By Peter Elacqua
Staff Writer
HOWELL – Republican Evelyn O’Donnell has been elected to her first four-year term on the Howell Township Council.
In the Nov. 8 election, O’Donnell, who currently serves on the Howell Zoning Board of Adjustment, appeared to have defeated Democrat Joseph Montella for the available council seat.
According to results posted online by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office, O’Donnell received 11,881 votes and Montella received 11,626 votes (a 255-vote difference). Those results included mail-in ballots.
However, there were slightly more than 400 provisional ballots that needed to be counted before a winner was declared.
A provisional ballot is used to record a vote when a question about an individual’s eligibility arises at his or her polling place.
After the provisional votes were counted, O’Donnell was the winner of the council seat, with a final total of 11,980 votes. Montella finished with a total of 11,727 votes, leaving O’Donnell with a 253-vote margin of victory.
After the result was official, O’Donnell said, “Thank you to the voters for their vote of confidence that resulted in my successful election to the council. I am excited to begin this journey with Howell residents.
“As in the past and in future days, we will be tested to adhere to mandates that we may not necessarily be favorable toward. However, I feel certain that as a community we can resolve all issues that lie before us. Howell is a strong community. Working together for the good of Howell will certainly prevail,” she said.
In the Nov. 8 mayoral election where provisional ballots were not needed to determine the outcome, Democrat Dr. Theresa Berger was elected to her first four-year term as Howell’s mayor, defeating Republican Daniel Cardellichio.
Howell’s mayor is directly elected by voters and generally serves as the public face of the municipal government, although the position is one seat on the five-member council.
Berger and O’Donnell will take office in January and Republicans will hold a 4-1 majority on the council.
Republican Mayor Bill Gotto and Republican Councilman Ed Guz did not run for re-election.
In the race for mayor, Berger received 12,111 votes to defeat Cardellichio, who received 11,296 votes, according to results posted online by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office.
The results in the race for mayor did not mirror the way Howell residents voted for president, as Republican Donald Trump received 15,808 votes and Democrat Hillary Clinton received 9,430 votes.
Berger received about 2,600 more votes than Clinton, and Cardellichio received about 4,500 fewer votes than Trump.
“Howell residents were tired of Deputy Mayor Rob Nicastro raising taxes while trying to ram high-density development into Howell,” Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal said when asked why he believed Berger won the mayor’s seat in the face of the results which gave Trump the majority of votes in Howell.
“The Howell Republicans have lost touch with local residents, which is why they preferred Dr. Berger as their mayor instead. The council is still controlled by Mr. Nicastro and the local Republican Party, so mayor-elect Berger will need Howell residents to continue to stand with her as she challenges the local Republicans’ game plan of high taxes and overdevelopment,” Gopal said.
In response to Gopal’s comments, Nicastro said, “I am actually flattered that Vin Gopal singled me out as running the Republican majority council in Howell … but his assumptions are probably misguided by too much time spent on social media, as I am proud to serve equally with many talented and capable people on the council. Vin does not live in or participate in the day-to-day happenings in Howell.”
“Time to buckle down and speak the truth … silly season is over … we must live in the present with positive interactions for our future,” he said.
“Our (Republicans’) record speaks for itself … lower taxes over the last five years, most paving done in the last 20 years combined, (we) lowered sewer rates, hired more police officers, increased commercial ratables to help keep taxes down, continued to invest to preserve open space, streamlined various departments, enacted ordinances to prevent overdevelopment, and overall initiatives to serve the residents of Howell with a watchful eye on their hard-earned money and well-being.
“Since I have never heard of, met, or spoken to our new mayor-elect Theresa Berger, I can truthfully say I am anxious to see what she will bring to the table to better safeguard our residents and town,” Nicastro said.