Morris Plains Republicans look to retake control of borough council

By Michael Lovito

Development, zoning, and taxes define the focus of four candidates running for Morris Plains borough council on Tuesday.

Republicans Ann Bono and Anthony Tonini are seeking to unseat Democratic incumbents Nancy Verga and Michael Ivey and shift council control back into GOP hands.

Last year’s victories of Bill Houston and Tyler Pontier gave Democrats a majority on the council for the first time since the 1960s.

Verga was elected to the council in 2019 when, alongside running mate Joan Goddard, she became one of the first female Democrats elected to the Morris Plains governing body.

She now chairs the council’s Finance Committee, and previously has led the Ordinances, Public Safety, and Public Health committees.

Last year, Ivey was unanimously selected by the council to serve out the rest of Goddard’s term after her resignation. He currently chairs the Council’s Public Health, Sanitation, and Sewers Committee and serves as council liaison to the Board of Health, Municipal Alliance, Teen Center, and Recycling committees.

Both Republican candidates are political newcomers. Bono is a child development specialist/early intervention therapist at the PG Chambers School who formerly ran a mentoring program for special needs children called Kids Helping Kids.

Tonini, who was selected by the Morris Plains Republican County Committee to run on the ticket after prior nominee Dennis Wagner dropped out, works for his father’s HVAC business and volunteers with St. Virgil’s Parish’s Appalachia Outreach and Interfaith Food Pantry programs.

SUSTAINABILITY AND GREEN SPACE

Verga said she’s running to “drive results residents want to see” – namely, “better management of development and traffic, safer streets for pedestrians and bikes, a thriving downtown, and winning grants and new revenue streams and shared services to manage rising costs.”

Verga also said she’s interested in “exploring” adding a “sustainability element to the Master Plan, to ensure we have a resilient economy and beautiful green spaces for future generations.”

Verga touts as her accomplishments helping shepherd the borough’s first outdoor dining ordinance, a modern website with online payment and registration forms, zoning for the borough’s first microbrewery, and live-streaming meetings.

“Because of these early successes, I learned that by focusing on the community’s priorities, and working in a supportive way with colleagues, staff, and professionals, I could confidently advocate for needed action,” Verga said.

Like all the candidates, Verga cited ongoing litigation for declining to comment on the controversial drive-through McDonald’s planned for Speedwell Avenue. But she hastened to note she was one of two council members in 2023 who voted against the zoning ordinance that permitted drive-through restaurants.

“The planning board did not accept feedback from the council on certain provisions of that ordinance,” which was “rushed through…before residents had a full understanding of what was being proposed,” she said.

REDUCING COSTS

Ivey said he’s looking to extend his short time on the council to see through the borough’s Complete and Green Streets program and deploy smart garbage receptacles, which are funded by a Clean Communities Grant.

If elected to a full term, Ivey said he would look to “reduce operating costs of the borough by increasing efficiency and finding the best value for the taxpayer dollar.”

That would include implementing a five-year plan to stabilize annual costs incurred by the Morris Plains Community Park Pool, to ensure its “existence is sustainable for years to come.”

While both Verga and Ivey noted the council has limited control over many recent housing developments in Morris Plains due to a “builder’s remedy” lawsuit filed against “the borough’s past administration,” the incumbents said they have worked with the council to hire a top housing attorney to “minimize the impact high density housing may bring to our community.”

They also said they will “continue to pressure state and county legislators to adopt plans and legislation to address the housing crisis without overburdening resources and infrastructure of small, suburban communities like Morris Plains.”

Verga and Ivey point to the borough’s recent purchase of three parcels of open space as a “proactive step… to protect some of our few remaining green spaces from development.”

UNREALISTIC REQUIREMENTS

Bono said her experience as an educator and advocate for children with special needs provides a “thoughtful, community-centered perspective to addressing the challenges facing Morris Plains taxpayers.”

She hopes to “ask the right questions, promote accountability, and pursue long-term, sustainable solutions” if elected to the council.

“I’m committed to ensuring that decisions are made with transparency, fiscal responsibility, and the best interests of our residents in mind,” Bono said. “I hope to bring a fresh, common-sense lens to the borough council that reflects the values and priorities of the Morris Plains community.”

When it comes to development, both Bono and Tonini singled out the Affordable Housing Reform Law for imposing “unrealistic” affordable housing requirements that strain smaller communities and municipal services.

“The state is overreaching by assigning housing numbers that many towns cannot sustainably support,” their campaign said.

TAXES AND TRAFFIC

When asked why he was running for council, Tonini emphasized civic and fiscal responsibility.

“As someone who values both faith and practicality, I see public service as a responsibility, not a title,” Tonini said. “Every decision the council makes involves taxpayer money and respecting that should be our top priority.”

While Bono and Tonini concede that development is top of mind for most Morris Plains residents, they said the focus of their campaign is the borough’s recent 6 percent tax increase.

“A 6 percent tax increase is unprecedented for Morris Plains and, in my view, unacceptable,” Tonini said. “It’s important to exercise restraint and responsibility with taxpayer money – every dollar spent should have a clear purpose that residents both understand and support.”

If elected, Bono and Tonini said they plan to seek New Jersey Department of Transportation funding for “thorough traffic studies” for Speedwell Avenue from Hanover Avenue to Route 53.

“This traffic study would ask how we can best mitigate traffic congestion, especially before and after the train trestle,” Tonini said. “From this study, we could learn how best to proceed in cooperation with a combination of state and local authorities, New Jersey Transit, as well as federal authorities if needed. From there, a plan would be developed and presented to the residents for their input.”

BIOGRAPHIES

Verga, a 27-year resident of Morris Plains, is a retired corporate communications professional and consultant. She previously served as chair of the Morris Plains Municipal Alliance, an anti-drug and alcohol abuse organization.

Ivey, who moved to Morris Plains in 2013, is a director of engineering at a Morristown-based vehicle electrification firm. He previously spent 13 years working as a project manager and solutions architect at Picatinny Arsenal.

Bono, who was raised in Kansas, has lived in Morris Plains for 27 years. In addition to her work and advocacy in special needs education, she serves as a lector at Notre Dame of Mt. Carmel Roman Catholic Church, where she also co-chairs the marriage ministry with her husband Joe.

Tonini is a lifelong, third-generation Morris Plains resident. He is a graduate of the Morris Plains Borough School, Morris Catholic High School, and Drew University. In addition to his volunteer work at St. Virgil’s, he also previously worked as a lifeguard at Signature Place.
Borough council members are elected for three-year terms.