Millburn Township Committee Election: Meet the Candidates and Voting Guide

This past Summer, one of our writers, Remy Sardar, provided details and predictions about the upcoming election. This article intends to provide the most up to date information about the candidates and voting process.

Election season has been heating up again in Millburn Township, as Millburn and Short Hills residents will soon select two Township Committee members in a general election on Tuesday, November 3. 

Currently, Republicans hold a 3-2 majority, but that might soon change. Incumbents Frank Saccomandi and Ben Stoller, elected in 2023, are running for reelection against Democrats Beth Zall and Bill Brazell. Voters can choose two of those four candidates from the ballot. 

Frank Saccomandi and Ben Stoller have been on the committee for the last three years, on which Frank has served as mayor this year. Outside the municipal government, Saccomandi works as a chief technology architect for an aviation software company, while Stoller has a tenured background as an operator in private-equity and hedge funds, and co-founded the Concerned Millburn Residents advocacy group in 2015. 

Their platform, “Vote for Millburn,” focuses on continuing the work of their first term: finish the police hiring as advised by an independent staffing study, and, in response to the state Fourth Round of affordable housing, seek independent traffic studies, zoning restrictions, and larger developer contributions for new housing developments. Additionally, other projects involve plans to prevent future flooding issues, revealed by Hurricane Ida in 2021, improving safety and walkability of streets like Millburn Avenue, Old Short Hills Road, and those around the Short Hills Train Station, as well as renovations on the high school athletic fields, Taylor Park, and Town Hall. More detailed information on the platform can be found on the campaign website https://voteformillburn.com/media.

Bill Brazel and Beth Zall also both have experience with the township and government. Beth Zall currently works as a Senior Manager of Planning and Reporting for AMTRAK’s North East Corridor Commission. In town, she has served the Planning Board as Chair and Vice-Chair, Zoning Board, and Pedestrian Safety Advisory Board. Brazel, Vice-President of the Millburn 4th of July Committee and Environmental Commissioner and former chair, has a nearly 24 year career in editing, reporting, writing, and communications. 

Running on the “Democrats for Millburn” platform, they are focusing on transparency and livability. For transparency, some goals include earlier release of meeting materials, plain-language explanations of ordinances and resolutions, searchable township budget, and constant office hours. On livability, they have highlighted simplifying restaurant and outdoor-dining approvals, sidewalk repairs, and improving accessibility and safety. Other proposals include clearer signage, wider walkways, independently published traffic studies, and enforcing commitments from developers. More information is similarly located on their website https://billandbethformillburn.com/#vision. 

Earlier this month, residents had the opportunity to hear from all the candidates on common issues at a virtual forum hosted by the Millburn-Short Hills Chinese Association on October 4th. A full-length recording of the event is available in the “Media” section on Saccomandi and Stoller’s campaign website. Some subjects discussed at the event included flooding, housing, taxes, downtown growth, and long-term visions.  

For election day, registered voters can cast ballots by mail, the early in-person voting period, or the assigned polling station on November 3. To vote by mail, registration must be completed no later than the week before the election. Applications are sent to the Essex County Clerk’s office, and mail-in ballots can either be placed in the Essex County Vote be Mail Drop Box next town hall or mailed to the County Clerk.

County Clerk mail address: 

Essex County Clerk

495 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd

Newark, NJ 07102

Town hall location: 22 East Willow Street

The vote-by-mail application can be completed here: https://voter.svrs.nj.gov/mib-request

And more guidance & FAQs are listed here: https://voter.svrs.nj.gov/mib-request

Early in-person voting takes place at the Berson Family Center at the South Mountain Recreation Complex in West Orange. Residents can vote early from October 24th to November 1st. Weekday hours run from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, and 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on weekends. 

Early voting address: 

Berson Family Center, South Mountain Recreation Complex

560 Northfield Avenue

West Orange, NJ 07052

On Election Day, polls will be open from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm. Residents have different polling locations sorted by street address. Your location can be found at https://voter.svrs.nj.gov/polling-place-search. 

Make sure to Vote!