Politics & Government

Ticket Shares 'Broad Understanding' of Municipal Fiscal Management, Catalanello/Rowe Say

Incumbent Madison Councilman Robert Catalanello and Board of Ed Vice President Pat Rowe list their priorities and accomplishments.

The following is a statement from Robert Catalanello and Pat Rowe, who are running in the Republican primary to get their party's nomination for two Borough Council seats.

Robert Catalanello, Republican of Woodland Road, announced his intent to seek re-election for a second three-year term on the Madison Borough Council. “I feel there is still much to accomplish.  I hope to have the opportunity to continue to represent the people of Madison so the people’s needs are fairly represented on council,” Catalanello stated.

Catalanello has served as liaison to Community Affairs, Finance and Public Works & Engineering during his first term.  He has championed fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability in government.

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Catalanello is a Managing Director of Credit Agricole CIB in New York City. He and his wife, Brenda, have been raising their three children in Madison since 1997. “The health and vitality of our community is important to me – both as a resident and as a parent.” Catalanello stated. “I ask for the continued opportunity to protect and improve the vibrancy of our community by working to bring real solutions to the challenges we face.”

Catalanello said, “In my first term, I did my best to refocus the council on the dire state of our infrastructure.  Our roads, sewers, electric utility, athletic fields, and our human capitol were in need of enhancement, repair and investment.  I was able to address several issues.”  Among them, he noted the following:

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  • “Kept taxes increases low.”
  • “Served as Finance liaison in 2012 and actively engaged with ratings agency in the crafting of the budget, thereby ensuring the protection of our credit rating.
  • “Voted for the award-winning Turf Field Project at the Madison Recreation Complex, which added two desperately needed, lit all-weather fields, to the borough’s overused active recreation properties;
  • “Helped lead the fundraising effort with the Madison Athletic Foundation for the award-winning Turf Field Project;
  • “Reinstituted the Construction Review Committee to coordinate construction activity in the borough and save money by insourcing work whenever possible;
  • “Championed infrastructure repair by leading the effort to prioritize and fund projects for our sewer system and sewer pump stations, as well as the repair of many long neglected roads;
  • “Originated the Water Line Protection Plan, which offers a service to residents while at the same time creating a voluntary revenue stream for the borough; and
  • “Led the creation the Madison Community Gardens at the 49 acre site;

Three years ago Catalanello was elected to council in his first run for office, along with Councilwoman Jeannie Tsukamoto, who was completing her first term.  Tsukamoto has announced that she decided not to seek a third term because of personal plans.  Catalanello noted, “I wish Jeannie the best, and will certainly miss her tenacity.  Pat Rowe and I share a broad understanding of municipal fiscal management and budgeting and he will make a strong addition to the council.”

Rowe, a Republican of Pine Avenue, is completing his third term as a member of the Madison Board of Education.  Since 2005, his peers have annually elected him to serve as their Vice President.  He chaired the Finance Committee since 2004 and served on the Buildings & Grounds and Labor Negotiations Committees.   Mr. Rowe headed up the Green Village Road (GVR) study committee in 2005, and has been working since then to advance the sale of the GVR property and turn it into a true asset for the district, borough and community

Said Rowe, “During my tenure we have seen many positive changes for the school district, including:

  • “Continued improvement in the quality of education that is delivered to the children of Madison;
  • “Completing the referendum work, which saw major additions and renovations at all five school buildings.  This work was performed on time and under budget;
  • “Completing the Strategic Planning process to address the long term needs of the school system;
  • “Advancing the disposition of the Green Village Road School property, which I believe will finally be accomplished by the end of this year; and
  • “Building a closer working relationship between the board of education and the borough through the joint BOE/Borough Shared Services Committee, which I chaired for the past three years.  Key initiatives addressed included the sale of GVR and the development of the Madison Recreation Center.”

Rowe observed, “The district has moved forward on many fronts, even as we saw devastating cuts to our state aid, the imposition of tax levy caps and many expensive unfunded mandates from the state. The administration and board continually strive to maintain Madison’s status as one of the best school districts in the state, and I am very proud of the strong academic achievements of our students.”

Rowe added, “The last nine years, the district has faced a series of financial challenges, but we have weathered them through good financial planning and management.  I believe this experience, along with my corporate background, will allow me to help the borough as it determines how to utilize two large financial opportunities – The lower wholesale electricity rates and new revenues from the development of the GVR property. 

Therefore, I am seeking election this year to the borough council. For the past nine years I have been honored to serve as one of the community’s representative on the board of education, and I am asking everyone for their support of the Catalanello-Rowe Team as I take on this new challenge.”

Rowe, 53, a Global Strategic Account Manager with EMC, has lived in Madison since 1990 with his wife Kim, and their two children Courtney and Bryan.  Courtney, 20, is a graduate of Madison High School and attends Towson University in Maryland. Bryan, 17, is a senior at Madison High School.

Rowe and his wife have been actively involved in the community since they moved here 23 years ago.  Pat has been a little league and soccer coach, and ran the high school soccer booster club’s largest fund raiser the past three years.  Kim was active in the Central Ave PTO and Girl Scouts for years, has led a MAASA group and is currently on the board of the Madison Community House.

Catalanello and Rowe noted that the key issues they plan to address if elected, including:

  • “A multiyear strategic financial plan based on additional revenue from the new electric contracts and GVR;
  • “Increased financial transparency for the Electric and Water Utilities, requiring the borough owned utilities to provide audited financial statements, as any publically owned utility would have to, at least once a year;
  • “Conducting an in-depth public review of borough property tax policy and the reliance on Utility   surpluses to fund the borough;
  • “Capping the open space tax at the current dollar level;
  • “No new properties purchased until prior property purchases have been paid, historical contamination issues are remediated, and a rigorous recreation fields master plan has been jointly developed by the borough and BOE;
  • “Continued focus on infrastructure repair, especially the borough’s aging water and sewer lines; 
  • “Closer ties with the BOE, neighboring towns and county to enhance shared services opportunities;
  • “Proper staffing of the DPW workforce and increased recruitment of new staff to prepare for upcoming retirements;
  • “Construction of biodiesel facility to help reduce fuel costs for borough vehicles; and
  • “Increasing ratables by leveraging relationships with the county and state to attract new businesses to Madison.”

“The Catalanello-Rowe Team looks forward to meeting and speaking with Madison voters in the coming weeks and months. Capitalizing on our business background and many years of civic experience, we also look forward to bringing strategic, innovative and fiscally prudent solutions to make Madison more attractive and affordable for all our families.”

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Rob Catalanello oversees Credit Agricole CIB’s business in the Americas. He represents the bank on the New York Federal Reserve Foreign Exchange Committee (FXC) and chairs the Chief Dealer Working Group and the Risk Management Subcommittee for FXC. Prior to joining Credit Agricole CIB, he held Senior Management Positions at Merrill Lynch and also held roles at Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. A graduate of Villanova University with a degree in Electrical Engineering, Catalanello also holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Graduate School of Business.

Pat Rowe directs EMC’s global support services for a large international financial institution.  Prior to working for EMC, he held Technology Management positions at Dow Jones & Co., Telerate Systems and ADP. Mr. Rowe, a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University, with an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering Technology and an MBA in Industrial Management.


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