Incumbent Mayor Gayle Brill Mittler and incumbent Borough Council members Phil George and Matt Hale won the June 4th Democratic Primary over mayoral challenger Monique Coleman and council member challenger (two seats were open) Austin Morreale by the following unofficial tally: mayor – Brill Mittler 1231; Coleman 874; council – Hale 1422; George 1276; Morreale 882.
Commentary: The candidates all ran spirited and energetic campaigns with a fierce commitment to the social and economic well being of the community. The Highland Park Planet regrettably was unable to print all the letters of support for all the candidates. We can only hope that this level of community involvement continues past the election process into a sustained effort to create a better living environment for all residents. The one issue we heard in different campaign environments concerned the quality of Highland Park Pubic Library. It is the one institution in town that could be a tool to address many of the campaign issues raised by the candidates – particularly economic development, social justice, and quality of life. We suggest that residents focus on creating a library that meets the needs of the community. It is independent from the HP Borough Council and the HP School Board and needs its own constituency to push the library to a level of excellence that reflects the quality of the residents. The Planet will be running stories about the Library – its governance, service, finances and how to become involved. We look forward to hearing from you on this issue.