Three-term incumbent steps aside, after taking state job
By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
Township Republicans will meet tonight to choose a person to replace Bob Wagner as one of their candidates for Township Committee race.
Mr. Wagner withdrew from a chance at a fourth three-year term following his acceptance of a state government job.
Two people have expressed an interest in running, said Steve Sireci, the township GOP chairman. They are Greg Burchette and David Wald, he said.
The 55 to 60 elected county committee members will make the decision after hearing short speeches on behalf of any candidate, Dr. Sireci said.
Mr. Wagner, who previously worked for Comcast Cable, will start July 2 as an operations manager for the unemployment insurance group within the state Department of Labor. The job falls under the provisions of the Hatch Act, which bars government employees whose positions are supported by federal funds from running for public office.
Mr. Wagner will complete his current term, which expires in December.
Two people will be elected to three-year terms in November, and the cast of characters seeking the local government spots has been fluid.
For the Republicans, Mayor Carl Suraci, who teamed with Mr. Wagner in 2003, 2006 and 2009, is looking for a running mate.
Democrats had only one — local party chairman Michael Goldberg — file in time to be listed on the June primary ballot, but enough Democrats wrote in lifelong township resident Jim Farley to qualify for the second spot for the fall. Mr. Farley is a 40-plus year member of the Fire Department and a chimney sweep business owner.
Also, Independent Judd Mandel, a landscaping firm owner who said he was interested in sustainability issues, filed primary election day to qualify for a spot on the fall ballot.
Mr. Wagner served as mayor in 2005 and also has served two stints as deputy mayor. The Republican announcement noted Mr. Wagner was known for his “seemingly endless reserve of grace and good humor, his tireless advocacy of open space and farmland preservation and his strong interest in recreation programs.”
As a trained EMT, he was also a member of the Community Emergency Response Team and was dedicated in his support for local emergency services, it said.
”I have very much enjoyed my time on the Township Committee and am sad to end it, but the law is the law,” Mr. Wagner said. “It has been a privilege to serve our community and to be a part of some great accomplishments on its behalf over the past nine years. I think that I’ve been able to leave Hillsborough a better place, which is what I set out to do. I’m now looking forward to serving the people of New Jersey in a wider capacity.”
”It will be strange to run without him this year,” Mayor Suraci said. “Suraci and Wagner has been a successful team since 2003, both on campaign and in office, and it has been a constant pleasure throughout that time to work with Bob. All of us on the Township Committee wish him well in his new job, but we also wish he could have been able to remain with us.”

