Henry L. Miller MONROE — Citing his health and his longevity on the Monroe Township Council, council Vice President Henry L. Miller has decided not to run for public office in November.
Miller, 86, has been serving on the council as a Democrat since he was elected in November 1989. He will not run again after serving out his fifth term, which ends on Dec. 31.
“The first thing I said was that 24 years [on council] is enough,” Miller said.
Miller moved to Monroe in 1972, when the town had only a fraction of its population. He served on the Planning Board and as the board chairman after he retired from his work as a school administrator. On the Planning Board in the 1980s, Miller worked closely with Mayor Richard Pucci to put together the town’s master plan.
“One of the things that we determined is that the town would have no center,” Miller said. “We didn’t want a problem with stores attracting crime or trouble with teenagers. At that time, we were concerned about Monroe becoming a city because of its size [42.2 square miles].”
After working together on the master plan, Pucci approached Miller about running for council.
“The mayor came to me and asked me if I would run for council, and I’ve enjoyed my time [here],” Miller said.
While on the council, Miller served as president and vice president at different times. Miller also serves as the council representative to the Historic Preservation Commission, and has previously served on the Affordable Housing Board.
Miller was inducted into the New Jersey Elected Officials Hall of Fame in 2011.
At 86, Miller cited his age and Parkinson’s disease as reasons to retire.
“Age is a definite factor, [and] although the number doesn’t mean much to me, my age is catching up,” Miller said. “Things are beginning to hit me.”
Although he has had a lengthy career on the council, Miller wants to see new, up-andcoming younger people have a chance to serve.
“We have some really good young people coming up in the Democratic party,” Miller said. “You have to open the door to them. If guys like me keep hanging in there, there won’t be change. And if you don’t get change and don’t keep turning over, you become stagnant. If you become stagnant, you become defensive. And when you become defensive, you make big mistakes.”
Miller also believes that more women need to be represented on council, and is confident in the party’s choice to run Monroe resident Elizabeth “Betty” Schneider as its candidate for Miller’s seat.
“I saw the [political] change for women, and I see the change taking place for minorities,” Miller said. “These are improvement steps. I am looking forward to supporting these candidates.”
Contact Stella Morrison at [email protected].