Election Mailbag 2026

Endorsing Chris Russo for Morris County Commissioner

Oct. 10, 2026

Morris County voters have said yes to open space six times. Our county commissioners need to start delivering.

Since 1992, voters have created, expanded and renewed the Open Space Trust Fund. They authorized up to 5.25 cents per $100 of property value to protect our land, farms, water and flood-prone neighborhoods.

The commissioners levy just five-eighths of a cent. That is about 12% of what voters authorized. In 2025, the county preserved zero acres of farmland.

Zero acres. After six public votes supporting preservation.

Over that time, the open space fund has collected about $46 million more than it has spent. The county’s surplus has grown to $77.4 million. Yet the county’s own hazard plan identifies 1,060 Morris County homes with a history of repeat flooding, and the open space tax sets aside nothing for buyouts.

An unspent dollar does not preserve a farm or protect a home. Land remains available only until someone develops it. Families facing repeated flooding cannot wait indefinitely for the county to act.

As a council member and civil engineer, I judge government by what it delivers. Collecting money is not an accomplishment. Putting it to work for residents is.

That is why I support Chris Russo for county commissioner.

I have served with Chris on the Morristown Town Council. He comes prepared, asks direct questions and expects real answers. He looks at what a proposal will accomplish and whether it serves residents.

That scrutiny is overdue on a board where one party has held every seat since 1973.

The groups that track open space most closely have made their choice. Chris has been endorsed by the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club. His opponent has earned neither.

Voters have done their part six times. It is time the commissioners did theirs.

Vote Chris Russo on November 3.

Steve Pylypchuk
Morristown
President of the Morristown Town Council and treasurer of the Morris County Democratic Committee.

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MORRIS PLAINS MAYORAL RACE

Verga for Mayor

Oct. 12, 2026.

I am a 71 year old resident of Morris Plains.  My wife and I have made the decision that we will spend our retirement years in Morris Plains.  As we approach this year’s  election my question is:  Which candidate for mayor can ensure that Morris Plains will continue to be the “community of caring” We  have come to love?

The answer to me is simple Nancy Verga

Nancy Verga is 28 year resident, mother, and three term council member, but most importantly she is the strong leader Morris Plains needs at a critical time in our town’s history.  Nancy Verga has the vision to move our community forward into its next century, while maintaining its small town charm. Nancy Verga is a leader with a proven track record of accomplishments too numerous to name here. In the many conversations I have had with her over the years she impressed me  with her depth and  knowledge of the working of every aspect of our local government.

More importantly, she has the courage to confront difficult issues. Nor will she  hope that the problem “will never  happen again.”  She will address  each challenge directly and propose common sense solutions that will improve the quality of life for all the residents of Morris Plains.

For all these reasons I am endorsing Nancy Verga for mayor of Morris Plains.

Michael J Butchko
Morris Plains

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Voting For Morris Plains’ Future

Oct. 11, 2026

November 3, 2026, is an important day for Morris Plains. It’s a day when residents will have the opportunity to take an active part in deciding the future of The Community of Caring. One of the most important ways they will shape that future is by electing the town’s new mayor.

In the 18 years we’ve lived in Morris Plains, there have only been two mayors. In recent years, there has also been growing resistance to new ideas raised at council meetings. The response, “This is the way it’s always been,” has become increasingly common. This is why the 2026 mayoral election is so important.

Perhaps the starkest contract between the two candidates lies in how they view Morris Plains. The current mayor appears to rely heavily on the town’s rich tradition and quaint character, and there is certainly a lot of which to be proud. However, the past will only take us so far. We also need to think about the future. What was good for Morris Plains four, ten, or twenty years ago may not be what’s best for the town in 2026 and beyond.

Nancy Verga has demonstrated during her time on the Borough Council an eagerness and willingness not only to keep Morris Plains current but also to help move it forward. Her efforts are evident in the various grants she has secured and programs she has initiated for the town. She is deeply committed to the town we call home. In times, both before and during her time on the Borough Council, she has always been approachable and genuinely interested in hearing different viewpoints. If you approach her with a question she can’t immediately answer, you can be sure you’ll have your answer by the next time you see her. These are essential qualities in a town leader.

Nancy takes the time to have conversations with people and is genuinely interested in their thoughts, opinions and ideas. As a town resident, it means a great deal to be able to speak with someone in local government and feel like you’re being heard. It means even more when that person feels like someone you could relate to – someone who cares about the same things you do and doesn’t come across like a typical politician.

One of the most widely discussed issues in Morris Plains over the past few years has been the fate of the former Friendly’s property. In what has become a controversial vote, our current mayor cast the deciding vote in favor of a McDonald’s fast-food restaurant with a double drive-through. At the time of the vote, several council members said they could not support the proposal because too many questions remained unanswered.

Our current mayor said that all questions had been addressed and voted in favor of the proposal without any further explanation. It’s difficult to understand how multiple people who attended the same meetings could conclude that important questions remained unanswered while another person could declare that all questions had been addressed. This discrepancy raises questions about the decision-making process and the reasoning behind the final vote.

Our town deserves a mayor who can provide the necessary oversight and daily presence, follow up on issues requiring timely responses and simply be there when her attention is required. She has also been a major proponent of more transparency in town meetings.

As a couple who live adjacent to our downtown and intend to live in Morris Plains for many years to come, we care deeply about our town. It is important to us that the people making major decisions for Morris Plains be just as invested in its future as we are. For these reasons, we are supporting Nancy Verga. Please consider doing the same.

Craig Moran and Pam Dise-Moran
Morris Plains

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Morris Plains Deserves Leadership That Looks Forward

Oct. 8, 2026

This November, Morris Plains needs a change in mayoral leadership and the moment could not be more urgent. Operationally, the Borough often runs smoothly on the surface. But in council meetings, planning board discussions, and community conversations, one thing has become unmistakable: the current mayor lacks a meaningful vision for Morris Plains’ future.

With rapid development, rising traffic, increasing strain on regional natural resources, and hyperscale data centers appearing next to neighborhoods, Morris Plains cannot afford
leadership that simply hopes things stay the same. We need plans for the holistic revitalization of our downtown; improving walkability, bikeability, and safety; reducing traffic and leveraging our underutilized train station; regional collaboration to ensure sustainable growth; and forward-looking Master Plan updates to ensure our town is shaped proactively – not reactively – in future decades.

Residents have been left battling development proposals that began with the 2018 Route 53 fragrance factory plan that had since been replaced by two large warehouses approved overnight and still sitting empty. Then came the proposed selfstorage facility that might have welcomed all to the Morris Plains gateway to downtown but was thankfully denied despite the mayor’s support. And most recently, the doublelane drivethrough McDonald’s was approved with the mayor casting the tiebreaking vote. After months of hearings and hundreds of residents voicing concerns about traffic, pedestrian safety, and pollution, he voted yes – leaving community input and downtown safety behind.

The mayor has argued that the development was permitted under B2 zoning. It is true that restaurant drive-throughs were added in a flawed 2023 ordinance pushed through without adequate transparency or public engagement (and has since been amended to remove drive-throughs). Nancy Verga was one of only two council members who voted against it, insisting it needed deeper review by the Planning Board due to questions she, other council members, and the public raised. All of us in the Borough Hall on the night that the zoning ordinance was discussed thought for sure it was going back to the Planning Board. But of course, as we well know now, it was simply voted on and passed. And importantly, regarding the drive-through that became possible with that ordinance, an allowed use does not guarantee or mandate approval of a specific application – especially one requiring variances. Towns across the country have denied similar projects on legitimate safety grounds. Morris Plains could have done the same. Our own Master Plan supported denial. Yet again, no vision.

Additionally, for months, residents pressed the mayor to remove an illegal pile of demolition debris at the old Friendly’s site – material crushed and milled without a DEP permit. On Dayton Road, a broken fence and scattered garbage from the same property have remained out of compliance for two years despite repeated complaints to the mayor. Some issues get addressed; others seem to languish indefinitely.

The core issue is not isolated missteps – it is the absence of a forward-looking plan for Morris Plains at a time when change is accelerating around us. That is why I strongly support Nancy Verga for Mayor this November. I have worked closely with her on environmental sustainability and walking and biking connectivity initiatives. She brings a clear, actionable vision for a truly flourishing Morris Plains. Her professional communications background and her experience as Councilwoman as well as Council President demonstrate her ability to engage the community with transparency, collaboration, and genuine proactive engagement to create a better future built on a broader vision.

If you want the next decades shaped with foresight – grounded on listening to and working with residents – rather than driven by isolated reactive responses to all of the rapid change unfolding around Morris Plains, vote for Nancy Verga on November 3.

Tom Battagliese
Morris Plains

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Verga, Connor, and DeNova – Thoughtful Planning, Responsible Growth

Oct. 1, 2026

I believe Morris Plains needs forward-thinking, transparent leaders with proven records of fostering a vibrant downtown, promoting smart and sustainable land use, and enhancing opportunities for our children. That’s why I am voting for Nancy Verga for Mayor and Lee Connor and Rosaria DeNova for Borough Council.

Verga for Mayor

Sept. 28, 2026

Morris Plains is changing. More young families are choosing to make their homes here. We need leadership that recognizes where our community is headed while protecting the qualities that make Morris Plains a great place to live.

That is why I am supporting Nancy Verga for mayor of Morris Plains.

Now serving her third term on the Borough Council, Nancy understands that public safety must remain a fundamental responsibility of local government and that it is an essential part of a thriving, growing community. Families need to know that their neighborhoods and the Borough’s main thoroughfare – Speedwell Avenue – are safe.  As Councilmember, Nancy has championed pedestrian and public safety in our town. In 2023 she voted against the ordinance that allowed the approval of a double lane drive through project on Speedwell Avenue.  

As current Chair of the Finance Committee, Nancy has gained firsthand experience examining our town’s finances and making thoughtful decisions about how our taxpayer dollars are spent, something all residents can get behind.

I have had the privilege of knowing Nancy for 25 years and have been witness to her honesty, her integrity, her dependability and her commitment to our town. She takes a thoughtful approach when making decisions that will impact the 5,000+ residents of Morris Plains.  I attend many town meetings and what I most notice is her preparedness and her gracious way of connecting with all residents of our community. She has proven herself to be a public servant for all residents of Morris Plains.

Morris Plains is changing – as are communities across the nation – and will continue to face the challenge of preserving what we love while readying it for the future. Nancy Verga is the leader we need to thoughtfully guide our beloved Borough into a thriving second century.

Sue Riccardelli
Morris Plains