Jacquie Rice. (Click to enlarge.)
Two borough council seats are up for grabs in Fair Haven’s November 5 election.
On the ballot are incumbent incumbents Jon Peters and Jacquie Rice, both Republicans, and Democratic challengers Meg Chrisner-Keefe and Mike McCue.
Here are Rice’s written responses to questions posed to all Fair Haven candidates recently by redbankgreen.
Name: Jacquie Rice
Age: 52
Address: 45 Maple Avenue
How long have you been a resident of Fair Haven?
19 years
Where did you grow up?
Union Beach, NJ
Where did you go to high school?
St John Vianney
Did you graduate from college? If so, which school, with what degree?
Yes. Ashford University with a BA in Health & Human Services
Have your served in the military? If so, which branch and when?
No
What do you do for a living?
I am currently working at Knollwood School as a part-time paraprofessional.
Please tell us a little bit about your community involvement efforts, if any.
Besides sitting on council for the past year I have been active with the Fair Haven Day Committee and the Foundation of Fair Haven. I assist in planning, fundraising and running both Fair Haven Day & Octoberfest. For the last two years I have been on the Fair Haven Recreation Committee. I was a member of the Junior League of N.J. from 2012-2019. I am on the Steering Committee for the Running & Winning Workshop.
Party affiliation: Republican
How important is party affiliation to you? What does it mean to you to be a member of your party?
I am proud to be a Republican. I believe in smaller government. I am in support of providing services utilizing existing funds.
Do you have a role model in public life? Who and why?
Meghan Markle – Duchess of Sussex. I admire the way she has held her head high during all of the unnecessary attacks on her character. She is a woman who has strong convictions and stands for them proudly. He charity work is to be commended. She is strong and she is a leader which are two characteristics I strive to achieve.
Why are you running for council?
I have a passion for governing. I love being part of the solution and being in a position to make decisions that will take Fair Haven into the future while also maintaining our small town culture is very important to me.
What are the most pressing issues facing the town, and how do you plan to address them?
We currently need to update our facilities. Our police department is in desperate need of replacement. Over the last year, many plans and sites have been considered. My plan is to make the best decision to replace the PD while keeping taxes steady.
We are also in need of a reexamination of our pedestrian and biking safety procedures. I plan on spending the next few months with authorities and stakeholders to develop a new plan that address all areas of safety.
What if any specific initiatives can voters expect from you if you are elected?
I want to implement an idea brought up by one of our residents to start a “bike licensing” class for smaller children. I feel that educating the smaller children will lead to better bike safety in the future. I also would like to bring back the Bike Rodeo. In addition I want to look at the commercial traffic in town and examine changes we can make to ensure our streets are as safe as they can be.
If there’s anything you’d like to add, please do so here:
Over the past year I have made a point of listening to the residents and responding to their worries or concerns as best I can.
The candidates for council are scheduled to participate in a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters at Bicentennial Hall Wednesday night.
Find the ballot here. And below are the locations of polling places by district.
Here’s the ballot. All six election districts will vote at the Church of the Nativity, 180 Ridge Road.
