Toms River Council Election 2021: James Quinlisk

Toms River NJ

31 October, 2021

2:41 PM

Description

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The 2021 election campaign culminates when voters go to the polls Nov. 2 to choose Toms River Township Council members. Each of the four ward seats are up for election. There are two candidates seeking each ward seat, which is a four-year term. Patch asked each candidate to answer questions to give voters information about who they are and their stances on various issues. We are printing their responses in full, unedited except for spelling or punctuation. Here are the answers from James Quinlisk, who is running for Ward 3. Age: 56 Town of residence: Toms River Position sought: Councilmen Party affiliation: Republician Family: Wife, daughter and three stepsons. Education: Toms River Schools and Rider University Occupation: Sales of lifts and ramps for people with mobility issues and the disabled. Previous elective office, if any: Toms River Board of Fire Commissioners, District 2 Do you or anyone in your family work for the state, county or local governments? Just me as Fire Commissioner. Why are you seeking office? I am running for the position on the town council with the goal of trying to increase our open spaces and limit overdevelopment that does not contribute to improving our infrastructure. At the same time, attract smart economic growth that will generate retables and lower reduce taxes on our homeowners. What do you feel is the most pressing issue facing the community, and what do you want to do about it? The most pressing issue facing Toms River is overdevelopment. I will work with both fellow Republicans and Democrats alike on the town council and with the County Commissioners to actively pursue and purchase open space in this beautiful town for future generations so that they too can appreciate how beautiful Toms River just as I have growing up here. What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking to serve? I grow up with Ronald Reagan as president, and agree with the idea of limiting big government. People should have the right to decide what they do with their own bodies without the government mandating or legislating our civil liberties way. I will fight to keep our individual freedoms free from big government control, keep more of our tax dollars in own pockets and away from those that think they know better than the individuals as to where to spend the money they earn. Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform. I support law enforcement 100 percent. These are individuals who put their lives on the line to protect others and lately it seems that some people think the only protection a police officer should have is that thin piece of tin they were on their chest. I believe that those who walk out of their home not knowing if they will return at the end of their shift deserve a hell of a lot more protection and support from all of us than just the badge they proudly wear on their chest. What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you will be effective in office? My wife and I run a small business here in Toms River for the last 20-plus years, and our business is about helping people with disabilities and mobility issues get in and out of their homes. We are proud of the work we do and the people we help, including hundreds of Sandy victims who prior to Sandy, did not need our services but since they were forced to raise their homes, find themselves in need of the lift we provide. I am also a volunteer firefighter in Toms River for the last 14 years, volunteering my time to help the community in what could be the worst day of someone's life. And as a firefighter, my fellow firefighters elected me to be their vice president and then president. It is an honor when your peers ask you to help lead them. That honor continued as that same group of people asked me to run for the position of Fire Commissioner. And from my work With the Toms River Board of Fire Commissioners, I have now been asked to run for the position of councilman. It is more of an honor since I did not seek to run for any of these positions but rather asked by my peers to do so. What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions? I love Toms River and will do my best to keep it safe, keep it beautiful, and keep it strong, but do it together.