Highland Park has a new leadership team- Mayor Elsie Foster and Council President Matthew Hersh
At a special meeting of the Highland Park Mayor and Borough Council on Tuesday January 24, council members voted for Acting Mayor Elsie Foster to assume the position of mayor and complete the remaining one year in the term of Gayle Brill Mittler, who resigned on the mayor’s position on Dec. 31, 2022. Foster was one of three candidates nominated to complete the mayor’s term; the other nominees were Council Member Phil George and Council Member Matthew Hersh.
Council members also voted for Council Member Matthew Hersh to assume the position of council president, which was vacated by Foster when she assumed the position of mayor. Hersh was one of two candidates nominated for council president; the other nominee was Council Member Stephany Kim Chohan.
In her remarks before the vote by the council, Foster identified her priorities: safety, affordability, and downtown development. She stressed her 22 years serving on the council and her considerable experience, including having served on all the committees of the council.
After the vote, she stated: “I’m complimented by the confidence my colleagues on the council have placed in me. I look forward to working with them and with the residents to improve on the affordability, sense of community, and opportunities in our town.”
Hersh stated after the vote: “Strong public and administrative leadership is what we need now. We need to build and leverage community relationships to establish trust and allyship through transparency, engagement, and equity. Thank you to my council colleagues for supporting me as council president and congratulations to Mayor Foster.”