Politics & Government

Leaving Council Won't Stop Baillie's Service to Madison

Virtually a lifelong resident, councilwoman has served on various boards, committees for 24 years.

Don't think just because Astri Baillie isn't running for a fourth term on the Borough Council that she is done with public service. Far from it, as she hopes to continue by volunteering to help the environment in Madison.

"I've done volunteerism all of my life and I've been very fortunate," Baillie said. "I've raised four children, did part time jobs, but I've always been a volunteer. I think it's important that there be a new band of volunteers coming in and stepping in, and I hope somebody does because it's very rewarding to give back to your town."

Baillie's track record points to that. The Democrat has been involved in service to Madison for 24 years now, including 14 years on the Zoning Board of Adjustment, 15 years on the Environmental Commission, and the last nine years on council. In addition to her regular role on council, she is also the council liaison to the Planning Board.

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Madison has been Baillie's home since she was four years old, save for a year in Washington, D.C., after her college graduation and a stint in London where husband John Kimball–her high school sweetheart–worked as a maritime lawyer. He now works for Blank Rome, a firm in the Chrysler Building in New York City.

Baillie even received her higher education from Madison-based Drew University after a year at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisc. When the young couple came back to live in the borough, Baillie immediately turned her attention to public service.

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"When we came back from college and law school, I felt it was important to give back to the community," said Baillie.

After getting a taste of public service being a member of the League of Women Voters and the Environmental Commission, Ballie next began her work with the Zoning Board.

"I was the chair for four or five years," she said.

Her 15 years on the board were followed later by nine on council.

Baillie made it a point during her years of service to help with Madison's open space referendum after she felt other representatives in the borough weren't taking the threat to Madison's natural resources through construction on the borough's borders seriously.

Baillie said Julia Somers, Executive Director of the New Jersey Highlands Commission, was instrumental in instructing on how to proceed with the referendum, create the Open Space Trust Fund, and how that would allow Madison to access Green Acres aid. It was that access to funding that Baillie said was instrumental to the purchase of the 49 acres behind Ridgedale Avenue and Madison High School.

"We were able to decrease the amount of building that was going to occur next to the high school and the amount of traffic that would be going off of Ridgedale Avenue and that's important because that is a historic street with a lot of historic houses" Baillie said. "So it became a good win for Madison."

Her work in helping to secure the 49 acres is something Baillie is proud of. She is also proud of the bipartisanship she feels the council demonstrated during the project and in many of the years she has served on council.

"Once you get to the table, you lose your party affiliation at the door," Baillie said, "because you're working for the betterment of everybody. I think there are probably some very rabid Democrats that wouldn't agree with me there–'you've got to have a democrat because only Democrats can do it right.' I don't agree with that philosophy. In a town the size of Madison, we do what's best for everyone and it has nothing to do with it. Snowplowing and leaf pickup isn't a Democratic or a Republican issue, it's a Madison issue."

As Baillie gets ready to step away at the end of this year, she said she's worried about partisanship taking hold.

"That is the one concern I have right now, and one of the reasons I wrote that in my statement (announcing she wasn't running this election) about bipartisanship being important," Baillie said. "The last election was very partisan. Clearly the Democrats lost because it was tied to the gubanotorial race. Republicans were not going to lose Morris County, and it was a clean sweep. Republicans came out and voted, Democrats came out and voted, but that independent vote that in Madison went for Obama wasn't there in this last election. So it was, it's a very partisan group."

One of the major feats Baillie hopes to help accomplish before her time is up is getting Madison certified as a Sustainable Jersey community. The program works on a points system, and if the borough can accumulate 150 points from things such as having an environmental commission and a green team, it would qualify for certification.

"If you get all of these points, then you qualify," Baillie said. "If you're certified, then you qualify for grants. And if we were to get grants, that might help us with this horrible economy and our budget, and help us become energy efficient and save the town money."

Baillie leaves looking back fondly on her time and many of the projects the council was able to help push through, including the construction of the Public Safety Complex and making the Hartley Dodge Memorial Building a handicap accessible complex. She also has good memories of her time working with Ray Codey, who Baillie calls a "great borough administrator."

Baillie will leave being able to enjoy the success of her four children as well. All deal with social issues in their jobs or chosen fields, with Baillie commenting, "there is a lot of giving in that family."

Baillie believes she will continue to give to service in Madison even after her council work is over.

"I've always considered the environment and what you do in it really important," Baillie said. "I think one of my friends would say we were probably the first recycling family in town. When we first met, we had little babies. John and I were separating our garbage and taking it down to the DPW...

"I think that's one of the things that probably, when I think of what I want to do next, is volunteer for environmental groups."


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