Teaneck resident and Bergen County public information officer Michael Pagan hopes to make history in the upcoming May election as the first Latino to be elected to a council seat. Practically a native, Pagan has been living in Teaneck since he was 10 years old and is a product of the local school system. He believes Teaneck offers people an excellent quality of life and, if elected, he plans to continue the efforts of the current council by providing exceptional services and security for local residents.
Pagan attended Bergen Community College in Paramus before obtaining his degree in journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia in 1998. Pagan has worked as a reporter for the North Jersey Herald News, as a grant writer for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and as a press secretary for three speakers of the New Jersey General Assembly. He has also worked for a U.S. Congressman and two U.S. Senators and currently serves as a public information officer for Bergen County.
Pagan says it was his mother who first inspired him to pursue a career in politics.
“She was a union member for 29 years and often took me along to meetings where I would watch for hours as she lobbied for fair action.” Pagan remembers his mother repeatedly reminding him that it is our civic duty to make sure we take care of one another.
Pagan currently sits on the Teaneck planning board and the Teaneck senior citizens advisory board and is a member of the Fort Lee Rotary. He and his fellow public service members are hard at working ensuring public safety during the COVID-19 crisis.
“As public information officer, I have to do everything possible to help make sure residents are informed about all of our initiatives to combat COVID-19 throughout the County,” Pagan said. “I spend a lot of time writing news advisories, press releases and speeches. I also have to organize a lot of press conferences. I field every phone call and question from the media about COVID-19 and connect them with the most accurate up-to-date information, and I work with the Bergen County Health Officer, the County Health Services Department and the Office of Emergency Management to distribute information to mayors, councils and members of the Assembly and state Senate.”
He continued, “Basically, it is my mission to keep everyone informed about this dangerous virus so they can get the help they need to protect themselves and their loved ones. It’s a job I take seriously and one that I work at 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I believe in “service above self,” which is the Rotary mission. We have to help each other, especially during public health emergencies like this. And staying informed is one of the best ways to help one another.”
Pagan helped donate personal protective equipment to first responders and healthcare workers at the County Annex building in Paramus.
He also organized a mobile drive-thru test site at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center for Bergen County residents, first responders and healthcare workers, and he helped FEMA and the National Guard organize the COVID-19 testing site at Bergen Community College.
If elected, Pagan hopes to build on the foundation that Mayor Mohammed Hameedudin and the current Teaneck Council have developed. This includes keeping taxes low and increasing property value, both of which Pagan believes can be achieved through successful development.
“If it is done the right way and in the right location, development is the smartest way to increase revenue,” he said.
Other top priorities on his agenda include vibrant downtowns, road resurfacing, upkeep of local parks and security for houses of worship.
According to Pagan, our downtown districts are the backbone of our local economy and the more we invest in them the more jobs we create. Business has improved and expanded in many of the revitalized areas, which also provide employment opportunities for local citizens.
Pagan, who shares a home with his parents and 4-year-old son, spends a great deal of time in the beautiful parks around town which he considers assets to the community. The parks are a great resource for all of our residents, he explained, and must therefore be maintained.
Pagan has connected with many people around town who are concerned about potholes and cracks in local roads. Road resurfacing is a costly proposal yet necessary in many parts of the township. As an elected official, he plans to make sure road safety is addressed.
Pagan applauds the current council, whose members have been diligent in assisting local houses of worship who want to better protect themselves, especially in the face of rising anti-Semitic crimes.
Many local synagogues want to install six-foot-tall fences surrounding their property to better protect congregants. Additionally, the Teaneck Police Department and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department are working together to station officers at any house of worship in Teaneck that requests it. Pagan strongly supports this action and believes people in houses of worship should feel secure and protected at all times.
“The current council has set the groundwork and requires the right mix of people to move the process forward,” he said.
Pagan, who is running on a slate with Teaneck’s Deputy Mayor Mark Schwartz and Planning Board member Karen Lew Orgen, believes they are a winning team who share a common goal to advance Teaneck and provide better municipal services to its residents.
Pagan encourages open communication and supports telephone and in-person town hall meetings. He believes in complete transparency and welcomes residents to call him with any questions or concerns, or simply to introduce themselves.
Due to the coronavirus crisis, the election will be conducted with a vote-by-mail system only, with all ballots hitting residents’ mailboxes the week of April 13 with a postage paid envelope included. For more information or to reach Michael Pagan, please email [email protected] or call 201-543-7671.
By Andrea Nissel
