Mayor Shelley Brindle  

I am so honored and privileged to be your Mayor. My husband Kip and I have lived here for 28 years and raised our three kids here. And yet, I have never been more excited about this town and the promising future we have the opportunity to create together. As Mayor, I want to ensure that our community is one where everyone can afford to stay, and a vibrant and safe place where our children will want to return and raise their own families.

Since being elected, I set out to achieve four key priorities:

Strong fiscal oversight: We’ve successfully managed our post-COVID fiscal recovery by restoring impacted revenue sources, replenishing surplus to stable levels, and maintaining our AAA bond rating. Our five-year average municipal tax increase since I took office stands at 1.4%, and this year equates to an additional $57 on the average assessed household. In 2022, we conducted a remarkably successful bond sale yielding a net interest cost of 2.49% in an unfriendly interest rate market, and reaffirmed the Town’s AAA bond rating, one of only 44 (out of 564) New Jersey municipalities to achieve that status. By leveraging grants and improving automation to enhance operating efficiencies, my administration continues to focus on identifying the best fiscal path forward while delivering services to our residents.

Charting a vision for our future: Through the completed and adopted Master Plan Reexamination, Strategic Parks Plan, and Bike and Pedestrian Plan, the foundation was laid to reimagine Westfield's future through the lens of extensive feedback by residents, business owners, and downtown property owners. The adoption of the Redevelopment Plan for One Westfield Place was the culmination of three years of planning and collaboration with HBC | Streetworks Development to repurpose their Lord & Taylor site and the North & South Avenue parking lots, which will enable a healthy downtown for generations. We also welcomed 30 new downtown businesses in 2022, with more planned for this year, and continued our collaboration with the DWC to enhance downtown streetscapes with new lighting, art murals, and signage, as well as provide support for ongoing DWC initiatives/programming.

Champion quality of life issues that impact all residents: In 2022, we approved a historic, first-ever formal shared service agreement with the Board of Education for new athletic and recreational facilities with the Edison Fields project to significantly improve field capacity, in addition to many other Recreation initiatives to improve our facilities over the long-term. I continue to press ahead in pursuit of the one-seat ride as the founding co-chair of the Raritan Valley Line Mayors’ Alliance, and am proud to have a Police Department that not only demonstrably prioritizes community policing, but is also one of only 4% of departments to achieve professional accreditation. Our unprecedented road paving effort continues into its fifth year with 60 total miles paved since I took office – mostly funded by the utility companies as a result of our 2019 road paving ordinance. In addition, our Green Team's extensive efforts remain focused on engaging the community to help make Westfield more sustainable, and we've also seen expanded initiatives by the Westfield Public Arts Commission resulting in additional murals and exhibits utilized to beautify public spaces.

Increase resident engagement by improving transparency and communication to better reflect the open, inclusive, innovative and collaborative spirit of our community: Over the last five years, we have vastly improved and simplified Town communication so that residents have broad access to information and updates through a number of channels. We also prioritize a Town culture of innovation, customer service, and inclusion, with 50% of leadership positions now held by women. Our community engagement efforts include the widely popular and volunteer-driven AddamsFest celebration for a fifth consecutive year. Through a continued focus on inclusion, Westfield now has rainbow crosswalks painted in honor of Pride, as well as a Mental Health Council, Human Relations Advisory Commission, and Lifelong Westfield Committee, to ensure ongoing attention on issues that matter to us all.

It is the highly engaged, vastly talented, and deeply committed residents that make Westfield such a special place, and one that we are all proud to call home. Your issues are my issues, and I'll always be a tireless advocate on your behalf. I'm grateful every day for the opportunity to do so.

With gratitude,

About Mayor Brindle

Shelley Brindle is the Mayor of Westfield, NJ, elected in November 2017 as the first female Mayor in Westfield's history.

Career

Prior to being elected, Shelley had served as HBO's Executive Vice President, Domestic Network Distribution and Marketing where she was responsible for the revenue, marketing, and distribution strategy of HBO's $4.4 billion domestic subscription business. Having successfully led HBO's digital transformation, Shelley retired in March of 2016 to pursue public service. She aspired to use her experience as the first woman in HBO's C-suite to serve as a mentor to emerging female leaders and entrepreneurs, as well as apply her leadership and operating skills to serve as Mayor of her hometown.

Community Service

In addition to serving as Mayor, Shelley serves on the Board of Philo, a streaming TV tech company in San Francisco, serves as a Global Ambassador for Vital Voices, is a founding member of Plum Alley Investments, is an active member of several women's leadership organizations, and has been a regular participant at Fortune's annual Most Powerful Women Summit.

Education & Family

Shelley holds a Bachelor's of Arts Degree in Rhetoric and Communications Studies/History from the University of Virginia. She lives in Westfield, New Jersey with her husband Kip, their three children Grace (23), a graduate student at the University of Michigan; Nora (21) a senior at The Ohio State University; and Nick, (17) a senior at Westfield High School, as well as their two dogs and any number of foster dogs waiting for a good home.