Election 2022: Josh Halpern, Fair Haven Mayoral Candidate

FAIR HAVEN, NJ — Republican Josh Halpern is one of two candidates seeking a full term for mayor in Fair Haven in the Nov. 8 general election. Halpern is currently serving an unexpired term he was appointed to last October upon the resignation of the former mayor, a Republican.

Borough Council President Christopher Rodriguez, a Democrat, is also running for mayor. In Fair Haven, the mayor is directly elected and votes to break a tie among the Borough Council.

In these profiles, candidates provide voters with background about themselves and their positions on the issues. Patch is publishing individual profiles leading up to the election.

Among his priorities, Halpern said the Borough Council needs to come to a consensus on the police and public works facilities, which are in need either of repair or rebuilding. He said he has made a point to talk directly to residents and says taxes, roads, and brush/leaf pickup are among their major concerns. He said the borough also needs to improve its means of communication with residents.

Read more from candidate Josh Halpern:

Name: Josh Halpern

Age: 43

Town of residence: Fair Haven

Position sought: Mayor of Fair Haven

Are you an incumbent or previous governing member: Yes, incumbent Mayor of Fair Haven

Party affiliation: Republican

Campaign website: Halpern, Hoey & LaBarbera for Fair Haven | Facebook

Family: Nicole is my wife; we have two children: Zach, 15, and Lily, 12

Education: Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management from the University of Delaware

Occupation: Director of Sales for an international distribution company

Name the top issues currently facing your town and how you plan to address them:

• One of the biggest challenges facing the governing body is how to address two important facilities that are in tremendous disrepair. The Police Department and Department of Public Works have been neglected for many years without action. I am now working with the council, who I have challenged to find consensus by March 31, 2023, to determine the best path forward: construct a new building or immediately renovate the current structures. Fair Haven has paid for three designs over the course of seven years without any improvements; it’s time to make decisions and take necessary action.
• Each day, I walk throughout the borough to meet residents. I am proud to say I’ve knocked on 80 percent of Fair Haven doors so far this year. The top three concerns I hear from residents are about taxes, roads, and brush/leaf pickup. From a tax standpoint, I am an advocate of fiscal responsibility and keeping borough costs and spending to a minimum. As far as our roads are concerned, I am proud of the work we have completed in the past year, as well as all the many projects in queue. Our infrastructure was neglected for some time, and we are now beginning the process of addressing it. Smoother roads and improvements means safer passage for all of our residents including pedestrians and bicyclists.
• Brush/leaf pickup is a big opportunity for improvement. The borough can do a better job with collection, communication, and coordination. I am working hard, day-in and day-out, to address all of these issues.
• Lastly, we have revamped and renamed the newly minted Communications and Community Outreach Committee. One improvement that I have personally focused on is targeted communications; providing information is not enough. We want to make it easier for residents to digest the information and know what applies to them. For example, emails and text messages not only tell residents when brush/leaf pickup is by zone, but tell them specifically which zone they are in. This improved communication helps residents get the information they need quickly and efficiently.

Identify specific goals or ideas you have to enhance life in your town:

There are countless reasons that Fair Haven is such an amazing place to live and work. What comes to mind is our vibrant downtown, first class schools, natural environment (e.g. the Navesink River, McCarter Pond, various parks and natural areas, bird sanctuary, and our beloved tree canopy), the many services we offer to our residents, and our amazing people.

Preserving quality of life also means to maintain traditions that mean so much to our community, such as Transition Day for our third graders, graduation for our eighth graders, the annual Firemen’s Fair, the Daddy/Daughter and Mother/Son dances, Concerts on the Dock, our festive parades and solemn ceremonies.

We want to continue to provide opportunities for our residents to be active and involved.

I am also always looking to show progress for Fair Haven as the world changes around us, whether that is additional recreational opportunities or events, parks, or even improvements to our Restaurant, Shade Tree, and Land Use Ordinances.

Most importantly, we live in a challenging world right now. I have worked extremely hard to encourage a sense of community: being neighborly to one another and choosing kindness over division. I work hard to model that sense of unity and community each day.

What in your experience or background prepares you for election to office:

Serving as mayor requires you to navigate the total landscape of the borough when making decisions, not just focus on one specific issue, committee, or commission.

I am proud of how hard I have worked to bring people together to find consensus, as a governing body and as a community. My approach is not that of a typical politician; my only interest is in serving the town that I love. I have no interest in a political future beyond mayor of Fair Haven.

I came into this position with open eyes and a full heart and now I also have the experience, wisdom, creativity and energy to thrive. Additionally, I have a history of proven leadership, whether I was leading my teammates out onto a soccer field, a basketball court, managing over 100 employees in my professional life, successfully coaching multiple team sports for over a decade, or this past year of proven mayoral leadership. We have so much momentum and are just getting started.

Candidates for Fair Haven Mayor, Borough Council:

Mayor (Full Term – Vote for One)

• Josh Halpern (Republican)
• Christopher Rodriguez (Democrat)

Borough Council (Full Term – Vote for Two)

• Kristen Hoey (Republican)
• Andrew "Drew" LaBarbera (Republican)
• Meghan Chrisner-Keefe (Democrat)
• Michael McCue (Democrat)

Candidates who have not received their request for profile information from Patch should check their spam folders or can contact Pat McDaniel at patricia.mcdaniel@patch.com for another email of our candidate questions.