HELMETTA — Borough voters made a declaration of independents Nov. 4.
Sewell Peckham The Borough Council, come Jan. 1, will be made up entirely of members elected over the past five years on the People’s Voice ticket. The independent party was formed in 2003 when its founder, Mayor Nancy Martin, won her first term.
Last week, incumbent Sewell Peckham was elected with 504 votes, along with appointee Patrick Smith, 546 votes, and newcomer Joseph Perez, 553.
The three defeated the council’s lone Democrat, Andrew Tancredi, with 392 votes, along with firefighter Gregory Bennett, 394, and former Councilman Tom Reid, 357. Reid, who has served as a Democrat, Republican and a People’s Voice member, ran this time as a Democrat with Tancredi and Bennett.
Smith, 38, a Jamesburg police officer who was appointed in May, will serve a three-year term, as will Peckham, 65, a retired carpenter. Perez, 37, an accountant, won a two-year term.
“I think we were planning on winning, but you never really know,” Smith said.
Patrick Smith Looking forward, Smith voiced optimism. He expressed gratitude to those who supported the independent ticket, saying he plans to help those people as well as those who supported the opposing candidates.
“I think we’re going to be able to go forward with just about anything we think will be good for the town,” Smith said. Perez said he was not surprised by the results, as he has observed residents’ apparent satisfaction with Martin and her administration.
“I think the mayor and her crew over there have done a good job,” Perez said. “The people really seem to have a good feel for the mayor.”
Peckham agreed.
“Everybody that we had talked to while campaigning seemed pretty happy with the way things have been,” Peckham said. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
The winning candidates placed moving forward with the redevelopment of the former snuff mill as a top priority.
Their opposition had criticized the independent dominated governing body, saying the mill project was supposed to have progressed further by now. Thus far, several buildings have been razed, and Reid said the site is in a state of unsatisfactory and dangerous conditions.
Joseph Perez Perez echoed earlier statements by Martin, citing the economic plummet as a reason for limitations in terms of progress.
In terms of borough finances, he said the administration has done a good job of keeping taxes reined in. He cited the decision to avoid bonding for items or projects in town as one way of doing that.
Once he is sworn in and has an opportunity to view the municipal budget in depth, he will have a greater ability to determine whether there are further areas where savings can be gleaned, he said.
Peckham said the borough leadership will pursue every possible county, state and federal grant in order to provide savings to taxpayers.

