Meet Bill Haskins
During his first term, Bill was active in many projects, including reimagining our Recycling system — doubling the service, greater environmental efficacy, and lower cost, collaborating to increase our tree planting efforts, and advocating for each park to develop shovel-ready plans for improvement based on community input.
Bill is also dedicated to encouraging Villagers in their volunteer, advocacy, and stewardship efforts. He can be seen joining the Green Team or one of our Park Conservancies on many weekends planting or maintaining native plants and trees. He has volunteered at every Repair Café and is inspired by every Bike Bus he is able ride with. And won’t stop telling Villagers – go to our Pierro Gallery and Watershed Poetry Readings!
In the next 4 years, Bill would like to continue to focus on our Recycling / Zero Waste efforts, continue to advance plans for each one of our Parks and Open Spaces while overseeing construction of the River Greenway, Cameron Recreation Facility, Founders Park Phase 1, Grove Park Phase 1, and Meadowland Pond Projects, and increase our public tree planting efforts. Also, we must respond to stronger storms fueled by Climate Change with robust improvements to our Stormwater system, implementing a stormwater utility to fund necessary repair of our gray infrastructure and implementing innovative green infrastructure.
Bill has also recently been appointed as liaison to our Free Public Library and is honored to serve in that role. A robustly supported free public library is an essential part of a community. Bill looks forward to joining the Village of South Orange, the Library Board, the Foundation for the South Orange Public Library, and the Friends of the South Orange Library in supporting the thoughtful yet innovative Building Connections Project. Our new Library Facility will be a worthy home for the library mission that is the heart of our civic infrastructure.
Bill is in his 30th year as a NYC construction professional. He is currently a Project Manager on multiple residential projects in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
In his free time, Bill likes to ride his bike around town and through the parks then stop at a local coffee spot for a Cortado, a little reading, and ad hoc conversations about local politics.
Bill Haskins is running for his second term as Village Councilmember, having been elected in 2021. He is currently the Chair of the Public Works and Utilities Committee and also serves on the Strategic Partnership and Citizen Engagement Committee, the Planning and Economic Development Committee, and the Planning Board. Bill also serves as liaison to the Parking Authority and YouthNet.
In addition to his other roles, Bill also serves as liaison to the Parking Authority and YouthNet. He previously served on the Health and Public Safety Committee, the Finance Committee, and as liaison to the Environmental Commission.
In his 20th year as a Village resident, NJT commuter, walker, biker, and park lover, Bill understands the importance of our commonly held infrastructure and public space. Improving our stormwater infrastructure, multi-modal transportation system, and open spaces will ensure that our current neighbors and future Villagers will have the architecture for community.