The Borough council is expected to appoint a mayor on January 24 to fill to the unexpired term of former mayor Gayle Brill Mittler, who resigned December 31.
The six remaining members of the council must take a majority vote to fill the mayor’s position through December 31, 2023. A general election for a full, four-year mayoral term starting January 1, 2024 will occur on November 7, 2023.
Because Brill Mittler was elected as a Democrat, the Highland Park Democratic Municipal Committee held an open interview process to make recommendations to the council for mayor. Following the interviews, the Committee recommended current council members Elsie Foster, Philip George, and Matthew Hersh as candidates for the unexpired term.
According to a Facebook post, the Highland Park Democratic Committee narrowed the candidates for mayor to 3 individuals using ranked choice voting. “The choices were sent to the borough clerk on January 12, 2023 and forwarded to the Borough Council the same day,” according to the post.
Both Hersh and Foster are up for re-election in 2023.