Elias Looks Back Fondly at Time on Council

John Elias said he wouldn't necessarily miss the meetings that came with being a borough council member.

But he also said–and one can get the same sense when talking to him about his six years on the council–that he would miss working with his colleagues to make decisions he felt made Madison a better place to live.

"I brought a skill set to the council that I think complemented what was there," Eias said. "If you look back, the year I got elected there were no other lawyers. Again, say what you will about lawyers, we bring a different perspective on things. We bring an analytical skill set that's honed and taught from the day we show up for law school. So I thought that my skill set would be helpful in addressing issues and helping people look at a variety of issues."

Elias may be stepping away from the borough council, but he certainly won't be saying goodbye to Madison.

Elias has been living in Madison for the past 25 years. He moved to the borough with wife Melissa and their eldest child Chris, who was six years old at the time. The couple, which met while attending law school at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., would have two more children after they came to town. Both daughters, Rebecca, who is 23, and Katie, who is 20, would join their brother in going through the Madison Public School system.

Elias beams with pride when talking about his children. It's not surprising that he made it a point to coach the sports they were involved in while growing up. Elias, who works at Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP in Short Hills where he deals largely with personal wealth planning, likes to stay involved, especially if he thinks he can make a difference. That's why he originally got into Madison politics.

"The conceit that I had something to offer and I could do a good job–nothing more than that." Elias said. "It's something I always wanted to do."

Elias is leaving the council after his second term. He lost to incoming Republican candidate Don Links in the November election. Elias had previously won elections in 2006 and 2003. Before winning a seat on the council for the first time, he ran four times in the '90s.

For Elias, it wasn't a hindrance falling a few times before getting elected. He just felt that it was another way for the borough to get to know him more. Though 25 years may seem like a lot now, Elias said it took time for Madison, which tends to vote for residents who have deep borough ties, to recognize him as one of their own and someone who would help the town.

"Over time I just became better known in the community–I just had a higher profile," Elias said. "If you look at the composition of boards over the years, a lot of people are first-, second-, third-generation Madisonians. There's a priority and a premium placed on that. I was an outsider trying to crack in. It's one thing to be an outsider and try to crack in when you're relying on the Republican brand, but as a Democrat it's particularly difficult."

Elias said the Democrats that have been most successful at being elected have been those who have been in Madison for those long periods of time. Elias was able to gain election, however, in 2003. He also ran for mayor in 2007, losing by 60 votes.

There are many things Elias and the council have been involved with over the six years he has sat in one of the chairs. But there are two things he points to as being proud of the most–and he's also proud of the way he says he has gone about it.

Elias said the role he played in managing the borough finances is the one thing he likes to point to first.

"It's no secret I made it a priority during my tenure, and I'm proud of the role I played there," Elias said.

Elias sees his role in Madison acquiring the 53 acres behind Madison High School as another important part of his time on the council. Elias played a key part in turning down the original proposal for property, which Elias said was an eight-acre tract behind the Verizon property on Park Avenue. Elias said they found later that proposal would have only provided maybe one soccer field because much of the land was classified as wetlands.

"It was only as a result of this opposition to the first proposal that we had an opportunity to buy that property," Elias said. "As reflective as the type of teamwork and foresight that this council had demonstrated over the years, the ability to buy the property – it's all well in good that we raised the ante – but we would never have been able to spend $13 million to acquire the property left to our own devices."

Elias points to the open space tax introduced in 2003 as a bipartisan creation that allows for purchases like the 53 acres. He said it's not just because of the money generated by the tax, but moreso because it made Madison eligible to receive open space and county grant money.

It turned out that $7.3 million for the $13 million purchase came from grants. It's that type of fiscal savings for the borough that Elias looks at fondly from his two terms.

However, as he departs Elias warns of the necessity he feels exists for there to be a partnership with the Board of Education, the borough, and the public, with everyone going in dollar for dollar to develop the property.

"We cannot get too far into this process without understanding, appreciating, and having a confirmation of a matching contribution from these other two partners," Elias said.

As Elias prepares for life after the council, he both praises his own group of council members for what he saw as a bipartisan working environment and warns against working along party affiliation. He said that Madison will suffer if it gets away from non-partisan decision making, something he feels has been slipping over the past two years. Elias said the council needs to get back to a spirit of community.

"I think for the large part – because I was able to work with for the most part over the six-year period with a council that was nonpartisan, committed to advancing Madison, and really conscientious about the, quote-unquote, common good, not personal aggrandisement – when you look back on those six years, I'm going to be very proud to say that I served on one of the most effective councils that Madison has ever seen."