Highland Park mayor resigns to spend more time with family
HIGHLAND PARK - Mayor Gayle Brill Mittler is resigning effective at midnight Dec. 31, with a year remaining on her term.
The mayor announced her resignation during Tuesday's Borough Council meeting.
"I have had the unique privilege these last 13 years, since 2009, of serving on the Borough Council for five years and as mayor for another eight years," Brill Mittler said during the meeting. "Over the past few weeks I made the difficult decision to resign from my position of mayor."
Brill Mittler said she wants to spend more time with her family.
"After much thought and deliberation, I made this decision because, while I am very passionate about leading this borough, I also care very deeply about my family and my grandchildren. And, simply put, I want to spend a lot more time with those charmers that call me Mimi," said Brill Mittler, a grandmother of three.
Brill Mittler said she's proud of the legacy she's established by creating a sustainable infrastructure in town taking multiple steps towards property tax stabilization, actively advancing downtown redevelopment, enhancing the quality of life in town, and reorganizing the police department, fire department, and first aid squads.
She said these accomplishments have been achieved working with Borough Council members and she thanked each of them for their partnership and wished them success in the future.
Under state law the Highland Park Democratic Municipal Committee will nominate three candidates to serve as mayor. Those candidates will then go before the Borough Council which will choose one to serve as mayor for the remainder of Brill Mittler's term.
No timeframe was announced when the candidates would be chosen or the council will take the vote.
Brill Mittler became a member of the Highland Park Borough Council in 2009, and served as council president in 2012 before becoming mayor in 2014.
She was appointed by Gov. Phil Murphy to the N.J. Clean Air Council in 2022 and serves as second vice president of the N.J. League of Municipalities. She previously served as coordinator for Central N.J. for Obama Jewish Outreach in 2008, president of the Highland Park Conservative Temple 2006-2008, director of the Fund for Highland Park 2002-2004, and chair of the Highland Park Democratic Municipal Committee 2000-2002.
She is the founder and owner of All Colors LLC, a marketing products firm based in Highland Park, which she established in 1990.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Highland Park mayor resigns to spend more time with family
