Election 2023: Mendham Township Committee Candidate Elisa Wyman

MENDHAM, NJ — Election Day is nearing, and Mendham voters will soon head to the polls to cast their votes for the open seat on the local township committee.

Patch sent questionnaires to all candidates, seeking their responses. Here is the response from candidate Elisa Wyman.

Editor's Note: Patch emailed all candidates at the email addresses listed for their campaigns in the clerk's office. The responses will be revealed between now and the general election on Nov. 7. These comments will be published with just minor stylistic changes. Candidates who wish to participate but did not receive an invitation should email vianella.burns@patch.com.

Name: Elisa Wyman

Age: 48

Town of residence: Mendham Township

Position sought: Mendham Township Committee

Party affiliation: Republican

Family: My husband, Andrew, and I have been married for nearly 20 years, living in Mendham Township for over half that time. Our son, currently is in 7th grade, is attending the Mendham Township Middle School.

Education: BA in Mathematics from Lehigh University and MBA from Fordham University (Gabelli

Occupation: I am Senior Vice President, Rewards and People (HR) Operations at John Wiley & Sons, a global publicly traded company. I manage compensation, well-being and benefits for employees in almost 40 countries and I oversee our operations teams. My views and positions for our Township in no way represent the Company.

Previous or current elected appointed office: No political positions previously or currently held.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I chose to run for Township Committe because I love our community and want to give back in a direct way. I spent countless hours volunteering in and out of the Township, and I want to focus my efforts now solely on our town. As a resident, while attending many of our Township meetings I became frustrated as my opponent, on several occasions, abstained from voting. She also on several occasions tabled votes for political reasons and did not vote for our new police station. We elect 5 people to represent and have the leadership to vote on important issues. This approach to abstaining and tabling votes is ineffective.

I will vote for important issues in our town with the understanding not everyone will agree but with full intention to represent a majority of our neighbors and what is best for our collective community.

If elected, what do you hope to accomplish while serving on the council?

I hope to accomplish driving more transparent and clear processes. While there has been some progress in transparency with residents, there is still much more work to be done. This will lead to faster decisions and progress while maintaining integrity of due process. Enabling and driving operations excellence, with clear alignment and communications with all stakeholders, are critical aspects of my professional career which I've been highly successful in and plan to bring this expertise to our Township Committee.

I also hope to lower our residents' taxes, and not by overbuilding to bring in more residents. We should be continuously reviewing expenditures and ways to most effectively manage the expenses, looking for opportunities to lower them without sacrificing existing services and resources.

What do you think is the most pressing issue facing residents right now and what do you intend to do about it?

I have had conversations with countless residents since deciding to run and attended many Township Committee meetings. The main concerns are Backer Farm, Mosle lights, open space and taxes. I would focus on the following in first term:

Backer Farm Brewery: The feedback I have heard on the Backer's proposal ranges from residents who are very excited, to those in the middle, and others who are against the proposal. Although the decision ultimately falls under the Morris County Agricultural Development Board (CADB), the Township Committee has been asked to provide their feedback on the proposal to ensure the health and safety of our community. The Committee is in the process of drafting a letter to the CADB with their recommendations and is also considering new ordinances in the Township based on expert insights and perspective of residents should such a brewery be approved. In my first term, I will work to ensure increased communication on this issue and that respective balanced ordinances are proposed.

Mosle Lights: A proposal was put forth to replace existing diesel fueled lights on the recreational Mosle fields with permanent, downstream Musco electric field lights. The Township Committee recently designated a sub-committee made up of residents near Mosle field, the youth sports organizations that have been using/managing the diesel fueled portable lights for many years, and members including those on other Township Committees such as the Environmental Committee and the Wildlife Committee. I have heard the sub-committee has already met several times, making progress on what ultimately will hopefully close out with a recommendation to the Township Committee on a productive way forward. Should this situation remain unresolved in my first term, I will focus my efforts to connect with the sub-committee ensuring it moves forward in a collaborative way.

Open space: Open Space is not just an issue but rather a core element to our beautiful town. Our vast open space areas have driven people to move here and are a significant reason our residents stay. My focus during my first term would be to ensure this does not become an issue, that we purposely preserve and maintain our open space, and take steps where reasonably possible to find ways for it to thrive.

Taxes: This is simple - taxes in NJ are high and Mendham Township is not an outlier. I will focus my first term on opportunities to lower taxes in responsible ways, while maintaining the proper level of local support for our first responders and local services.

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

Unlike my opponent, I am 100% committed to our Township and neighbors. I am not politically motivated but rather dedicated to do what is the right thing for Mendham Township, ensuring it represents the collective town’s best interest, not the interest of individuals or groups outside of the Township. I also will never take credit for what I wasn’t part of nor am I opportunistic for my own self interests.

I have proven leadership of effective collaboration through my professional career. For over 25 years, I have been bringing people together of differing views to work towards common sense solutions to problems, even on divisive topics, in an expeditious way while ensuring due process. I will bring this leadership to the Committee.

I also have a strong focus on fiscal responsibility, which is critical to properly manage our town funds and lower our taxes. We all work hard to earn our paychecks and each tax dollar that goes to our Township should be treated as such, our own. I will ensure our money continues to be applied in its most effective way that benefits our residents not solely for the short term but also with a long-term view for our future generations.

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

I have been living in Mendham Township for over 11 years and the prior 5 years in Mendham Borough - so over 16 years in total in the Mendhams. My family has been heavily involved in our town and will continue to be for a long time. I want to ensure our town is a place that my son, who is currently attending the Mendham Township Middle School, wants to raise his family and have the same wonderful experience we are able to provide living in Mendham Township. I hope to be his role model, along with his father who also volunteers significant time for our town organizations and youth sports, showing him the importance of contributing and giving back to our community for generations to come. It would be a privilege and honor to have the opportunity to give back directly to Mendham Township and our residents.