Submitted by the candidate
Denise Coyle, Candidate, New Jersey Assembly 16th District Denise Coyle joined the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders in January 1996 after four years as a Township Committeewoman and Mayor in Branchburg.
She has served as Freeholder Director and Deputy Director. Denise spearheaded two Economic Development Summits which resulted in award-winning, regionally focused Smart Growth initiatives. Her efforts have been recognized for developing and implementing innovative approaches to complex policy issues.
She is economic development chair with the Somerset County Business Partnership, a public/private partnership that fosters Smart Growth principles. She is a founding member of the Regional Center Partnership of Somerset County, the only tri-municipal regional partnership in New Jersey and the first three towns to do a joint Master Plan in New Jersey. Denise is also a founding member of the county’s Award winning Economic Development Incentive Program that promotes non-residential ratables in Somerset County’ s boroughs. These initiatives provide efficiencies and save taxpayer dollars.
Denise believes that it is a Legislators responsibility to put legislation in place that provides an environment of sustainable prosperity that allows our residents and economy to prosper. To accomplish this the state needs to reallocate school funding which would result in a more equitable tax formula. The state also needs to make significant reductions in spending. The state has impose d a four-percent spending cap on all municipalities and school districts but no cap on the state budget.
Denise is the recipient of the Diversity Award-Government from the Somerset County Cultural Diversity Coalition; the Outstanding Women in Somerset County Award-Government, from the Somerset County Commission on the Status of Women; the Rolling Hills Girl Scout Council Woman of Achievement Award; and the Millicent Fenwick Award for Distinguished Public Service.
Denise is a graduate of St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, cum laude, and received her law degree from Rutgers University. She and her husband Dennis have two children and live in Bernards Township.
