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Patch is putting together a series of candidate profiles so readers can learn more about who's on their ballot this November. PARSIPPANY, NJ — With Election Day approaching, Patch is putting together a series of candidate profiles so readers can learn more about who’s on their ballot. Frank A. Neglia is a Republican Councilman on Parsippany's council, and he is seeking reelection this year. Parsippany Patch asked candidates to share some information about themselves, and asked identical questions to all candidates. See Neglia's response's below Full Name: Frank A. Neglia Age: N/A Town of residence: Parsippany Troy Hills Position sought: Town Council Party affiliation: Republican Family: Wife Sandra, 5 children, 9 grandchildren Education: County College of Morris Asbestos Removal License, Rutgers University Security Certification-John Jay College Fire Safety, Confined Space, and Emergency Management Certifications, University of Maryland Occupation: The Connection for Women and Families, Director of Operations and Facilities Management, February 2020 to Present Previous or current elected appointed office: Parsippany Troy Hills Councilman, 2022-Present Parsippany Troy Hills Board of Education, Board President, 2016 to 2021 Parsippany Troy Hills Board of Education, Board Member, 2006 to 2021 Education Service Commision Board member for Handicapped Children 2017-2021 Parsippany Recreation, Advisory Chairman, 2001 to 2022 Par-Troy West Little League, President, 1996 to Present Recipient of the Rotary Citizen of the Year and YMCA Citizen of the Year-2 different times 1. Why are you running for this position? I am running for this position to continue my service of giving back to the town I live in, have raised my 5 children in and been a part of since 1966. I love the town of Parsippany and will always strive to make it a better place and help anyone I can. 2. What do you believe to be the most pressing issue in the community, and what do you intend to do about it if elected? Fiscal responsibility is the greatest challenge to any administration, especially today. Every aspect of local governance is tied to a fiscally sound budget; from stellar public safety to meeting state affordable housing obligatory mandates. As a current councilman, and with my council colleagues and the Mayor, we have worked diligently to restore fiscal responsibility to Parsippany. Prior to Mayor Barberio's term, the previous administration depleted the surplus and in fact hamstrung this administration with an $8M deficit. Since resuming the helm, I'm proud to say that I have been part of a tremendous effort to restore our surplus, balance the municipality's budget, and achieve an outstanding bond rating. Our goal is to continue on this path of good governance into the next term. Public safety is also always a challenge as well. Thanks to this Administration's hard work we were able to restore our depleted police department to reasonable numbers to help promote the safety of our community. Keeping on top of that is always challenging but necessary and something I will always support. 3. What qualifications and qualities do you possess that make you best suited for the position? I have over thirty-five years as an Operations, Security, and Facilities Director, and 15 years serving on the Parsippany school board, 6 of those as the President overseeing a budget of 160 million. In all of my professional experiences, I have prepared budgets, overseen collaborative projects, worked with staff and administration, and maintained a safe and secure atmosphere where everyone is respected. In my capacity on the school board, we accomplished solid budgets, were able to construct 2 football fields within budget and come up with a 5 year maintenance plan to maintain all our school buildings. My professional experience includes Director of Facilities/Security for Exxonmobil Corp, Director of Facilities/Security for the College of St. Elizabeth, Director of project management for the Weichert Family of Companies’- construction related activities and most recently as the Director of Operations and Facilities Management for The Connection for Women and Families, a New Jersey non-profit organization. Coupled with my tenure on the Board of Education, including my service as Board President, I’ve developed budgeting and organizational skills that I would deploy as a member of the Township Council to ensure that all Council expenditures contemplate what is in the best interest of our Township, both from a policy and fiscal standpoint. My career and public service has also honed my ability to work effectively with groups, to organize and evaluate projects, and to streamline and cut out wasteful spending. In addition I've lived in the town since 1966 and have participated in numerous volunteer and committee activities the last 40 years and have a deep familiarization with the pulse of the town. 4. Overdevelopment has been a growing concern throughout NJ. How do you intend to address it in your community? We have done our best to have Smart Growth and not overdevelopment in Parsippany. We have taken part in repurposing existing office space and not overdevelopment. Unfortunately with Mt. Laurel mandates we are obligated to move forward with affordable housing. It's the law. We support open space and recently purchased 11 acres of land around St. Christophers and have dedicated it to open space. 5. If you are running against an incumbent, where do you believe they’re lacking in serving the community? If you are an incumbent, what areas, if any, do you think you could improve upon in terms of public service? As councilman, I’ve worked diligently with the Mayor in restoring the town's financial status. I'm proud to say that I have been part of a tremendous effort to restore our surplus, balance the municipality's budget, and achieve an outstanding bond rating. Our goal is to continue on this path of good governance into the next term. I was also instrumental in supporting the hiring of 30 new police officers, most of which were town residents, to help keep our streets safe and beef up our police department. I will continue on that path for public safety In addition, we have done our best to have Smart Growth and not overdevelopment in the town. I recently supported the purchase of 11 acres of land around St. Christophers and it has been dedicated to open space 6. In a few words, what is your favorite thing about your community? My favorite thing about the community is the diversity we have, the different cultures and the people. In addition our town offers so much to the residents from the schools we have plus all the things the town and recreational departments offer. As Mayor Barberio says, "If the world could take a look how we get along it would be a much better place." Parsippany is an awesome place to live. ____ Election Day is Nov. 4. If you are running in the Parsippany Council race and did not receive a candidate profile request email, please reach out to jack.slocum@patch.com.
