Election 2021: Chatham Borough Council Candidate Carolyn Dempsey

CHATHAM, NJ — The Nov. 2 General Election is getting closer and Patch has asked local candidates to share their thoughts before the election.

Editor's Note: Are you a candidate on the ballot? 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 be published between now and the General Election. Candidates who would like to participate but did not receive one (for whatever reason) may contact jennifer.miller@patch.com.

One of these candidates is Carolyn Dempsey, who is currently serving on Chatham Borough’s Council as Council President. Freddie Bicknese, a Republican Chatham Borough Council candidate, is challenging Dempsey and fellow Democratic incumbent Jocelyn Mathiasen, for one of their two seats, which are up for grabs on Chatham Borough's Council.

Dempsey's responses are below:

Name: Carolyn Dempsey

Age: 52

Town of residence: Chatham

Position sought: Chatham Borough Council

Party affiliation: Democratic

Family: My husband, Brian, and I have been married 24 years, and we have 2 sons and a daughter : Sam (20-attends Creighton University), Calder (17) And Austen (15), both attend Chatham High.

Education: BA, College of William and Mary; Russian/Soviet Studies, Spanish

Occupation: Music Teacher

Previous or current elected appointed office: current Borough Council President

Why are you seeking elective office?
I’ve lived in Chatham for 20 years; I wanted to make a difference in this town I’ve come to love, the town where we’re raising our family. When I ran for Council three years ago I had several priorities, including bringing broader representation to the Council, championing Community events, helping bring vitality to our downtown and continuing to make Chatham a more welcoming community. I feel I’ve been able to make significant progress on all those priorities and more, and want to continue this work for our community.

The single most pressing issue facing us is recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. What do you intend to do about it?
We have already started our COVID-19 recovery efforts. As the pandemic affected nearly every aspect of our lives, there are many areas of “recovery” which need addressing. At the top of many lists is economic recovery. Also, we were all, for the first time in our lives, forced to be physically distanced from one another. We are hungry for reconnection to our neighbors. One of my proudest accomplishments, shepherding in the summer concert series, addressed both those issues. It was so exciting this past spring and summer to see so many residents enjoying the concerts at the gazebo, shopping and dining on take-out from our downtown establishments. As I stated earlier, creating more community activities was a priority of mine when I ran three years ago. We’ve now seen that celebrating being together not only lifts us up emotionally, but it has an economic benefit, as well. Early on in the pandemic civic leaders, members of the clergy and local volunteers realized the economic stress of the pandemic was creating cases of food insecurity in Chatham. We created the Chatham Community Food Distribution which operates out of the Chatham United Methodist Church. For nearly 80 weeks we have supplied 30-60 families weekly with fresh produce, milk, eggs, butter, shelf stable products and personal care items. We are dependent on donations from residents, local businesses and non profits and will continue to serve our neighbors as long as the need continues. We have also been able to point our neighbors to other resources to help them emotionally, psychologically and economically navigate these difficult times.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
As I mentioned earlier, our family has called Chatham home for 20 years. During that time I have been very active in the community volunteering in our schools, my church and with various volunteer organizations. It feels like I have also taught music to most of the children in town! My connections with residents and knowledge of the town has helped me create working coalitions, attract volunteers, and has given me an empathetic understanding of our residents, my neighbors. I have always had the ability to find common ground, solve problems and build bridges, even among people of disparate backgrounds and ideologies. Most importantly, I’m a really good listener!

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish on Council these past three years, with the support of our Borough Administration, our volunteers and our Mayor and Council. Some highlights include:

• making Chatham an even more welcoming community, including the first Chatham Diversity Celebration
• supporting our local businesses, such as through the “Shop Small for a Big Impact” initiative, and attending openings special events
• creating spaces that benefit our residents through the acquisition of the former Stanley Church
• refurbishing our parks with new basketball and tennis courts; walking paths and trails
• prioritizing communication with residents by establishing consistent office hours for all members of the Council, conducting a borough-wide recreation survey and addressing residents’ concerns daily
• hosting the first ever Borough Hall open house
• initiating new community traditions that bind us together with our neighbors like the summer concert series, while preserving favorites like Fishawack and the Farmer’s Market
• caring for those most negatively impacted by creating the Chatham Community Food Distribution

The best advice ever shared with me was:
“You have two ears and one mouth. Use them in that proportion.”

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.