. I am a problem solver and calm under pressure. This year was a particularly difficult one at work. We had to lay off a lot of our staff and because we sell to retailers during seasonal times of the year, we could have lost everything. However, I was able to keep the staff and my team happy, because of my positive attitude. I was able to keep a lot of our open order standing until stores began to reopen because of the great relationships I have made with our buyers over the years. I was also able to keep our prices low due to the same types of relationships I have made with our vendors.

I was a sitting member on the Warren Township Board of Education from 2018-2019. I learned a lot that year, mainly how government works and how to produce and maintain a correct and even budget that anyone can look at and understand. I sat on the Curriculum Board and helped shape the new curriculum when our district switched from single-teacher curriculum to the team- based curriculum which I am proud of as it has shown that our teachers are extremely devoted to our students’ learning and their futures.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

I don’t remember any specific quotes from anyone, but I do have a very strong work ethic and I think that came to me because of the strong women in my life. I am a first-generation American on my father’s side. My grandmother Rose grew up in Romania and as a teenager, was forced from her home. She walked all the way from Romania to Russia and eventually ended up on a boat to America with her husband and two toddler boys. She worked every day of her life until her company was forced to close when she was in her mid-80s.

My maternal Grandmother, Sonya, often worked two or three jobs at a time and volunteered as a first responder and has been re-elected a few times as fire commissioner in her town. No matter how my grandmothers were feeling on a particular day, no matter how bad things got for them, they always kept going. They always made us feel loved (in their own way) and they always provided for their families the best they could. That is why I think I have the same motivation. Work hard, for everyone, even yourself.

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

I am a hard worker, a fast learner, and unselfishly loyal. The energy and dedication I put towards my team at work or towards my family at home will be given at the same rate towards Warren and its residents. I am passionate about what I believe in, and I am an excellent listener who cares about people. And I really want to do something important for Warren residents!

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