Elections, News

Getting to Know Fair Haven Council Candidates: Race Newcomer Laline Neff

This is Democrat Laline Neff’s first run for Fair Haven Borough Council. Neff is the running mate of incumbent Chris Rodriguez. She, Rodriguez and incumbent Fair Haven Borough Council President Susan Sorensen (R) are vying for two seats on council. Neff is attempting to unseat Sorensen.

Please note: All candidates were provided with a questionnaire at the same time from Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect (R-FH Retro) exclusively. They were given sufficient time to answer the questions and return the completed questionnaire. Neff did not answer R-FH Retro’s questionnaire. R-FH Retro reached out to her to offer a last chance, but, regrettably, there was no response. So, the following is a bio/letter from her to voters directly from the Fair Haven Democrats website.

“Dear Neighbor,

“I am running for Fair Haven Borough Council this year and am writing you to ask for your vote. I am a 7-year resident of Fair Haven and deeply committed to our community. Fair Haven is my husband’s hometown, and when we moved here with our three young children, I immediately knew it was one of the best decisions we made for our family.

“Fair Haven is a wonderful place to live and I am committed to helping it thrive. That’s why I serve as a member of the Fair Haven Zoning Board and the Environmental Commission, and as lead coordinator of the Fair Haven Green Team. I am also a Girl Scouts Troop Leader. I proposed and developed the single-use plastic bag ban Ordinance adopted by the Fair Haven Borough Council in 2019.

“I also led the efforts that enabled Fair Haven to achieve Bronze Certification under the Sustainable Jersey Program in 2018, which helped the Borough receive two Sustainable Jersey grants for improvement projects. I hope to continue to serve our community as a member of Borough Council.

“I worked for 25 years as a financial analyst in New York City, including 21 years as a Director and credit rating analyst at S&P Global Ratings. My professional background and experience would bring a unique set of financial and analytical skills to the council at a time that our Borough is facing financial challenges due to the current recession and the need for a number of capital improvement projects.

“The Coronavirus pandemic has turned 2020 into a difficult year for all of us, both at a personal and at a community level. I am committed to ensuring that our Borough and our community remain resilient.

“These are some of the key areas I’d like to focus on as a member of the Fair Haven Borough Council:

  • Financial Resilience: We need to ensure that our Borough remains financially strong. We also need to make sure that we fully analyze the use of our tax dollars and ensure they are being used effectively and efficiently in order to minimize future tax increases.
  • Strong Multi-Year Planning: Multiple medium and large-scale projects are anticipated for our Borough in coming years. This includes much needed projects aiming at improving our aging infrastructure, including Borough buildings and roads. We need a strong multi-year planning process to ensure we can address these needs with solid financing, a well thought-out strategy and full, transparent, community engagement.
  • Sustainability: Caring for our ponds, fields, walking and biking paths as well as our riverside not only makes our town more sustainable but it improves the quality of life and health of our residents. We need to continue to work on ways to make our community more sustainable.
  • Inclusivity: It’s important that our Borough’s Commissions and Committees represent the wide range of views of our residents. We can do this by ensuring that appointed members to these commissions fully reflect the diversity of our community. This includes, but is not limited to, diversity by political party, age, gender, and minority representation.

“As the upcoming election quickly approaches, please make sure your voice is heard. Make sure to vote and vote early. I appreciate your support in this election such that, as member of the Fair Haven Borough Council, I can work towards ensuring that our wonderful community will continue to thrive!

“With my best regards,

Laline Neff”