Incumbent Allentown Borough Council members Martha Johnson and Dan Payson will run for new three-year terms as independent candidates in the Nov. 8 general election.
Monmouth County election officials told the Examiner on June 8 that Johnson and Payson had both filed nominating petitions by the June 7 deadline to run as independent candidates.
Johnson is running under the Allentown First Committee banner.
In response to a request for a comment from the Examiner, Johnson said, “Being a councilwoman has been a delightful and eventful journey thus far. Coming into office in January 2020, my goals were to be an assistance to boost the morale of the seniors in our neighborhood.
“My aspirations were to have events such as health classes, quality of life classes, add in some trips together as a group, and so much more for seniors or retirees, like myself.
“Little did we know we found ourselves in a global pandemic, placing an immediate halt to all of those things we had wished to accomplish. I am hopeful the senior residents will gain back the momentum to make things happen.
“When I decided to run again for councilwoman, it was not a hard decision. Working alongside Mayor Thomas Fritts and the entire council, together we challenged the obstacles the pandemic had brought on our town.
“We diligently knew many of our battles were not done magically and fast as some residents and even ourselves had hoped, but we were prepared for what came our way. Yet we all know there are still some more to come.
“With that being said, for my future term, my goal is to continue to work with our senior residents and plan those events and trips. In addition, help my fellow colleagues minimize the heavy flow of traffic and help to cease some of the proposed building for the safety and security of our Allentown residents,” Johnson said.
Payson is running under the Allentown Together banner.
Johnson and Payson currently serve on the Borough Council with John A. Elder III, Michael Drennan, Erica DeKranes and Nikki Darling.
No Allentown residents filed a nominating petition to run for a seat on the Borough Council as a Democrat or as a Republican. The filing deadline to do that was April 4.
There will be two three-year council terms on the Nov. 8 ballot.
The council terms currently held by Johnson and Payson will end on Dec. 31.
Payson ran as an independent candidate in 2019 and was elected to his first term, joining the council in January 2020.
Johnson ran as an independent candidate in 2019 and was elected to her first term, joining the council in January 2020.
The terms held by Elder and DeKranes will end on Dec. 31, 2023 and the terms held by Drennan and Darling will end on Dec. 31, 2024.
Mayor Thomas Fritts’ current term will end on Dec. 31, 2023.
In Millstone Township, incumbent Township Committeeman Al Ferro, who is serving as mayor in 2022, was the only resident to file a nominating petition to seek election this year. Ferro’s current term will end on Dec. 31.
Ferro ran unopposed in the June 7 Republican primary and received 578 votes to secure his place on the Nov. 8 ballot, according to election results posted online by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office.
No Democrats filed to run for the one available term on the Township Committee. That new term will run from Jan. 1, 2023 through Dec. 31, 2025.
All five members of the Millstone Township governing body are Republicans. Ferro is joined on the Township Committee by Chris Morris, Eric Davis, Michael McLaughlin and Tara Zabrosky.
Ferro has been a member of the Township Committee since 2018. He is the longest-serving member of the governing body following the departure of several longtime members.
In Upper Freehold Township, incumbent Township Committee members LoriSue H. Mount and Stanley Moslowski Jr. were the only residents to file nominating petitions to seek election this year. Their current terms will end on Dec. 31.
Mount, who is serving as mayor in 2022, and Moslowski ran unopposed in the June 7 Republican primary and received 529 and 537 votes, respectively, to secure their places on the Nov. 8 ballot, according to election results posted online by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office..
Mount and Moslowski have been members of the Township Committee since 2008. They are each running for a sixth term in office.
No Democrats filed to run for the two available terms on the Township Committee. Those new terms will run from Jan. 1, 2023 through Dec. 31, 2025.
All five members of the Upper Freehold governing body are Republicans. Moslowski and Mount are joined on the Township Committee by Stephen Alexander, Robert Faber and Dr. Robert Frascella.