Meet Debbie Burack: Livingston Township Council Candidate
LIVINGSTON, NJ — Meet Debbie Burack, a candidate running for Livingston Township Council on Nov. 6.
Burack, a four-year resident of Livingston and a mother of three, is a stay-at-home mom and the “CEO of her Household.” She is married to Michael Burack and has three children: David, 17, Rachael, 16, and Noah, 10, who attend Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy and Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School. Burack graduated from Queens College with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Q: Why are you running for township council? (Again, if incumbent?)
A: I believe in one heart and one Town. Unfortunately, our current Town Council is made up of one gender and one party. This has had a detrimental effect on our Town’s character and development. This election is about taking a different direction. A direction of diversity and balance, where we can appoint the most qualified people to our various advisory boards and one where property taxes can remain stable and maybe even reduce them. I have always worked in a collaborative approach in all my leadership capacities. I bring stability and balance to everything I work on. I will listen and be your ambassador. Some people divide and conquer, my plan is to rally and unify. I have the education, skillset, experience and personal character to be successful on Livingston’s Town Council.
Q: Why do you feel you deserve the job? What qualifies you for it?
A: I have the education, skillset, experience and personal character to be successful on Livingston’s Town Council.
Q: How do you feel about property taxes in Livingston? Please explain.
A: I am a fiscal responsible Republican unlike the 5 tax and spend Democratic men on Town Council. There is something fundamentally wrong when the consumer price index (inflation) increased approximately 1.8% on an annual basis over the last 18 years and property taxes in Livingston increased approximately 3.8% on an annual basis over the same timeframe.
The state, county and municipal governments are being controlled by the Democrats. The first thing we need to do is to elect Republicans to all levels of government. To give one example – Freeholders in Essex County earn $38,000 per year while Freeholders in Morris County earn $18,000. Essex County and Morris County is governed by Democrats and Republicans respectively.
Q: Apart from running for office, in what other ways are you involved in the town?
A: To be successful on Town Council, one should have a proven track record of volunteering time and holding leadership roles within those organizations. The moment I moved into town, I rolled up my sleeves and began to volunteer throughout the greater Livingston area which included the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Inglemoor Rehabilitation & Care Center, Daughters of Israel, Overlook Hospital, and the Friendship Circle. It is my pleasure to give my time to assist others. The best part of volunteering are all the new friendships I have made over the years.
Q: What should people know about you that they might not know already?
A: Volunteering is one component and the other is rising to the occasion to take action when action is required. I along with Josh Commer (also a Livingston resident) formed the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) in Staten Island shortly after Hurricane Sandy. We were on the front lines of helping the victims of the hurricane put their lives back together from organizing supplies and volunteers to other forms of aid. My experience after that tragic event allowed me to work closely with thousands of people. We literally worked day and night to help these people recover their physical world while also working with them long term to ensure their emotional wellbeing. I worked as the liaison between all aspects of government, making sure immediate needs from the FDNY and NYPD were met in the community. Although it was not necessary, Josh and I were honored for our work by Met Council for the Hurricane Sandy Heroes Recognition Event.