It has been my pleasure and privilege to serve as your First Ward councilwoman for these past six years. I have fulfilled most of my campaign promises and am working to complete the remainder. Election Day is Tuesday, November 4. I am running on Line A, you will find me all the way to the extreme right on the ballot at position 9-A.

For the past 17 years, my husband Patrick and I have owned our home at 31 Gillespie Road. We have two boys, Sean, 17 and Brian 11 and of course our faithful dog, Bengals.

For the past 21 years, I have been an educator. I am proud to have been the recipient of the 2001 Governor's Teachers Recognition Award. I am a parishioner of Saint Valentine Church.

Besides my regular Township Council duties, I have undertaken various extra responsibilities as follows:  Township Council Liaison to the following boards; Bloomfield Cable TV Advisory Committee, Bloomfield Municipal Youth Guidance Council and the Bloomfield Historic Green. I also chair the Bloomfield Bicentennial Committee and the Bloomfield Traffic Safety Committee.

Other candidates talk about what they might do or what they will try to do. However, for the past six year, I am proud to say that I have already done many things to enhance the quality of life for all First Ward residents. That is why my campaign slogan is "Getting things done...for Ward One." I firmly believe in proactive government - not reactive government and I am proud of my many accomplishments which include:

COST SAVING MEASURES

• I voted to save taxpayers $500,000 by refinancing our bonds via our first ever bond auction
• I voted to require new employees to pay part of their health benefits
• I voted to save taxpayers $600,000 per year by switching health care carriers
• Due to our strong relationships with county, state and federal officials, I am part of an administration that has garnered over $14 million in grant monies for our Township. Never before in Bloomfield’s history has this level of financial aid been achieved.

TRAFFIC SAFETY
I brought this issue to the forefront and as a result was appointed Chair of the Traffic Safety Committee – Here are the results:

• Enforcement has been stepped up with the implementation of two motorcycle enforcement units.
• Engineering techniques such as speed bumps and safety crosswalks have been installed – this is an ongoing program.
• Additional crossing guards were placed at Fairview and Franklin Schools.
• As a result of this enhanced enforcement effort, summons revenue was increased by $300,000.

TRANSPARANCY IN GOVERNMENT

• As the liaison to our local access station (Channel 35), I spearheaded its restructuring.  Now, all meetings are televised and additional programming continues to be aired.
• I initiated the Bloomfield Buzz - the first town-wide newsletter which informs each of the 19,000 Bloomfield homes about our government, every quarter.

RECREATION ENHANCEMENTS INCLUDE

• Creation of a skate park at Lower Memorial Park.
• Restoration and clean up of Upper Memorial Park.
• Amphitheater and tot lot refurbishment at Pulaski Park.
• Secured grant for special needs playground that was installed at Fairview School.
• Play equipment upgrade at Brookside Park.
• Additional lighting was installed at Wright’s Field.
• New bathrooms installed at Memorial Park.
• Grant monies were used for all of these projects.

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• I sponsored a law to fine parents of illegal students.
• During my tenure; the senior citizen Dial-A-Ride program was created to transport seniors to medical appointments. This program has since been enhanced with additional buses and we are seeking to add even more buses in the near future.
• I spearheaded the restructuring of the animal shelter.
• Through my efforts, twice per month recycling pick-up was restored.
• I sponsored a law to fine parents of illegal students.
• I had the Hoover Avenue underpass refurbished.
• I had the exit 150 entrance ramp re-aligned and upgraded.
• Hours of commuter shuttle were increased.
• I was the driving force behind the creation of the Reverse 911 Community Notification System.
• I had the Are You OK senior citizen monitoring program implemented.
• I fought for the installation of new curbing and sidewalks at various streets. This is an ongoing, yearly program.
• I instituted residential permit parking program in various sections of the First Ward to alleviate parking problems. This is an ongoing program and all problem areas will be evaluated.

As you can see, I have worked very hard on behalf of all First Ward residents. However, there is still more to be done. I need another term in order to complete the work that I started.

My vision for the next three years includes the following:

• I will work to ensure that the Downtown Bloomfield redevelopment project stays on track by keeping the project community driven NOT developer driven, providing property owners the wherewithal to develop their own properties and making sure this all occurs without the use of eminent domain.
• In these tough economic times, I will continue to pursue cost cutting measures and operational efficiencies to save taxpayer dollars, including actively pursuing the sharing of services with other towns, asking my colleagues on the town council to join with me in imposing a hiring freeze (except public safety), adding to the $14 million in grant funding I already helped the town obtain and ensuring that all newly purchased town vehicles are energy efficient models including hybrids and electric   powered wherever possible.
• As liaison to our Historic Town Green, I will, with input from members of the Historical Society, Historic District Review Board, residents of the Historic District and others, work to ensure that our Green (which has been neglected for too long) is restored in a manner that respects its vast history. Also, as chairwoman of the Bloomfield Bicentennial Committee, (in 2012 we will celebrate 200 years) with hands on input and participation from the aforementioned entities and others, I will work hard  to ensure that our year long bicentennial celebration conveys all of the wonderful history of our community and proves to be a huge success.
• I will work to strengthen our Traffic Safety Program by deploying enforcement units on a consistent basis.
• I will continue the ongoing program of the installation of curbing on all streets where none existed and upgrading of sidewalks in various locations.
• I will continue to vigorously pursue grant monies to offset expenses for various projects to ensure that our taxpayers continue to receive their fair share of the pie.
• I will continue to target illegal apartments through aggressive code enforcement.
• I will continue to oversee TV-35’s transformation into a state-of-the-art public access station.
• I will continue to implement resident permit parking in all areas of the First Ward that have parking problems.
• I will pursue a policy for maintenance of abandoned and neglected absentee owned and foreclosed properties.

I believe that I have worked hard to make a positive difference in our local government. If re-elected, I will continue to work hard for you and your family.

I have already been on the campaign trail, ringing doorbells and meeting new people. If I haven't already, I hope to meet you and your family when I come to your block so that we can discuss your specific concerns. In the interim, I have designed a survey form to better understand your family's individual needs. Please click here to fill out the survey form. I want to hear your voice!

I appreciate your taking the time to read about my background and complete the survey form. I would appreciate your support on Tuesday, November 4th. Together, we can continue to make Bloomfield a better place to live. Once again, I am running on Line-A and you will find me all the way to the extreme right on the ballot at position 9-A.

 Thank you,

Janice Maly
1st Ward Councilwoman