Elections are unpredictable, but this much is certain: There will be new faces on the governing bodies of Morristown and Morris Township next January.
Morristown Councilman Stefan Armington, who was not afraid to oppose powerful developers, won’t be seeking a fourth term in the Third Ward.
Next door in Morris Township, Cathy Wilson, who put municipal meetings online and spearheaded the Township Committee’s transformation from red to blue, has decided not to seek a third term.
Monday was the deadline for candidates to file their petitions for the June 6, 2023, primary.
MORRISTOWN RACES
Morristown Council President Sandi Mayer will face a primary challenge, and another Democratic incumbent, Tawanna Cotten, is calling it quits.
Here’s how Morristown’s ward races are looking:
First Ward: Independent Robert Iannaccone intends to seek a third term. No Democrats or Republicans filed to oppose him.
Second Ward: Cotten, a Democrat who defeated an incumbent in the 2019 primary, won’t seek a second term. Tina Lindsey, the residents’ representative on the Morristown Housing Authority, filed to run as a Democrat.
Third Ward: With Armington out, zoning board Chairman Steve Pylypchuk and Robert Bell of the Shade Tree Commission will vie in the Democratic primary for the right to run in the November general election.
Fourth Ward: Mayer, the council president, wants a second term. But first she’ll have to fend off a Democratic primary challenge from planning board member Chris Russo. He lost the 2015 general election to Iannaccone, in the First Ward. Redistricting has placed Russo in the Fourth Ward this time around.
The Fourth Ward Democratic primary winner will face GOP candidate Bruce Meringolo, a former Long Hill mayor and the only Republican to file for Morristown’s races. Typically, Republicans mount fall write-in campaigns, instead of costlier declared runs, in a town that traditionally elects Democrats.
In a statement, Meringolo vowed to press for greater transparency and tighter fiscal control in town hall.
“I want to bring the experience of having 15 years in local government to Morristown for the benefit of my community,” the candidate said.
As council liaison to the planning board, Armington cast the lone vote last year against luxury apartments pitched for South Street, next to the Vail Mansion. He questioned the need for more pricey rentals in Morristown, and was critical of the board for allowing prominent local developers to revise their application numerous times in hearings spanning a year.
The former council president said he always has felt three terms would be enough to achieve his goals; he reckons he has completed 90 percent of them.
“Time to let some new blood with new priorities come to the table,” Armington said.
He got involved politically in 2008, successfully pushing for a “pay to play” contractor reform referendum, and advocating for the state to put a bike lane on Speedwell Avenue.
That bike lane has happened, “the last item on my list,” he said. Armington cited redevelopment of Speedwell between Clinton and Early streets, and removal of billboards that have bothered him for years, as his only other pieces of unfinished business.
Cotten, who works for the Morris School District, said her 8-year-old daughter needs her, so she intends to devote more time to her family. Russo, co-founder of the road race company Superhero Events, could not be reached for comment Monday night.
MORRIS TOWNSHIP RACES:
Here’s the primary picture in Morris Township:
Democrat William “Bud” Ravitz seeks a second term on the Township committee. Fellow Democrat Siva Jonnada, a data analyst who chairs the Whippany River Watershed Action Committee, said he hopes “to replace the irreplaceable” Wilson in the other seat up for grabs.
The 1980 Morristown High School graduate was considered last year to replace a Township committee member who moved away, but the interim appointment (and subsequent election) went to Donna Guariglia. In a reversal of political fortunes that was unthinkable just a few years ago, Democrats hold all five seats on the governing body.
Republican Paul Johnson will try to change that in November. The insurance consultant ran in last year’s GOP primary but lost to longtime incumbent Peter Mancuso, who then was defeated by Democrat Jeff Grayzel in November.
On his blog The Reluctant Conservative, Johnson describes himself as a former liberal who believes it’s time to rebrand the GOP, “a party without principles…that has lost its way. It is a soulless party.”
Wilson said her 70th birthday last year convinced her to spend more time with her four grandkids, and maybe write a couple of books.
“I would say it’s really important work, but it’s not for the faint of heart,” the retired teacher said of life as an elected official. She became the first Democratic woman to serve as Morris Township’s mayor, appointed by the Township committee.
Prior to Wilson’s election in 2017, the Republican-controlled committee balked at posting videos of public meetings online. So she started The Friends of Televised Access in Morris Township and posted videos herself.
Since Democrats took the reins, the Township has posted a growing number of board meetings. Hybrid committee meetings–in-person gatherings that are live-streamed–are here to stay since the pandemic.
While proud of her work with the Township’s environmental, transportation and seniors committees, Wilson said she regards her most important contribution as “making sure the residents have the information they need to understand what’s going on, and to participate if they choose.”
MORRIS PLAINS
In the “Community of Caring,” Republican councilmen Salvatore (Sal) Cortese and Arthur (Art) Bruhn Jr. and seeking re-election to fourth- and third terms, respectively.
Democrats Melissa (Missy) Goyeneche and William (Bill) Houston will challenge them in November.
This story has been updated with comments from Stefan Armington and Tawanna Cotten.
I agree wholeheartedly with Peggy Wright. These days, particularly, one has to ignore Plato’s admonition for ‘not thanking those who do what is expected of them,’ and, rather, congratulate those who do, especially when it comes to public service. We need the leadership of citizens who are equipped to provide it, to engage with those of us who care about our communities in joint efforts to keep our communities safe, secure and thriving. Thanks to Stefan and Cathy for showing us how that leadership matters. And, thanks, too, to Bob Iannaccone for staying with us, my ward, and my town, for another term.
In 2008, Stefan Armington was responsible for the successful voter-initiative-and-referendum on the local public contracting reform ordinance, commonly called a pay-to-play reform. I was pleased to work with him on it.
I only know Stefan Armington and Cathy Wilson superficially, through reading news reports and through occasional contact. I want to thank them both, however, to dedicating an enormous amount of time to their communities and weathering any criticisms along the way. You can’t make everyone happy and I admire both of them for bringing insights to growth and putting in the hours the positions demanded.