Twp. Committee Candidate Pavlini Points to Record

Deputy Mayor Mary Pavlini, who is seeking re-election to the Township Committee with her fellow Republican and running mate John Carpenter, points to her record as the main reason she feels voters should select her on Tuesday.

The two face competition from two Democratic candidates, Bonnie Diehl and Michael Komondy.

"We have done a good job in controlling taxes, and cutting [municipal] spending...and preserving open space," Pavlini said in an interview last week. The trick has been to reduce the amount of funding that the municipality raises through local taxes without sacrificing services, she said.

Pavlini, who is seeking her third three-year term on the Township Committee, said she has has lived in Bernards Township for 21 years. She said she had had three children go through the township school system — with two now in college, and one a high school senior.

Pavlini said she worked as a financial analyst and in sales for several years before taking time to raise her three children. She said she now manages the Motor Vehicle Station in Rahway.

Since the Bernards Township Committee rotates its mayor on an annual basis, Pavlini served her term as mayor in 2007. During that time, she instituted the "Green Team" with what she described as the goal of "pragmatic environmentalism." The many steps taken since that time, including solar panels at the township sewerage authority, energy-saving traffic lights and other lights and appliances in municipal buildings, the halt of the use of chemical pesticides on public property and parks and other steps just earned Bernards Township a "silver certification" from the state through the Sustainable Jersey program.

Of those towns which received the award — given to municipalities that had taken the most steps to help be environmentally friendly while also nurturing the local economy — Pavlini said that as far as she could see all other municipalities had achieved the goal with the help of a paid consultant. In Bernards, the steps taken were all through the efforts of regular staff and also volunteers, Pavlini said.

Pavlini said she started her work with the township as a member of the open space committee, and was a member of the Planning Board for many years. She is back on the Planning Board as committee liasion this year.

She said the Planning Board later this month will take on the task of the reviewing the latest reclamation plan from Millington Quarry since she said that the quarry must have an approved plan to "reclaim" or retire the quarry property once it is no longer used for quarrying operations.

Regarding the township's legal actions against the quarry, she noted that no potentially contaminated soil has been brought into the facility for a number of years. She noted that Millington Quarry's partner, Tilcon New York, recently dropped out of the suit. In addition, she said she hoped the reclamation plan would address other pending issues.

Pavlini said there is misinformation — or misunderstanding — about the municipality's contribution to other increases in the total local property tax rate.

Pavlini — as well as Carpenter — said the total tax levy, or the amount of actual dollars collected from township taxpayers — has been reduced and lowered since 2005. She offered the figure of $4.5 million in savings as a total amount of reductions since that time.

In addition, the township's "pay as you go" policy for capital improvements has resulted in the milestone of the municipality paying off its last debt as of Nov. 1, she pointed out. The only other debt owed by Bernards Township is for open space and farmland preservation investments, funded through the separate open space tax.

"John and I have done a good job for the residents of Bernards, and we got results — we will continue to have effective government."

Regarding the recent criticism that asphalt tailings were dumped at the township's Whitenack Woods open space, Pavlini said that the township's Department of Public Works had consulted with the state Department of Environmental Protection regarding the placement of the asphalt on that property.

In addition, Pavlini said that the township had removed much debris left behind from the construction of Route 287 when the property was acquired for preservation.

Speaking about another controversial issue — the question of whether the township should defend a lawsuit from the Bamboo Grille — Pavlini said that establishment, located on the property of the Basking Ridge Country Club off Madisonville Road — had chosen to legally challenge the township.

Earlier this fall, the Township Committee attached a requirement that the Bamboo Grille no longer offer amplified music at its restaurant after years of disputes from next-door neighbors that the music was too loud.

"Jack Walsh [a principal at the Bamboo Grille] brought the lawsuit against the town. We have to defend the town," she said.