Mayor Flannery Graces the Men’s Club

Once a month, the Men’s Club of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Church in Bridgewater hosts an early morning breakfast – (7:30 am!).  For the most part, it’s a guy’s thing which gets some of the parishioners together for coffee, camaraderie, and eats. 

Mayor Flannery discusses her tenure in Bridgewater Township

At least several times a year, though, there are regularly scheduled, informal events which become graced with the presence of our better halves – the women of our parish, and other ladies from the general community. 

This misty morning, while most of the township was still nested securely under the bed covers, Mayor Patricia Flannery, accompanied by her husband Jim, gave an informal talk about her time in office, with emphasis on her tenure as Bridgewater’s mayor.

As most of you may already know, Mayor Flannery has decided not to seek another term in office, wishing, instead, to recapture some of the personal time which the demands of that office have required of her. 

This woman is not a complainer, though, and it became evident as she spoke, that she has brought to her office a high degree of personal enthusiasm for her responsibilities and a genuine desire to do what is right for the township.

 Flannery is not a fabricated public personality – what you see is what you get.  But you have to observe intently to make sure that your eyesight doesn’t fail you:  What becomes obvious if one listens and watches carefully as she speaks, is that her outward persona and her low-key manner in a public forum tend to hide the inner mettle of a tough, yet caring, practical politician who works to get things done.

As she presented an overview of her duties in office, Mayor Flannery singled out taxes and land use as two of the most important duties of that job.  She highlighted the fact that Bridgewater is fortunate to have one of the best ratable structures in New Jersey, pointing out that commercial property picks up a full 26% of the tax burden. 

Don’t expect her to remain in the shadows, though, because ‘Pat’ Flannery disclosed that she still intends to remain active in the community and will stay in Bridgewater with her husband, Jim, where she has resided since 1984.

(Click on the image for an enhanced view.)