SHREWSBURY: DAVID DRAGONETTI Q&A

David Dragonetti. (Click to enlarge.)

Shrewsbury voters will choose a new mayor and two council members in the November 6 election.

Running to succeed two-term Mayor Don Burden are incumbent Republican Councilman Erik Anderson and Democrat David Dragonetti. The council contenders are Anderson’s running mates, Councilman Jeffrey DeSalvo and Council President Donald Eddy; and Democrats Carol Loeffler and Mandy Ngo.

Here are Dragonetti’s written responses to questions posed to all Shrewsbury candidates recently by redbankgreen.

Name: David Dragonetti

Age: 45

Address: 73 Obre Place

How long have you been a resident of Shrewsbury? I have been a resident of Shrewsbury for 9 years and have been enjoying time in Monmouth County for over 20 years, including getting married in the Shrewsbury historic district on Sycamore Avenue in 2001.

Where did you grow up? I grew up on the northshore of Boston in Nahant, Massachusetts which is a small town very similar to Shrewsbury.

Where did you go to high school? I graduated from Swampscott High School in Swampscott, Massachusetts in 1991. Notable graduates include journalist Leslie Stahl and actor/comedian Jason Mantzoukas.

Did you graduate from college? If so, which school, with what degree? I graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a B.S. in Resource Economics.

Have your served in the military? If so, which branch and when? My family is full of naval veterans, however, I found a greater interest in serving others working for over a decade at Management Sciences For Health, a global non-profit public health organization that saves lives and improves the health of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

What do you do for a living? I work locally as a Sales Engineer at WorkWave, a software company located at the iconic Bell Works building in Holmdel. Prior to that I worked at ADP for several years implementing HR and Payroll systems like the one the Borough of Shrewsbury uses for it’s employees.

Please tell us a little bit about your community involvement efforts, if any. I am currently Chairman of the Shrewsbury Borough Environmental Commission which I have been involved in since being nominated 4 years ago by our current mayor Don Burden. In addition, I have supported local efforts of the Safe Routes To School Program and assisted in coaching baseball, football, basketball, and hockey.

Party affiliation: I am currently registered with the Democratic Party and generally support progressive values, however, most of my life I have been an independent and still think independently.

How important is party affiliation to you? What does it mean to you to be a member of your party? While my party affiliation is important to me in the context of national politics, I do not believe it has a significant role in local policy. I prefer a non-partisan local government structure.

Do you have a role model in public life? Who and why? I am inspired by leaders who tackle difficult and sometimes seemingly impossible challenges such as Tesla’s Elon Musk.

Why are you running for office? I am running for mayor to change the status quo and lead Shrewsbury toward a better long-term direction. The residents want our tax dollars to be spent wisely which we can only accomplish if our local government is run in a smart and effective manner.

What are the most pressing issues facing the town, and how do you plan to address them? Since the beginning of my campaign, it has become clear that the employees and volunteers in town do not have the support they need. As mayor, I will ensure they have the resources they need to do their jobs efficiently and to always put Shrewsbury First.

What if any specific initiatives can voters expect from you if you are elected? Voters can expect to hear from me regularly regarding potential appointments to our various boards and commissions. These groups serve important functions, therefore, we need more participation by our talented residents given the limited population of our small town.

If there’s anything you’d like to add, please do so here: Thank you to redbankgreen in supporting our efforts to communicate local election information which is a critical component to community involvement and our overall democracy.

The Shrewsbury ballot, which also features elections for seats on the Red Bank Regional and borough school boards, can be found here. Polling places are listed by district below.