Robert Peluso – Candidate for Township Council

Debate Questions for Council Candidates:

1. Pride in Parsippany is an important part of why many choose our Township as their home. Why did you decide to settle in Parsippany, and what makes you proud to be a resident?

Parsippany is a community that cares. Living in Parsippany my entire life has allowed me to make wonderful and lasting friendships. My wife and I are active in Parsippany and we are instilling the same sense of pride in Parsippany in our son Robert. I could not imagine growing up anywhere else. I have always been a proud resident of Parsippany from my school years to today.

2. Tell us about your family life and what living in Parsippany means to you.

I was raised in Parsippany.  My wife and I knew Parsippany was the place to start our family.  We were married in Parsippany at Saint Peter the Apostle Church and were honored to have many Parsippany residents and community leaders join our ceremony.  We purchased our home on the same street I was raised on as we wanted to be close to our families.   While raising our son, Robert, our family stayed involved in our community.  Our son attended All Saints Academy in Parsippany, continued at Lake Hiawatha School, and is now at Rockaway Meadow School.  I serve as the Treasurer of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and enjoy coaching for Parsippany Soccer Club.  We have great parks and recreational facilities that many families enjoy and I was proud to be part of the planning and approval process as a Councilman.  My wife and I work in Parsippany and volunteer our time with many great organizations throughout Parsippany.

3. What is your primary motivation to serve the residents of Parsippany as a Council member?

In the last year, I was approached by neighbors, involved citizens, and friends throughout Parsippany and encouraged to return to the Council. My record speaks for itself. I am a proven fiscal conservative, having held the line on taxes. I helped cut wasteful spending and reduced debt. Taxpayers are tired of the lack of accountability on the part of politicians who ignore real problems. I listen to our residents every day and understand their concerns. As a lifelong resident and dedicated volunteer in our community, I care about Parsippany’s future, and I care about the opportunities our families have to enjoy a quality life.   The practice of politicians rubber-stamping hasty decisions and municipal proposals without proper due diligence and community outreach must stop.  I learned the values of integrity, hard work, and keeping promises and that is exactly what I will continue to bring as your Councilman.

4. What qualities and platform positions set you apart from your opponents?

This year’s election is about who is the best candidate to tackle the challenges for the future and provide for a more responsive and accountable township.  I have a record of accomplishments on Council. I was raised in our community, and I have life experiences in Parsippany as a taxpayer, husband, and parent.  For over 35 years I worked in executive leadership positions in finance, managing municipal operating accounts, investments, and debt.  My education, with a BS in Management and MBA in Corporate Finance, enables me to analyze and understand property tax rates which are integral to reducing our tax burden. Understanding the financial intricacies of the budget process will be instrumental in cutting municipal spending and debt, holding the line on water and sewer bills, and stopping overdevelopment. I have a proven track record of giving back to our community through the many organizations I am involved within the town. I have served as RMS PTA Treasurer, a coach/sponsor with Parsippany Soccer, the President of the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce and Parsippany Area Visitor Center, VP of Parsippany Historical and Preservation Society, Chair of Economic Development Advisory Board, and Board Director of Downtown NJ. I stand by a record of accomplishments and service.

5. The Township Council has an important role in acting as a check on the executive branch, how would you continue to ensure proper governance in your role as a Council member and prevent executive overreach?

Council has a duty to hold the executive branch accountable for their actions. I will continue to work in a collaborative manner with the Mayor and Council.  I would seek to expand the role of the Finance Committee to include monthly reviews and quarterly audits on the operating, utility, and capital budgets.  The administration will be asked to disclose financial trends, discuss staffing, and make presentations to the Council.  I would seek to have all Department Heads present the Council with quarterly updates regarding their departments, including performance and goals.

6. As a Council member, how would you ensure that the financial position of the Township improves and what would you do to keep residential tax rates reasonable?

Many residents and businesses suffered this past year with lost income due to the pandemic and I want to thank the Board of Chosen Freeholders for not increasing taxes.  I am a little disappointed in the school board increasing taxes again by $148.82 based on the average home assessed at $311,371 after they received almost $1,000,000.00 in additional state aid.  When you are asking about the financial position of a community, you need to look at the entire picture of taxation.  Our Township is the Mayor/Council Faulkner model of government.  In order to stabilize taxes, it starts with the budget being introduced, approved, and adopted on time. I would start the budget process earlier and conduct in-depth reviews of each department to seek both economies of scale and ways to share responsibilities.

In order to maintain a stabilized tax base that is fiscally responsible, we need to evaluate our revenue and implement new sources of income.  We need to cut wasteful spending and eliminate nepotism.  When I was on Council I stressed that we must do away with the “smoke and mirrors” where the public is told that the impact on average residential tax payment is a small increase or a budget is balanced when the actual increase is ultimately higher.  The administration cannot use resident’s tax money taken from other sources to balance the budget and claim there was no tax increase, because it is still taxpayer money that is funding tax increases. Previous administrations took $2.5 million from Sewer Utility revenue and $780,000 from the Township’s general cash fund reserves to fund historic $3.3M spending increases.  These spending increases are not sustainable in the long term. Elected officials can offer all the happy political spins they want, but I don’t think taxpayers are feeling quite so chipper about local government reaching into their pockets for more of their hard-earned money to support another property tax hike.

I would also seek to expand the role of the Economic Advisory Committee and ensure that we are working with agencies like the Morris County Economic Development Corp, EDA, SBA, NJSBDC. There are programs available, including grants, through these agencies that can help us provide assistance to our small business community and seize the opportunities to fill our vacant office buildings due to the pandemic.

In the past, I have supported the Lake Hiawatha Business Association and Friends of Lake Hiawatha and continue to provide them assistance.  I recommended discussion groups with the building owners, business proprietors, township planners, and our community to craft a vision for our Lake Hiawatha Business District.  I am on the Board for Downtown NJ which provides assistance to downtown communities and I am the President of the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce, I have the experience to provide leadership and work with our stakeholders as a team. When I was on Council I asked for our Township Master Plan to be reviewed and updated.  Later on, the Master Plan was reviewed and as a long-term resident and a community leader, I provided input for the Master Plan in public sessions.

7. Recently, a disagreement between the bipartisan Township Council and the current administration on a proposed $5M bond to balance the budget has been made public. Where do you stand on using bonds to balance the budget and how would you vote on this proposal with current information made to the public?

This situation is unacceptable from a financial perspective.  First, we should not be in a position where we need a bond to balance our budget.  When I was on council we strived to balance our budgets without incurring additional debts.  The failure to curtail spending and balance the budget led to our water and sewer increases of 39% last year.  We cannot continue to offset the current spending spree by utilizing water and sewer cash reserves to offset tax increases.  If the water and sewer authorities are generating the type of revenue that causes excessive cash balances in a self-sustaining utility, then the rates need to reviewed and reduced.

I am a fiscal conservative that believes in paying as we go. We should not spend money we don’t have and as a former Councilman, I prided myself in working with our Chief Municipal Financial Officer to reduce our debt and to cut out wasteful bonding. As a government banker for over 35 years, I have experience with Municipal Bonds, Bond Anticipation Notes, Tax Anticipation Notes, and Revenue Anticipation Notes.  I will not kick the can down the road. We need to balance our budget and stop mortgaging the future.

8. Since 2018, the Township Council has become a legislative chamber where respect between members is encouraged regardless of party affiliation or political position. How will you continue to contribute to this positive atmosphere and assure that this continues?

I believe that by listening and collaborating with people, you can accomplish more whether it’s in business or public service.   As a public servant, I want to continue fostering a positive atmosphere and ensure that the public has a greater voice in the community.  I believe the public should have the maximum amount of time to speak with Council members and that they deserve answers to their questions from the administration. I will continue to recommend that Council members have an open office policy in which we should be available to address concerns and hear about new ideas.

I was honored to be nominated and voted by my fellow Council to be Vice President of the Council two times and I will continue to work in a collaborative manner with the Mayor and Council to put the needs of Parsippany and her residents first.

9. Do you believe the Township Council should take an expanded role in engaging Town Hall on behalf of residents and advocating for their concerns? Would you support office hours during the week for Council members to meet with residents and address their concerns? Specifically, address poor follow-up by the Township in relation to constituency services.

I strongly believe that Council members need to take an expanded role in engaging the public and addressing concerns.  I pride myself on visiting residents and working with them. I share my personal contact information with many people in the community and they know that I am always responsive to help them and return calls. We need to operate our Township like a business and ensure that we are respectful to our taxpayers.  Providing quality customer service to our residents is paramount.  The Clerk is the only department that reports to the Council as a whole.  As a Councilperson, I believe my job includes listening to the concerns of residents and presenting those issues to the Mayor and Council. I will make myself available during regular office hours if elected.

With regard to follow-up by the Township, I am not here to criticize the work of others or lay blame on town employees or elected officials. If elected, one of my priorities would be to modernize the way we address constituent needs. Many of the issues facing the community can be handled with online, integrated services. Permit applications, recreational enrollments, and other paperwork should be made available online both for download and filing. I know that our staff if given the proper tools, can make these processes seamless for our residents.

10. Tell us about your work experience and how it will assist you in being a member of the Township Council in Parsippany.

I have over thirty-five years in Executive Leadership positions within the financial sector with a focus on Government and Non-Profit Sectors. Most recently I served as the 2nd Vice President of Government Banking.  I am also the Founder and Managing Member of North Jersey Regional Partnership, LLC. and a Consultant for small businesses with NJSBDC of Northwest Jersey, Rutgers Business School.  My education with an MBA in Corporate Finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University,  BS in Management from Montclair State University, Morris County Vocational School Apprenticeship, and graduate from Morris County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Morris Program enables me to understand complex issues that affect our community.  My experiences and education will be useful both in developing a long-term financial plan for the community as well as working with outside agencies to seek additional benefits for the residents of Parsippany.

11. There are five candidates running for the two available council seats.  What sets you apart from the other candidates and why should Republican voters support you on June 8

This year’s election is about who is the best candidate to tackle the challenges for the future and provide for a more responsive and accountable township.  I have experience and a record of accomplishments on Council. As a former Councilperson, I was the liaison for Municipal Alliance, Economic Development Advisory, Finance, Environmental, Historical Preservation Advisory, and League of Municipalities committees that interacted with our community, administration, and council.  I was raised in our community, and I have life experiences as a taxpayer, husband, and parent.  For over 35 years I worked in executive leadership positions in finance, managing municipal operating accounts, investments, and debt.  My education, with a BS in Management and MBA in Corporate Finance, enables me to analyze and understand property tax rates which are integral in reducing our tax burden. Understanding the financial intricacies of the budget process will be instrumental in cutting municipal spending and debt, holding the line on water and sewer bills, and stopping overdevelopment, while being honest and ensuring that we have a transparent government.

I have a proven track record of giving back to our community in many organizations. I have served as RMS PTA Treasurer, a coach/sponsor with Parsippany Soccer, Chair of Patriot Path Boy Scouts Good Scout Awards, the President of the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce and Founder of the Parsippany Area Visitor Center, VP of Parsippany Historical and Preservation Society, Chair of Economic Development Advisory Board, and Board Director of Downtown NJ.  I stand by my record of accomplishments and service.

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