By Joanne Degnan, Staff Writer
HIGHTSTOWN — The members of the Hightstown Republican Municipal Committee will try again on Monday to come up with a list of three possible replacements for the open Borough Council seat formerly held by Mike Theokas.
Mr. Theokas, the only Republican on the council, resigned his seat effective Sept. 8 because he said he was relocating out of town for six months to pursue a professional opportunity. Under state law, the Borough Council has 30 days to appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of Mr. Theokas’ term and the council must choose one of three names provided by Mr. Theokas’ political party.
Hightstown Municipal Chairwoman Skye Gilmartin said Wednesday the GOP committee, which previously met on Sept. 9 to discuss the council vacancy, will meet again Monday prior to the start of the 7 p.m. Borough Council meeting.
”A decision will be made at that time,” Ms. Gilmartin said.
Even if the five remaining Borough Council members are given a list of names on Monday evening, it is unlikely that any successor will be appointed before the Oct. 4 council meeting, Mayor Bob Patten said Wednesday.
”The Borough Council will probably want to interview the candidates before it makes a decision,” Mayor Patten said.
Mr. Theokas was in the second year of a three-year term when he resigned. His successor will hold his seat until Dec. 31, 2011.
Borough Attorney Fred Raffetto said last week that, according to the state law, Mr. Theokas had resigned too close to the Nov. 2 general election for his seat to be placed on the ballot. The law provides that in cases such as this, the local governing body must make the appointment from a list of three names provided by the political party of the elected official who resigned, he said.
Ms. Gilmartin and the GOP municipal committee members were tight-lipped this week about the possible replacement candidates under consideration.
Selena Bibens and Lynne Woods, the two Republican Borough Council candidates who are challenging Democratic incumbents Walter Sikorski and Jeff Bond in November, are interested in the Theokas seat, according to Ms. Bibens.
GOP mayoral candidate Rob Thibault, who split with Ms. Bibens and Ms. Woods over the police outsourcing issue and has endorsed their Democratic opponents, has said he would not accept the appointment.
Ms. Bibens and Ms. Woods oppose police outsourcing, while Mr. Thibault strongly supports it and has made it a major issue in his campaign.
The council’s decision on Mr. Theokas’ successor could have an impact on the eventual police outsourcing decision that the entire Borough Council must make. Mr. Theokas supported police outsourcing.
Three Borough Council members, including Mr. Sikorski and Mr. Bond, serve on a special police subcommittee that is currently negotiating with East Windsor. The details of the ongoing negotiations have been withheld from the public, and the rest of the Borough Council, because they involve personnel issues and the collective bargaining rights of the officers who would lose their jobs.
Any tentative agreement reached by the subcommittee would have to reviewed and voted on by the entire Borough Council. If the outsourcing contract is approved, the borough Police Department would be disbanded and East Windsor would be paid to police the borough instead.

