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The affordability crisis is one of the most important challenges facing Essex County. Housing, healthcare, transportation, utilities, and everyday expenses are putting enormous pressure on residents while also straining municipal and school budgets.
County government can play a larger role in bringing our communities together to reduce costs and tackle shared challenges. We should expand regional and shared services to save money and improve services, while also working collaboratively on challenges that cross municipal borders, including transportation, infrastructure and flooding. I want the county to be a convener that brings municipalities together to share resources, expertise, and solutions.
Promoting social and racial justice starts with making county government accessible and ensuring that the people advising us reflect the communities we serve. I want a more open process for appointments to county boards and commissions that reaches residents across municipalities and racial, economic, and cultural backgrounds. I also want every Essex County resident to feel safe and welcome, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, immigration status, or economic circumstances. Finally, equity means making sure residents can access the services available to them. The social services and programs we already offer can only help if people know they exist. We must improve communication so residents can better access and navigate these programs.
Controlling expenses requires us to look beyond individual government budgets and ask where we can work together more efficiently. I want Essex County to help municipalities identify ways to share services, personnel, and resources while maintaining quality services for residents. Healthcare costs are also straining public budgets, and I want to bring municipalities, school districts, and experts together to explore whether greater purchasing power or regional approaches could reduce those costs. Finally, residents deserve greater transparency about where county tax dollars are going and what we are getting for that investment.
Environmental sustainability has been a priority throughout my public service. I have championed projects that make it easier to travel without a car, including the Rahway River Greenway and Maplewood’s first dedicated bike lanes. At the county level, I will support Complete Streets, safer walking and biking infrastructure, better public transit connections, and EV infrastructure. We also need regional solutions to flooding and stormwater management, and investments in parks and open space that protect natural resources, expand our tree canopy, and make our communities more resilient to climate change. We can also reduce pollution from gas powered leaf blowers while helping landscapers transition to cleaner alternatives.
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The Essex County Board of Commissioners plays a vital role in our everyday lives — from public safety and infrastructure to services that support our families and seniors. At a time of rising costs and federal funding cuts, Essex County needs strong, transparent leadership that understands local challenges and fights to ensure our communities receive the representation and resources they deserve.
There are several policies I would pursue to advance social and racial justice in Essex County. These include protecting and expanding access to voting for all county residents; diversifying county procurement and contracting so that more county tax dollars support minority-owned and Essex County-based businesses; and establishing strong environmental priorities that address the disproportionate impact of pollution and environmentally harmful industries on certain communities. I believe county government has a responsibility to ensure that public resources, opportunities, and protections are distributed equitably across all of our communities.
County expenses are under increasing pressure, particularly in a high-interest-rate environment. The County has already taken a significant step to control health care costs by planning to move out of the state health plan in 2027. As a County Commissioner, I would focus on stronger connections between County government and our local municipalities to identify opportunities to prioritize projects that deliver the greatest value, avoid duplication, and make the best use of limited resources. I would also pursue state and federal grants to help fund projects that benefit our communities and reduce the burden on county taxpayers.
I will make environmental quality a priority at the County level by protecting and maintaining our parks and open spaces, supporting clean energy and sustainable building practices, improving transportation options, and addressing flooding and stormwater management. I also want the County to play a leadership role in helping municipalities reduce food waste, an issue where local communities need additional support. Finally, I will advocate for environmental justice by addressing the disproportionate impact of pollution on overburdened communities and ensuring that environmental investments benefit residents throughout Essex County.
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Two of the most important challenges facing Essex County are the lack of transparency and fiscal responsibility. As the recent, Baraka-DiVincenzo dispute demonstrates, a large share of the properties in the County are tax-exempt-which creates a burden on tax paying residents and small business owners. There's also the affordable housing pressures and the sharp increases in rent. The push to bring more Data Centers and polluting facilities to the county-with little to no community input or knowledge. The aging infrastructure and an overburdened transportation system remain a pressing concern. A lot of people take buses and trains to commute to work but service has not kept pace. The county has seen little investment in system upgrade.
I will advocate and pursue for stronger ethics oversight and accountability measures for all county officials. Fight to ensure that public funds are used for their intended purposes and not used as political leverage. Demand full transparency in all county contracting, spending, and grant disbursement. Support independent investigations into misconduct and abuse of power by elected officials. I will ensure that new development benefits existing residents-not just developers and newcomers. Advocate for equitable distribution of county education resources to all Essex County school districts. Fight against the siting of additional polluting facilities in already overburdened neighborhoods.
I will create a spending transparency portal/dashboard. Residents shouldn't have to do an OPRA request whenever they would like to know how their taxes are being spent. Collect revenue that's already owed to the county. At the last budget review, I noticed quite a large amount of overtime from the Sheriff's Office-which increases every year. I will push for an audit and/or analysis as to the root causes and would strategic hiring save taxpayers money. Having a background in grant writing and non-profit management, I will push the county to pursue more grants to ease the burden on taxpayers and expand shared services between our municipalities. Using LEAP funding, we can cut real overhead costs without cutting essential services.
Every resident deserves access to healthy foods, clean air and water and green space. I will push for policies that protect our environment and hold polluters accountable. I will increase access to environmental education-including the climate crisis-to residents. I will increase water quality monitoring in the watersheds and municipal water systems. I will prioritize green stormwater infrastructure-like rain gardens and wetlands restoration-especially in flood-prone zones. I will allocate investments for parks, increase tree canopy to help combat urban heat island effect. I will push for real time air quality monitoring. I will push county facilities to reduce single use plastics and for staff to use non-toxic cleaning products.
Affordability; Safety; Threats to the environment; Social and racial tensions
Abdur will work with law enforcement and community leaders to reduce crime, strengthen trust, and ensure every neighborhood feels safe.
Abdur will stand with labor, support fair wages, and advocate for policies that protect workers while creating pathways to stable, good-paying jobs across Essex County.
Abdur is committed to responsible budgeting, cutting waste, and making sure government works efficiently — so residents can keep more of what they earn while still receiving high-quality services.
Safe and reliable infrastructure is essential. Abdur will work to improve roads, invest in transportation, seek to upgrade our storm water management system, and modernize infrastructure so Essex County remains connected, accessible, and prepared for future growth.
