RED BANK – Republican candidates Michael Clancy and Allison Gregory are two of five candidates seeking two three-year terms on the Borough Council in Red Bank. Election Day is Nov. 6.
In addition to Gregory and Clancy, Democrats Kate Trigianno and Hazim Yassi, and independent candidate Sue Viscomi are running for office. Viscomi is profiled in a separate article. The Democrats have not returned messages seeking comment about the election.
If elected, Clancy said, “My primary goal will be to bring down property taxes. The recent report issued by Government Strategy Group showed incredible waste and inefficiency in our borough government. I intend to focus intently on correcting the problems cited in the report as quickly as possible.
“Areas of focus that require the most attention are the overwhelming bureaucracy which residents and business operators must deal with in Borough Hall. If the council can streamline many of the departments, make our borough more efficient, we can release the potential our amazing town has,” he said.
Asked what he has learned during his campaign for office, Clancy said, “Between running for the school board in 2015 and walking with my candidates as their chairman, in the last three years I’ve knocked on as many doors in Red Bank as anyone. Most residents are upset with their property taxes and their water bills, but otherwise just want to be left alone to live their lives.
“It generally takes some terrible experience with the borough for them to start caring about government. That being said, there is a lot of work to do and I am ready and eager to roll up my sleeves and make Red Bank the best it can be,” he said.
Clancy, a sales representative, has been a commissioner on the housing authority since 2016. He has served on the Republican County Committee and has been the chairman of the Red Bank Republican Party since June 2016. Clancy is a member of the Red Bank Elks.
If elected, Gregory said, “I believe strongly that Borough Hall needs to be run more efficiently as outlined in the management enhancement report that was released to the public in May. There are so many items.
“… The (consultant’s) report is scathing and has fantastic recommendations (and) it will be used as a guidance tool for me when elected. I am in favor of responsible redevelopment that will bring revenue to our town to help offset rising residential taxes.
“I would like to continue to attract new business to town and also make Red Bank more business friendly for everyone. Right now the process is too hard. Too much red tape has dissuaded businesses from coming to Red Bank or driven other businesses out. There’s no reason the borough shouldn’t be trying to see our downtown and it’s businesses prosper,” she said.
Asked what she has learned from campaigning for office, Gregory said, “I was originally focused on the safety for the children, especially in regard to boarding houses in town. Reading the management report led me to understand how much interference from the top is involved with borough employees trying to do their jobs and how that in turn has affected morale and led to many problems we see today.
“By meeting with my community, I have learned of the personal frustrations of residents and business owners. Every night I am out knocking on doors. I have come to cherish this one-on-one interaction. I hear most residents are for change in town and are confident in my ticket bringing new blood, new ideas and ready to take action right away.
“My goals have stayed the same throughout the campaign, but of course I want to represent the people and they have helped to educate me about more items to be addressed. A few of these items include Red Bank needing brighter lighting on the streets, speed bumps on Spring Street, reducing taxes and more,” said Gregory, who works in the real estate field.