SHREWSBURY: JEFFREY DESALVO Q&A

Jeffrey DeSalvo. (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 DeSalvo’s written responses to questions posed to all Shrewsbury candidates recently by redbankgreen.

Name: Jeffrey DeSalvo

Age: 53

Address: 68 Sickles Pl Shrewsbury, NJ

How long have you been a resident of Shrewsbury? 18 years

Where did you grow up? Freeport, NY

Where did you go to high school? Freeport High School

Did you graduate from college? If so, which school, with what degree? State University at Oswego, BA

Have your served in the military? If so, which branch and when? no

What do you do for a living?  Medical sales Providing solutions to healthcare providers and institutions.

Please tell us a little bit about your community involvement efforts, if any.

Initially, I volunteered to serve on the Shrewsbury Environmental Commission and Zoning Board. I was asked to run for Council by Mayor Burden. Since being on Council, I have served as Council President, on the DPW Committee, Police Committee, Insurance Committee, Negotiating Committee, Open Space Committee, Planning Board and Fire and First Aid Committee. I have served as the Liaison to the Alliance for the prevention of Drug and Alcohol commission as well as the Board of Health. Currently, I am Chairman of the Fire and First Aid Committee and liaison to the RBR Board of Education, Community Alliance and Recreation Commission.

Party affiliation: Republican

How important is party affiliation to you? What does it mean to you to be a member of your party?

Party Affiliation does not play a significant role at the local level.  At the local level, I am concerned with doing what is best for our residents and Borough.  I am a firm believer in smaller and efficient Government.

Do you have a role model in public life? Who and why?

My Mother Martha- She instilled the idea of giving back to the community as she served as the chair of our local Zoning Board while I was growing up.

Why are you running for office?

To give back to my community. My wife myself and our children have made Shrewsbury our home. Over the years Shrewsbury and its community have given much to my family. I feel an obligation to this community to work to make Shrewsbury an even better place to live and raise a family. To do this, I believe it is essential to ensure that our Municipal Government is operating at the highest efficiency. Every expenditure must be made with consideration on how it effects our residents. I promise that I will always put Shrewsbury Taxpayers first.

What are the most pressing issues facing the town, and how do you plan to address them?

Property taxes. We must address and continue to explore shared services with our neighbors.  We must look for ways to reduce municipal expenditures while maintaining a high level of services. Additionally, as part of the Insurance Committee we have achieved drastic reductions in healthcare costs saving tax dollars.

Also, the inequity of the regional school allocation formula is of major concern. Proportionally Shrewsbury is paying a higher amount per student than the other sending districts. I have taken on this issue as our residents are being unfairly taxed. I am working with the RBR Board of Education and members of our surrounding towns to address the imbalance and work towards an equitable funding formula for all sending districts.

What if any specific initiatives can voters expect from you if you are elected?

I will continue to explore alternatives to all spending where cost savings and increased efficiency can be applied. I will work to continue the sharing of services with our neighbors to reduce the tax burden on our residents while maintaining safety and the character of our Boro. My efforts to address the inequity of the school funding formula will continue. Also, my efforts on the insurance committee and the DPW committee will continue as we look to increase savings for all members of the Boro.

If there’s anything you’d like to add, please do so here:

It has been a privilege to serve our community. My wife and I were newly married when we came to Shrewsbury. We have raised our children in in this great town.  One currently attends RBR and the other SBS. If re-elected to the Council I look forward to serving Shrewsbury and I vow that every decision I make, every tax dollar that is spent will be with the consideration of how it effects our residents. Shrewsbury has been fantastic to my family over the years and I am excited to continue to serve.

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.