Former Roselle School Board Member Archange Antoine today announced his candidacy for mayor of the Borough of Roselle.

“I’ve lived in Roselle for 23 years and served on the Roselle School Board, with great people who worked to fight against a culture of corruption, mismanagement of tax dollars, and a long history of folks placing their friends and powerful corporations above the interest of our community and children,” Antoine said in a Facebook post.

“I’m a small business owner who understands the importance of why every dollar must efficiently work to maximum a mission, a community vision, and the interest of the people we serve. Also, I serve as a leader of a statewide organization which advocates for a transparent government which works to support the liberties, freedom, and the constitutional rights of the people in the community regardless of their race, ethnicity, faith, gender, sexual preference, immigration status, or how much money they have in the bank.

“It is in this spirit we must build a stronger community in Roselle where we work together, hand in hand, in order to achieve a brighter future. A future that is not rooted in the interest of one person, one party, or a group of friends. Rather, the interest must be on ‘us’ who work hard, pay our taxes, pay our rent, and who want to raise children in a safe community.

“I understand the struggles of becoming a home owning tax payer in Roselle after my dear mother officially became a retired senior living on a small fixed income. This is the story of so many in our community. Many people are trying to figure who is looking out for them. I am. This is why I am running for Mayor of Roselle.

Roselle has provided me with a wealth of opportunities. Such as, attending Roselle public schools where amazing teachers invested in me and motivated me to obtain my bachelor’s degree from Rowan University, and my master’s degree from Seton Hall University. Also, I worked in Roselle– as a teenager, Wendy’s was my first job and after college I worked at Roselle Saving Bank. Moreover, I fellowship and worship in Roselle. I attended my first Sunday School at the Roselle Haitian Church of God, that is where I learned the difference between right and wrong. Currently, I attend St. Matthews Baptist Church on 9th Avenue, where we are taught to be the difference in the world and in our communities. Roselle means everything to me and has helped me to become a better person. This is why I am running to be the mayor of Roselle– I want to give back to my community and help it to grow in a positive direction.

This is our time to build a better and brighter future for all the families who live in the community of Roselle. This is our time to make sure outsiders do not come into our community just to suck it dry financially and make themselves rich off of our hard-earned tax dollars. This is our moment to make the right investments in our community and in the lives of our children, who are our future. We need transparency, where people know their government is working for them. This is why I’m running to be the mayor of Roselle.

I can’t do it alone, but we can do it together. I’m asking each and every single one of you to join this movement of building a stronger and more vibrant Roselle. Join this movement that believes in supporting the liberties and freedoms of the people of this community. Join this movement that believes brighter days are ahead of us.

We are a powerful community that come from a long legacy of leaders like Thomas Edison, who picked Roselle to be the first village in the world to be lit by a light bulb; and, Abraham Clark, who lived in this community and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

I’m asking you to believe. I’m asking for your support. And, I’m asking for your vote to be the next Mayor of the Borough of Roselle. Together we will build a stronger community, where we all will be more proud to call Roselle home.”