Meet The Candidate: Andrew Prudente For Berkeley Township Council

BERKELEY, NJ — Berkeley Township will head to the polls on Tuesday to cast their votes for four open council seats. Patch has asked the candidates to share their thoughts before the Nov. 2 General Election.

This year, four Republican incumbents and four Democratic challengers are running for four four-year terms.

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 Election Day.

Here is the response from Andrew Prudente who is running for election.

Age (as of Election Day): 78

Party Affiliation: Democratic

Family: Thomas Prudente, 42, High School Teacher in Language Arts

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Education: BSEE NYU, MSEE Univ of Fla.

Occupation: 47 years experience

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: None

Campaign website: Berkeley Township Democrats

Why are you seeking elective office?

To apply my skills at bringing projects in under budget and on time for the residents of Berkeley

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The town Government is entirely Republican which fosters nepotism and collusion with contractors. A balanced government produces the best administration for the residents.

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

I intend to reduce traffic congestion on Rt 9 by making use of the traffic circle instead of red lights and jug-handle turns. With the traffic circle, traffic keeps moving. They are less expensive to build and maintain. When a traffic light goes out, a policeman needs to be assigned to direct traffic, which makes it even more expensive.

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

There is no transparency in their actions. For example, they pushed that proposal to construct two 10 story buildings in downtown in a very rapid way to avoid any counter proposals.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

The deer herds are getting too large. We need to form a committee to study ways of controlling them that is not cruel to animals. Bow and arrows will wound the animal where it runs off to die a painful death.

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

I have been effective in communicating complicated projects to those who are not in the technical field so that they are able to understand it. I have an ability to pay attention to the fine details in anything and get the job done under budget and on time.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Invest in your education.

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

I am 100% honest and I always have my constituents' welfare in mind.