Cranford Township Committee Candidate Profile: Mary O'Connor

CRANFORD, NJ — New Jersey's Primary Election Day is coming up on June 7, and four candidates are running for seats on Cranford's Township Committee this year.

Democrat Mayor Kathleen Miller Prunty is running for a second term on the committee along with running mate Terrence Curran. They will face two Republican candidates — current Committeewoman Mary O'Connor, along with Chrissa Stulpin.

There are two open seats on Cranford's Township Committee this year, according to Town Clerk Patricia Donahue.

Patch sent out questionnaires to local candidates and will run profiles for those running this year.

Below are incumbent Republican candidate Marry O'Connor's answers:

Office sought:

Cranford Township Commissioner

Party affiliation:

Republican

Education:

I studied Music and then Communications at Glassboro State College, now Rowan University.
Changing majors in junior year is not recommended. I finished my credits at Kean and Thomas
Edison State Universities, completing my Bachelor of Arts while working full time. It is never to
late finish what you started.

Occupation:

I have been an Information Technology Specialist for the past 21 years and am looking forward
to retiring in just about twenty working days, but who’s counting?

My life has had a lot of twists and turns. I’ve worked for a major corporation as a Systems
Analyst, spent a few years on air as a Disc Jockey and sidelined as a reporter. I moved into
Educational Technology when I needed to pivot. I believe one of the things that makes me a
good Township Commissioner is that I’ve had to learn to adapt and adjust as a life skill. It
enables me to listen and sometimes change position when new and relevant facts or thoughts
are introduced.

Family:

My daughter Nell is thirty two years old and very happily married to her husband Stephen. I am
one of six children and believe that's where I learned how to negotiate and compromise.
Sometimes it worked and other times it didn't, but it was quite an experience!

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

I have no family members working in Cranford.

Previous public office, appointive or elective:

I have been am elected member of the Cranford Township Committee since 2014. Before that I
served on the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment. Those positions gave me
tremendous insight into the best path forward for development in our town.

Why are you seeking this office?

It has been a privilege to serve the residents of Cranford for the past eight and a half years. I
truly love this town. While I grew up in Cranford, during my years working for United Airlines, I
lived in suburbs of Denver, Chicago and Los Angeles. There is just no other town that I can
compare to Cranford. I returned to my hometown in 1992 to raise my daughter. It was important
to me, as a single mom, to be near my family, and in a community where people look out for
each other. Cranford is that community.

As a Township Commissioner I believe strongly in always putting our residents first. I have made
both popular and unpopular decisions based on what I felt was right for Cranford. Doing what
you feel is right is not always easy. My experience and commitment have been proven during
my tenure on the Township Committee and I am asking the residents of Cranford to support that
dedication in November.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is
___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Development and flooding go hand in hand as the most pressing issues facing Cranford. I find it
impossible to separate them. Development in and around Cranford and in towns upstream has
had an undeniable impact on our infrastructure. Our roads and sewer system cannot sustain
unchecked growth.

Progress is important to the success of any town. Let’s do it right. All developers should be
required to contribute to an infrastructure trust targeted specifically for sewer upgrades. We
need a complete review of the sewer system to identify weak areas and create a plan to repair
and upgrade.

Our storm storm water management ordinance must be reviewed and adapted to ensure
builders comply to the highest standards.

Towns with repetitive, catastrophic flooding should be exempt from builders’ remedy lawsuits.
That message needs to be taken to the Governor and our legislators. It will allow us to meet our
affordable housing obligation and plan for development without the threat of legal action.
I will continue to work with our state and federal legislators on appropriating funds for Cranford
flood projects. Assemblywomen Nancy Munoz and Michele Matsikoudis have introduced a bill to
secure five million dollars specifically for Cranford's flood projects. Commissioner Black and I
have been actively working on this initiative. It deserves the full support of the Township
Committee It is impossible to move forward without substantial funding.

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

I believe that all four candidates are committed to what they think is best for Cranford. Our
approach to development is probably what separates us. Over the past few years, our
downtown has been consistently rated one of the best in New Jersey. We are not an urban
center but there seems to be a push to model development in Cranford after those areas. Four

stories throughout our downtown, is not my vision for Cranford. Is it yours? If it becomes an
option, it will become a reality, That’s the economics of development. Most new residents move
here to change their environment to a quieter, smaller one. We can have progress and still
maintain our identity. My running mate, Chrissa Stulpin and I believe they don’t have to be
mutually exclusive concepts.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the
community?

Cranford has a Township Committee form of government. It’s unique in that all five elected
officials are equal in every way. Over the past few years, we have shifted away from how
government in Cranford is supposed to operate.

Our Township Administrator should be running the day to day operation of the town. Our
township professionals have proven to be among the best in the business. They do not need to
be micromanaged. Our bylaws actually state that we as Commissioners, are not allowed to
interfere with Township operations.

Official correspondence to residents should come from the Administrator and not elected
officials.

If we are asking residents to follow our by-laws, we should be setting the example. We need to
let our municipal staff do their jobs and focus on ours - setting policy, approving budgets and
working on the important issues facing Cranford, development, flooding, public safety and
quality of life for our residents.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Cranford continues its recovery from the pandemic and it’s important to have strong fiscal
policies that will aid that progress. We need to continue to follow the path set in 2014 that
brought Cranford out of state budget oversight and into a healthy financial state.

Affordable housing is essential within our community. My Nana, an Irish immigrant, lived in
subsidized housing and to her it was a godsend. Everyone deserves a chance at that feeling.
We need to create alternatives to rental units, so families have a chance at home ownership and
a place to truly call their own.

Quality of life is important to our residents. Safe streets, community support and respect for all
points of view are fundamental.

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

We are all shaped by our past. When my husband passed away I had to choose a path. I
believed I would be a better parent, sister, aunt by setting an example of community service. I
volunteered with school organizations and remain an active volunteer at St. Michael’s Parish. I
serve on numerous boards and committees and each has been a learning experience.

As a new Commissioner I founded the Cranford Community Connection as a way to bring
people from across Cranford together. I love seeing how that organization has evolved.
I believe my biggest accomplishment is representing Cranford residents fairly and with respect.
We may not agree but I will always respect your opinion and your right to express it.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

My grandmothers had a lot of sayings and we still throw them out there, sometimes to make a
point, other times just to have a light moment.

One of my favorites, and one I try to live by every day is, "treat people like you want to be
treated". Isn’t that what’s it’s really all about?

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

In the wake of Hurricane Irene, I was pretty much at a loss about how to move forward. While I
didn't suffer the severe damages that other families endured, I had no flood insurance and I
didn't have the resources to replace a heating system and all the appliances in my basement.
FEMA decided that six hundred dollars would make all of that right. I appealed and lost. Then I
turned to my Congressman for help. Leonard Lance went to bat for me and FEMA overturned
their decision and helped to replace my heating system.

The devastation residents suffer because of flooding needs to stay in the forefront of Cranford's
consciousness. The financial impact can be measured and cured, the emotional impact is a
different story. In a flood we also lose touchstones and connections to our past. We need help
to make sure residents don't suffer through this again. I will fight for that help.

It was because of Congressman Lances' assistance that I made the decision to run for public
office. You can fight for the greater good, and you can fight to make a difference for one person.
Success is not guaranteed but it is worth making the effort.