Meet Wayne Council Candidate Suzanne Pudup

WAYNE, NJ — With Election Day approaching, Patch is putting together a series of candidate profiles so readers can learn more about who’s on their ballot.

Suzanne Pudup is a former Board of Education member who is seeking a seat on Wayne's Council-At-Large.

Wayne Patch asked candidates to share some information about themselves, and asked identical questions to all candidates.

See Pudup's responses below:

● Full name: Suzanne Pudup
● Age: 75 years young
● Town of residence: Wayne Township
● Position sought: Council-at-Large
● Party affiliation: Independent
● Family: My husband and I have called Wayne home for over 42 years. We are delighted that our two sons have chosen Wayne to live and raise their children in, also.
● Education: I've completed a bachelor's degree and two advanced degrees.

● Occupation: I am a retired teacher
● Previous or current elected/appointed office (if applicable): It was my honor to serve Wayne as a member of the Board of Education for six years.

1. Why are you running for this position?

I'm running for Wayne Town Council to help make things better for my fellow citizens and their families.

2. What do you believe to be the most pressing issue in the community, and what do you intend to do about it if elected?

3. What qualifications and qualities do you possess that make you best suited for the position?

My qualifications are a) my deep seated commitment to Wayne, b) willingness to work with everyone regardless of backgrounds or party affiliations, and c) an inquiring mind that wants to seek solutions to problems.

4. Overdevelopment has been a growing concern throughout NJ. How do you intend to address it in your community?

We are in the midst of a development boom in Wayne. All of our elected officials need to work together and be involved and informed to find solutions to the problems that come with the additional housing units. Up to this point, it has been a one-man "show" under our current governing system that gets to negotiate everything for this town. We need more input than that!

5. If you are running against an incumbent, where do you believe they’re lacking in serving the community? If you are an incumbent, what areas, if any, do you think you could improve upon in terms of public service?

Every member of our current Council wants to serve, but they are limited by our current Faulkner Mayor Strong system. One person "holds all the cards," yet, nine other people are also elected officials for my town. We need to have a far more egalitarian system in place within our governing framework

6. In a few words, what is your favorite thing about your community?

The best thing about Wayne is its people who work hard to live here and are interested in making a better life and getting a good education for their children. They choose to live in this lovely community. I want to strive and give them the best value for their hard earned livelihoods. And, I hope that their children, like my own, will come back and raise their children here.

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Election Day is Nov. 4

If you are running in Wayne’s council-at-large race and did not receive a candidate profile request email, please reach out to jack.slocum@patch.com.