Meet Lou Valori: Parsippany Council Candidate

Parsippany Patch has reached out to local candidates to find out more about them. Check out Parsippany Patch's Election Hub for information on all candidates. Here is information from Lou Valori.

• Valori has lived in Parsippany for 27 years. Lived five years in Lake Hiawatha, 12 years in Lake Parsippany and 10 years in Glenmont Commons.    
  
• Party Line: Republican
• Age: 49
• Family: Married to wife Ivette for 27 years, three daughters. 26-year-old Amanda graduated from Parsippany Hills High School. She attended Virginia Tech and received her B.S. in Civil Engineer.  Amanda serves on active duty and is commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. 19-year-old Jordan graduated from Parsippany Hills High School and is currently attending the University of Scranton.  Jordan is a nursing major and in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corp. 12-year-old Cameron attends Brooklawn Middle School and is a member of the Brooklawn Middle School Soccer Team and Parsippany travel soccer league.
• What is your education background?  Doctor of Education (Ed.D), Educational Leadership and Administration from Seton Hall University in 2000;  Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Seton Hall University in 1997; Master’s in Education from Seton Hall University in 1992; Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Seton Hall University in 1986. Military Education: Graduate U.S. Army War College, National Security School; Graduate U.S. Army Command and General Staff School; Graduate Military Police Officer Basic Course. 
• Why do you think you are qualified for this position? As a husband and father of three facing the daily struggles of raising a family while paying a mortgage, taxes, college tuition and other expenses, I truly understand and relate to what residents throughout the township undergo.  My life experiences are diverse and will serve the township well.  My wife and I have instilled in our daughters the importance of family values, fiscal responsibility, education and hard work.  My educational and professional experiences, during which I have held a number of leadership positions, will also be an asset to the township council.  I served the United States Army Reserves for 28 years and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.  During those 28 years, I was assigned to various leadership positions. I had been mobilized twice and served as the Executive Officer.  My duties included the coordination, planning and training of more than 5,000 Security Forces deployed overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. I am also a retired Detective Sergeant with the Parsippany Troy Hills Police Department.  During my career with Parsippany Police, I was assigned to Internal Affairs Unit, Investigative Division, Patrol Division and the Planning and Research Unit.
• Why are you running for this elected office? I believe in the importance of serving your community and country.  I and my family have lived in our township for 27 years, made wonderful friends here and care about Parsippany. My family maintains strong ties to our community with two of my three daughters graduating from the Parsippany School District and now serving their country.  I want future generations of children in our township to succeed in life just as my children have, and I want to see future generations of parents in this township to be able to afford to live here.  However, the current municipal path of business-as-usual is not sustainable for residents, families and seniors who are already struggling to make ends meet while worrying about the future.  Tough decisions must be made for the benefit of the township so all residents can enjoy a good quality of life here for years to come. 
• What are the three issues that most concern you? 1. Control property taxes and municipal spending.  2. Enhance quality-of-life and public safety for today and future generations.  3. Our community working together to promote sound economic growth in Parsippany.
• Explain your proposed approach to managing these issues. 

• Taking on the challenging issues currently facing Parsippany will require a multifaceted approach.  I am dedicated to reforming the way Parsippany spends and does business to ensure a better future in the township and reign in on property taxes.  This can be done through fiscal discipline and increased revenue generation, sound and smart economic development, increased efficiencies in municipal government, shared services with local, county and state partners, and controlling quality-of-life issues such as traffic congestion and overcrowding in residential locations which severely strain our municipal and school services.  
• This township is no different from every resident who has to make tough choices to live within their budget.  Our township must improve upon its fiscal behavior and make do with the resources it has.  I support quarterly audits to eliminate wasteful spending with the savings given back to taxpayers through lower property taxes and cost of services.
• I will facilitate partnerships with neighboring communities and our Board of Education for shared legal counsel, property maintenance and services, and vehicle maintenance. Shared service agreements will lower municipal spending and save tax dollars.
• The township must focus on revitalizing existing business properties by working collaboratively with county partners to address the alarming amount of empty and abandoned retail and commercial spaces.  As the township expands its business development efforts and attracts more businesses, quality local jobs will follow and the revenue generated in the township would offset residential taxes.   I will work to continually showcase Parsippany as the place to do business through proactive, smart, and strategic recruitment initiatives to attract stable new businesses which will prosper and stay in Parsippany.
• Our Master and Open Space Plans will be regularly reviewed to reflect our local economy, changing infrastructure, land preservation, and traffic patterns to ease congestion and maintain the unique residential character of our fine neighborhoods.
• Residents with whom I have spoken throughout the township have noticed more gridlock traffic conditions, more home invasions, more speeding traffic which goes unabated, and a precipitous decline in aesthetics with litter on the increase.  I will work with our township engineers, police department, and partners at the county, state, and federal levels to increase speed enforcement, implement strategies to reduce traffic, and boost the number of police officers patrolling our neighborhoods. In addition, I will work to implement an ambitious township beautification effort aimed at enhancing aesthetics throughout Parsippany. 
• Parsippany’s taxpayers, municipal services and school system have too long endured the financial strain of continued overcrowding conditions in residential locations, and it must stop.  I will work to enforce stricter occupancy ordinances and protect Parsippany taxpayers from “stacking”.  
• Parsippany can generate additional revenue to stabilize property taxes while improving our quality-of-life by efficiently utilizing our visitor center, park services, historical sites and golf course.
• We need to ensure that sufficient services are available to our seniors and that tax increases do not drive them out of our township after they retire.  I will also work to keep our seniors better informed of helpful programs available to them from all government agencies.

Have you held elected office before? Yes, member of the Parsippany Board of Education for three years; Parsippany Township Committee member for 16 years, and former Chairman.     I also served as a legislative aide to Assemblyman Alex DeCroce.

What organizations do you belong to?  Member of the Morris County Advisory Council on Aging Disabilities and Veterans; past member of the Parsippany Municipal Alliance Committee; Parsippany Township Committee member; member of the Sons of Italy; and member of the Army War College Foundation, Parishioner of Notre Dame of Mount Carmel.

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Editor's Note: Patch will be posting these candidate questionnaires in the order that they are received back. For candidates who have not heard from Patch, please contact Kim@patch.com.