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Daniel Gregoire

Daniel Gregoire has lived in Millville since 2012 and brings 40+ years in water/wastewater systems, quality control, and field operations. He presents himself as a hands-on, whole-systems problem-solver with leadership experience in the Knights of Columbus. His priorities: clean up the city and fix “first impressions,” hire an experienced economic development lead (funded via grants/bonds), grow the ratable base, and use pragmatic incentives so Millville competes with neighboring towns. He links storefront blight, stray shopping carts, panhandling, and homelessness to investor confidence and favors coordinated solutions with staffing, community partners, and a designated point person.


He also calls for more road repairs (with clarity on street-opening funds), a regional strategy on illegal ATVs/dirt bikes, and stronger code enforcement—including moving abandoned properties to rehab-minded owners. Internally, he argues the city is short-staffed and under-equipped; he’d seek grants (e.g., Clean Communities) for hires and a second street sweeper, with city-wide sweeping and park/street care. On communication, he wants plain-English explanations of policy changes, follow-through on public comments, and a suggestion email/box; for utilities, he prefers payment plans and tax-sale tools over shutting off water for families in hardship. His pitch: unite employees and residents, execute visibly, and make Millville competitive again.



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Rating Explanation

Daniel Gregoire

Gregoire provided a combined written response and sat-down for an interview that clarified background and priorities—stronger engagement than the local baseline. He outlines specific, testable ideas (hire an economic lead; city-wide sweeping; improve abandoned-property pipeline; alternative paths to water-bill collection; suggestion box/email) and ties them to funding concepts (grants/bonds/Clean Communities).

To move toward a top-tier transparency rating, we’ll look for: (1) a centralized, consitently-updating web presence; (2) consistent public availability (events, forums, long-form interviews); (3) concrete, time-bound plans/budgets for staffing/equipment; and (4) follow-through on communications promises (e.g., documented responses to resident input). Also, with the recent plane banner at the Millville football game, it might be time to make an official ticket announcement for Sooy, McGinty, and Gregoire. For now, the rating sits at “Above Average (trending upwards)” based on responsiveness and clear themes laid out early.

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Suggested Use of Candidate Pages & Project Disclaimer

Note: There are a few ways to use this page. It mixes objective source material with light analysis and first-hand reporting so voters can choose their depth.

How to get the most out of this candidate page
  1. Start with the Quick Summary. Click the Quick Summary button underneath the websites section.
  2. Scan the objective sources. When available, jump into official links, social media, and interviews.
  3. Check the agenda & positions. We group priorities plainly for easy cross-candidate comparison.
  4. Read the Transparency/Accessibility rating. How easy is it to find/contact the candidate? What’s documented?
  5. Use the page as a multi-layered hub. Facts first, then interviews, then analysis as needed.

Where we add context or opinion, it’s to help busy voters make sense of gaps in local information.

Daniel Gregoire

Running for:
Millville City Commissioner
Incumbent
Challenger
Daniel Gregoire headshot

Websites

Quick Summary

Daniel Gregoire has lived in Millville since 2012 and brings 40+ years in water/wastewater systems, quality control, and field operations. He presents himself as a hands-on, whole-systems problem-solver with leadership experience in the Knights of Columbus. His priorities: clean up the city and fix “first impressions,” hire an experienced economic development lead (funded via grants/bonds), grow the ratable base, and use pragmatic incentives so Millville competes with neighboring towns. He links storefront blight, stray shopping carts, panhandling, and homelessness to investor confidence and favors coordinated solutions with staffing, community partners, and a designated point person.


He also calls for more road repairs (with clarity on street-opening funds), a regional strategy on illegal ATVs/dirt bikes, and stronger code enforcement—including moving abandoned properties to rehab-minded owners. Internally, he argues the city is short-staffed and under-equipped; he’d seek grants (e.g., Clean Communities) for hires and a second street sweeper, with city-wide sweeping and park/street care. On communication, he wants plain-English explanations of policy changes, follow-through on public comments, and a suggestion email/box; for utilities, he prefers payment plans and tax-sale tools over shutting off water for families in hardship. His pitch: unite employees and residents, execute visibly, and make Millville competitive again.

This election is on November 4th, 2025



Transparency/Accessibility Rating: A Bit Above Average (developing)

Explanation

Daniel Gregoire remains one of the clearer examples of how community nudging can bring otherwise camera-shy candidates into public view. He has attended major events such as the Four Seasons Forum and the InformTheVoteNJ Meet & Greet, and was likely present at the Housing Authority event. He did not attend the recorded Candidates Forum, citing a prior family commitment for his step-daughter—an understandable explanation given the last minute nature of the event, but still results in one less opportunity for voters to hear from him directly.

Gregoire’s cooperation with InformTheVoteNJ—providing written responses and sitting for a camera-less interview— anchors his a bit above average standing. Those interactions produced tangible, testable proposals: hiring an economic-development lead, improving the abandoned-property pipeline, experimenting with water-bill collection alternatives, and launching practical neighborhood-clean-up programs. Yet the second half of the campaign season brought limited public updates. Within the final two-week social-media cutoff window, there was little new information posted, leaving his message largely frozen in time while more vocal candidates filled the feed.

This pattern highlights an important tension. Gregoire’s hesitance with cameras amidst a crowded race is hardly unique in Millville politics—but it illustrates the fragile state of local transparency overall. If citizen-driven projects like InformTheVoteNJ hadn’t been encouraging participation, would voters have heard much from him at all? Would there have been a centralized meet-and-greet, an interview, or even a campaign Facebook page? Gregoire’s campaign underscores how dependent voter awareness still is on outside initiative rather than consistent candidate communication.

Even so, his willingness to answer questions, articulate concrete plans, and maintain a courteous rapport with the press sets him apart from some. The foundation is there; the next step is embracing thorough visibility as part of the job, not an optional extra.

Overall rating: A Bit Above Average — cooperative and substantive when engaged, but still emblematic of how Millville’s culture of sometimes modest, camera-shy campaigning limits the flow of public information.



Overall Agenda and Positions

  • Economic Development & Competitiveness

    • Hire an experienced economic development leader to recruit/retain businesses and grow the ratable base; explore grants and bonds to fund the role.

    • Be pragmatic on incentives (e.g., abatements) so Millville competes with neighboring towns; ensure deals measurably benefit taxpayers over time.

    • Focus on visible first impressions that influence investors and families (clean corridors, storefronts, and gateways from Route 55).


  • City Cleanliness, Panhandling & Homelessness

    • Daily cart retrieval and business accountability for shopping carts; address litter and debris along sidewalks/wooded areas.

    • Coordinate with peers/nearby municipalities on best practices; consider a halfway house model and a designated point person to lead efforts.

    • Recruit volunteers while acknowledging current staffing shortfalls; use grants/bonds to add capacity where needed.


  • Roads & Infrastructure

    • Increase street paving and upgrades; clarify how street-opening funds are tracked and reinvested in restoration.

    • Systematically plan corridor repairs to improve safety and curb appeal.


  • ATVs, Dirt Bikes & Traffic Safety

    • Acknowledge current no-chase constraints; organize a regional strategy by networking with other municipalities and state legislators.

    • Set local standards while pursuing broader policy fixes through NJAC/League of Municipalities–style collaboration.


  • Code Enforcement & Blight

    • Target abandoned/vacant properties, broken vehicles, and yard debris; be more proactive with citations and follow-up.

    • Explore abandoned-property sales to move assets to rehab-minded buyers and restore single-family occupancy.


  • Parks, Youth Activities & Culture

    • Invest in youth outlets (e.g., roller-rink-style activities) to keep kids engaged and out of trouble.

    • Underscore parental expectations and cultural norms as part of community safety and opportunity.


  • Staffing, Equipment & Grants

    • Address short-staffed departments and non-competitive salaries that drive attrition.

    • Acquire needed equipment (e.g., an additional street sweeper) and make sweeping city-wide.

    • Pursue funding (e.g., Clean Communities grant) to support operations.


  • Resident Communication & Transparency

    • Create a resident suggestion email/box for those who cannot attend or are uncomfortable speaking at meetings.

    • Provide plain-English explanations of policy changes (e.g., solid-waste billing), and publicly follow up on meeting questions.

    • Use multiple channels (not just social media) to reach residents.


  • Utilities & Hardship

    • Question water shut-offs for struggling families; prefer other enforcement options (e.g., tax sale) and payment plans.



Background and Campaign Message

Daniel Gregoire is French-Canadian and originally from the Chicago area. He attended Catholic high school, has some college, and then worked as a welder before moving into water and wastewater management—his field for the last 41 years. He’s handled equipment builds, quality control, and product specialization, with extensive time on the road. He says that whole-system view prepared him for the coordination and accountability of city work, and notes that he helped replace city water/wastewater equipment in Millville following a walkthrough years ago. He’s also held leadership roles across levels in the Knights of Columbus, which he describes as a governance-like organization with transferable leadership lessons. A Millville resident since 2012, he characterizes himself as driven and diligent—pursuing problems until the job is done—and wants Millville’s government and workforce aligned with residents to deliver visible results.

Experience

Organizations


  • Knights of Columbus Held roles at all levels; credits the organization with leadership training similar to running a civic entity.


Professional and Work Background

  • Welding Early career work prior to moving into utilities.

  • Water & Wastewater (41+ years) Equipment building, quality control, product specialization, and systems operations; experience includes assisting Millville with equipment replacement following a city walkthrough.