Hillsborough Township Committee Election Results For 2020

Alexis Tarrazi
Updated ·5 min read

Updated as of 12 a.m.

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — The polls are closed and votes are being tallied in a heated Hillsborough Township Committee.

There are four candidates running for two open seats on the Township Committee.

Here are the unofficial results as of 11:54 p.m., according to Somerset County:

  • Republican incumbent Douglas Tomson: 10,145

  • Republican Janine Erickson: 9,409

  • Democrat Donnetta Johnson: 9,204

  • Democrat David Brook: 9,078

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Tomson, 39, currently serves as township mayor. He works as vice president of government affairs for the NJ Realtors for the past 17 years. His family includes his wife Rachel and three daughters Sara, Hailey and Hannah. Tomson has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Global and Multinational Studies from Rider University.

Erickson, 52, is running with Tomson on the Republican ticket and currently works as executive assistant to director of the Somerset County Park Commission. Additionally, she has 25 years of experience in both the public and private sectors in the areas of budget management and administration, program development, personnel training and development. Her family includes her husband, Jeffrey, three children and three rescue dogs. Phillips has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Rutgers University.

Brook, 66, is running as a Democratic along with Johnson. Brook is a practicing attorney, who is licensed in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. He is also an adjunct professor at Rutgers University, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy since 2018. His family includes his two sisters Sandra and Sharon. Brook has a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science from Rutgers University 1975, a Masters of Study in Environmental Law and a Juris Doctorate from Vermont Law School 1986.

Johnson, 58, worked as a Programmer, Systems Engineer, Project Manager for AT&T/Bell Laboratories from 1986 through 1999; Founder and President of the Allegra School of Music and Arts from 1999 to present and a mom since 1982. Her family includes her three sons, Jamaal 37, Jordan 31, and Jonah who passed away in 2009. Johnson has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Math from Pace University, New York, 1985

Coronavirus

Tomson and Erickson feel the single most pressing issue facing the community is the coronavirus pandemic.

Tomson pointed to the creation of a task force to help Reopen Hillsborough.

"I looked to the various expertise in functional areas including health, public safety and business. Since the start of the stay at home order, Hillsborough Municipal Services have been operational, despite the building being closed to the public, this task force will be charged with assisting in the roll-out of physically opening the building to the public as well as the rest of the community, including our schools, the library and our businesses," Tomson said.

"Should I be fortunate enough to be elected to Township Committee, upon taking office the most pressing issue will be navigating the post-COVID-19 world; namely the financial impact to our municipal budget that will result from federal, state, and county level budgetary reductions and how those cuts will impact our businesses, our municipal services and our residents," Erickson said. "Ensuring that safety nets are in place to help those in need will be of utmost importance. Municipal revenues and resources will continue to be impacted in the coming years. I will utilize my experience and working knowledge of local and county government to ensure that we are working to maximize the use of our financial resources to continue to provide the services that our residents have come to expect and deserve."

Other issues Tomson and Erickson would like to see address are "maintaining a budget that is below the 2 percent property tax cap, fighting the draconian unfunded state mandate of affordable housing that keeps destroying our open space and burdening our schools, implementing a plan for a new downtown, continuing to improve infrastructure under our aggressive road paving plan and working to create a new senior center for our residents," Tomson said.

Overdevelopment

Brooks and Johnson feel the single most pressing issue facing the community is the fixing the township's master plan.

"The lack of planning combined with hostility to our affordable housing mandate has left the town vulnerable to builders with little regard for environmental housing concerns, the strain on our infrastructure, and our increasing tax burden. Future generations risk inheriting a town overtaken by sprawl, unaffordable for young professionals, damaging to the environment, and stressed, overcrowded schools. Some older residents are at risk of being displaced, unable to afford to live in the town where they have raised a family and invested a lifetime of taxes," Johnson said.

"We need long-term planning and a vision for how decisions should be made to benefit the people who live here. I will represent the interests of the people and help make decisions that will benefit our community as well as our environment. I plan to revisit and revitalize our Democratic principles and our Master Plan for Hillsborough's development so that it presents a clearer, more cohesive, and forward thinking strategy for the future of our town," Brook said.

Johnson and Brook would also like to address mental health, creation of a community space, the environment and sustainability in the township, and governmental transparency.

Links to the candidate's profiles:

For full coverage of the 2020 election in New Jersey, go here: New Jersey Elections 2020

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This article originally appeared on the Hillsborough Patch