Holden Looks Back at 13 Years in Government

It was some years ago that Mary-Anna Holden was working as a paralegal for a law firm on Waverly Place when she was asked to help out the local Republican Committee, putting her background in public relations to use.

Fast forward to Jan. 1, when the governing body's annual reorganization marks the conclusion of Holden's 13 years of elected service to Madison, starting in 1998 as a member of the Borough Council and since 2007 as mayor.

Holden will turn over the office of mayor to former councilman and Democrat Robert Conley, who .

While one chapter ends, another begins. Earlier this month, Gov. Chris Christie , the powerful state regulatory body overseeing utilities and telecommunications. Holden called the move "very exciting," but cautioned that her nomination will have to wait for Senate confirmation.

She sat down with Patch to reflect on her time in municipal government.

Patch: What progress has Madison made in the years since you were first elected to the governing body?

Holden: The borough is in better shape today than when I started on Borough Council in 1998. There are so many projects that, long-term, had been on hold, such as the rehabilitation of . There is the Public Safety Complex, which moved the and out of Hartley Dodge, where they had been since 1935. I was mayor of Bayley-Ellard for two years [laughs]. We got county Open Space funding of $7.3 million for the and $1.75 million for the Bayley-Ellard fields. We addressed a lot of infrastructure changes: many miles of roads, electrical upgrades, sewer lines, some of which dated to 1905. Plus, all the borough departments went through a sea change in organization. Credit for a lot of that goes to [Borough Administrator] Ray Codey. Jack Dunne, who was mayor prior to my immediate predecessor, Woody Kerkeslager, left three sheets of legal paper of things he wished he had done. It was a great guide.

Patch: But progress did not come easily, right?

Holden: The turf fields were another huge project. There was a lot of opposition to development that was strictly political. It was not until Rob Catalanello came on Council that we had the votes to get it approved. It was not matter of explaining the economics of it, it was totally political, just to see that I fail at any and all costs.

Patch: Why?

Holden: Because some people who are no longer on the Council — [Democrat] Astri Baillie, for one—thought that the 49 Acres was their pet project and that the Open Space money was theirs to spend. You have to put the effort into getting something done. I believe in doing what’s best, not what’s best politically. Leave Republicans and Democrats at the door, you have to represent what’s best for the people.

Patch: What other accomplishments have been important to the borough?

Holden: Getting Realogy from Parsippany to Madison was a big deal, the same thing with keeping Pfizer in Madison. Right after Pfizer’s acquisition of [Madison-based] Wyeth [in 2009], we put on a full-court press. Pfizer, with 1,200 employees, is the largest employer in town and will be even after Realogy moves 1,000 employees into the former Verizon building.

Patch: Were these deals difficult to consummate?

Holden: People don’t know what goes on in back channels in these situations, especially with the settlement in the 49 Acres lawsuit. That came about because I knew the mayor of Florham Park, Scott Eveland. I am also a member of the Morris County League of Municipalities, there is a tremendous amount of institutional knowledge and contacts there.

Patch: What is on the agenda going forward for Madison?

Holden: The is a huge project. What was exciting was setting the design standards for it, materials, how it’s going to look. We have had joint meetings with the and discussed the sharing of financial information, and shared services. Communication with Superintendent [Michael] Rossi and Board president Lisa Ellis [has led to] good collaboration we never had before.

Patch: What’s next for you?

Holden: I still have my Madisons I want to finish visiting. I have been to 37, with nine more to go. I also kind of miss the corporate world.

Patch: Like Jack Dunne, what would be on your wish list?

Holden: I wished I could have followed through in making the more of a cultural center. I would like to see us do more with the borough's Colombian community, how do we get them involved outside of the Colombian festival once a year? One of the disappointing things is the 30- to 40-year-olds who are not engaged in the community. They just expect things to happen. Volunteerism is so important, have to keep that going, pass it along. Go to your neighbor and ask them if they want to get involved, it’s that simple.