Election 2021: Mendham Twp. Committee Candidate Eric Inglis

MENDHAM, 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 Eric A. Inglis, a Democratic candidate who is running for one of two three-year seats that are up for grabs in the Mendham Township Committee race, with Mayor Sarah Neibart and Deputy Mayor Nick Monaghan, each up for re-election. Another candidate is Inglis’ running mate, Meredith L. Sahi.

Inglis’ responses to Patch’s questions are below:

Age: 52

Town of residence: Mendham Township

Position sought: Committeeperson

Party affiliation: Democrat

Family: Married to Grace Shin. Children: Mia, 22, Phillip, 20, Parker 16.

Education: B.A., George Washington University, 1990; J.D., George Washington University, 1994

Occupation: Attorney

Previous or current elected appointed office: President, Morristown and Morris Township Library Foundation; President, West Morris Soccer Club; Trustee, Great Swamp Watershed Association

Why are you seeking elective office?
I have always been involved in my community in a volunteer capacity, whether as a member of a non-profit or coaching youth sports. As my children have gotten older and left the home, as I have acquired more professional and managerial skills, and as I have observed my local government continue a cycle of debt and disregard for providing basic services, I believe I have the time and skills to make my community a better place for its citizens.

The single most pressing issue facing us is recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. What do you intend to do about it?
The pandemic is the issue that continues to bedevil our economy, but local government does not have the resources or the expertise to formulate public health guidelines. Elected officials, and really all individuals, should be modelling behavior that follows CDC or State guidelines. In June 2020, when the pandemic was in its early stages and when CDC guidelines called for masking in indoor spaces, our opponents conducted in-person Township Committee meetings without wearing masks. The current mayor blasts weekly emails to the town preaching responsible behavior and sharing CDC guidelines, but she failed to follow those guidelines while conducting official business. I am not a "Covid hawk." I don't wear a mask outdoors or in spaces where it is not recommended in order to virtue signal. But I have been to a number of charity events over the past several months, events that I have attended for years, and the attendance is way down because there continues to be a large number of people who are not willing to live their full lives because they feel the world is still unsafe. Even if I do not share the same level of apprehension as those people, I need to follow CDC guidelines so those people will more fully engage in the economy and their public lives. So personal behavior is much more important than any particular step the local government can take to end the pandemic.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
I have helped manage a business that has a budget several times larger than the township government and has many more employees. But it is still a small business that has to plan for its future, watch its budget, and appropriately manage its debt. I do not think the other candidates have that experience and their management of the township budget reflects that. The township is not paving its roads and it is borrowing huge sums of money to replace a police station that they neglected until it was falling down. The current mayor describes herself as a "professional political operative," she has donated tens of thousands of dollars to Republican political candidates around the State, and she sought a seat in the State Assembly as soon as she was appointed to the Township Committee at age 27. She is a nice person and volunteers in her community, but she has huge political ambitions that may not sync up with the long-term needs of this town. Mendham Township is a small community and its elected representatives should be people whose political ambitions are limited to trying to make Mendham Township a better and more financially responsible town that paves its roads. It is not sexy stuff, but that is what local government should focus on.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
When I was elected as the President of the West Morris Soccer Club, which was (as it remains) the largest youth sports organization across the Mendhams and Chesters, it was losing money on an annual basis. It also failed to follow some best practices of non-profits. Along with a board of truly spectacular volunteers, we restored the organization to robust financial health and my last project was to build a lighted, turfed soccer court at a broken down tennis court in Mendham Borough. This was not only a gift to the community, but these courts also saved the Club money because it allowed us to hold practices in inclement weather without having to rent expensive indoor space. I always look for the win-win and I have no problem sharing credit for that particular win with the Republican members of the Mendham Borough Committee, who were great to work with.

The best advice ever shared with me was:
Sometimes the best advice is not a comment, but it is a lived example. My siblings and I were raised by an extraordinary single mother who had to provide for us on only a teacher's salary. She showed me that you need to work hard every day, shrug off hardship, stay involved in your children's lives, volunteer for your community, and try to make other people's lives better.

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