Read this article on the Madison Eagle.
MADISON – In a prepared statement, Mayor Bob Conley of Brittin Street, describes his accomplishments as a two-term Mayor and his plans for a third term. Conley is running for re-election in 2019 with running mates Councilwoman Maureen Byrne of Alright Circle and Madison Planning Board member Rachel Ehrlich of Kings Rd.
Mayor Conley stated, “Four years ago when I became Madison’s first mayor re-elected in 32 years, I spoke about all that was achieved during my first term and the continued work still to be done. Now as I look towards a third term, I reflect on my eight years as mayor with great pride and gratitude to the people of Madison. Through my involvement with the League of Municipalities and the NJ Conference of Mayors, I constantly hear of the respect that leaders in other towns have for Madison. And of course, “NJ Monthly Magazine” just named Madison its ‘Top Town of 2019.’ I believe that my positive leadership style has contributed to that in no small way.
As I look ahead, my focus will continue to be on these top areas: keeping Madison a great place to live, quality of everyday life, fiscal responsibility, pedestrian and traffic safety, protecting our environment, and providing a leadership style that builds bridges, finds common ground and invites everyone to the table.
At the end of my first term, we had managed to put our fiscal house back in order and had reversed a trend of neglect in our roads and sewers. By then we had completed our work with the strategic plan – a plan that has given us a positive solid and forward-looking roadmap for Madison’s future. We can now see the dividends paying off and in the case of the electric utility, literal dividends. The electric utility continues to support all residents with revenues that go to both the operating budget and the capital budget. In addition, this year $2 million will be returned to our electric utility customers.
Today, Main Street USA is changing, and Madison’s downtown is vibrant again while continually evolving to meet new and different needs. Under my direction, I had the Planning Board simplify zoning regulations to make it easier for businesses to open. With the opening of Rose Hall in Madison, we now have families living right in our downtown, creating foot traffic with minimal auto traffic. Of course, the success of our downtown has created a new challenge; parking. I have heard the concerns of our residents and we have begun to rollout programs to maximize the availability of our existing parking, giving shoppers more spaces closer to shops and more parking for merchants and employees. One of these is the introduction of the license plate-based BOXCAR app at commuter and private lots in town. All these actions are helping to fuel our increasingly vibrant downtown.
While I have made it a priority to maintain the character of Madison, we have seen tremendous growth in neighboring towns along Park Avenue, bringing more traffic through our community, not to mention an overburdened route 24 Freeway. Through my connections and relationships, I brought together leaders including all the Mayors in southeast Morris County and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill to discuss the impact on the residents of Madison. Coming out of that meeting was a commitment to work together on regional planning. I remain dedicated to making sure Madison balances our past with the future.”
Prior to being elected mayor in 2011, Bob Conley served two three-year terms on the Madison Borough Council. While on the council, he served as council liaison to the Public Works, Utilities, Public Safety, and Finance & Administration departments. He has also served as chairman of the Chatham Joint Meeting Finance Committee and was founding chair of the Shared Services Committee with the Board of Education and the Traffic Calming Committee. Conley is a past chairman of the Madison Recreation Committee and was a member of the Open Space and Recreation & Historic Preservation Advisory Committees.
Within the community he has served as president of the Madison Rotary Club, the Madison Rotary Foundation, the Adult School Board of Trustees, and the Grace Counseling Center Board of Trustees. He is also past president of Chapter 17 – Association of YMCA Professionals. He is currently serving on the board of the New Jersey Conference of Mayors, the vice chair of the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (501c-3) and on the board of TransOptions.
Mayor Conley’s service to the community has been recognized on multiple occasions. In 2014 he received the Boy Scouts of America Patriots Path Council Lifetime Achievement Award for service. In 2015, he received the Service Award from Chapter 17 (State of NJ) of the Association of YMCA Professionals (AYP), recognizing his contribution to the YMCA movement and the AYP. Also in 2014 he received the prestigious New Jersey Rotary Vocational Service Award for his vocational service achievements. In 2018 he was recognized by Leadership Morris with the Alumni Achievement Award.
Bob Conley grew up in Madison and recently retired after a long career with the Madison Area YMCA. He holds a BA degree in Mathematics from Kean University.
Mayor Conley concluded, “We have achieved a lot over the past eight years. Now we have an ambitious agenda for the next four years, and to bring it to fruition will require a committed borough council that shares my values and priorities. I am therefore asking all Madison voters to support me and my running mates, Councilwoman Maureen Byrne and Madison Planning board member Rachel Ehrlich, on Election Day, November 5th.