Reporting By Stephen Appezzato, JF Grodeska, and Sunayana Prabhu
In continuing coverage of the upcoming General Election Nov. 8, The Two River Times reached out to candidates in the Two River area to get a perspective on effective leadership, asking each nominee the same question:
The national political stage is fraught with partisan-based divisive rhetoric and animosity. In some municipalities this is emulated on the local level, as well. Everyone seems to have chosen sides, and this makes it tremendously difficult to get things done. Keeping in mind the local nature of your candidacy, how do you plan to overcome this sort of obstructionism and grandstanding if you are elected this November?
Each week until the election we will highlight the responses; this week includes the mayoral races in Fair Haven and Highlands and the town committee races in Holmdel. To learn more about each candidate and their views on issues facing their community, visit onyourballot.vote411.org. Responses have not been edited.
Highlands was incorporated as a borough March 22, 1900, from parts of Middletown Township, by an act of the New Jersey Legislation. Highlands is governed under the Falkner Act and is one of 18 municipalities – out of the 565 statewide – that use a small municipality form of government, only available to municipalities with a population below 12,000 at the time of adoption. The government is nonpartisan, with a mayor and a four-member borough council, who are elected on an at-large basis in nonpartisan voting to three-year terms on a staggered basis during the November general election. No council seats are up for election this year.
The incumbent mayor of the Borough of Highlands is Carolyn Broullon, a pet store owner and research services consultant. Broullon is up for reelection Nov. 8. She faces Michael J. Warren, a native of Ontario, New York, and the owner/operator of the building contracting company Great White North, LLC. He served on the Ramapo Central School District Board of Education.
Members of the Highlands Borough Council are JoAnne Provenzano Olszewski, president (2023), Leo Cervantes (2024), Karen Chelak (2024) and Donald Melnyk (2023).
Carolyn Broullon (incumbent)
“National political debates have become incredibly divisive as well as vitriolic and have no place in local decisions. The notion of Blue vs Red at all costs does not take into account that we are a purple nation. This is why my election colors have always been purple, because I want to represent everyone in Highlands. Thankfully, one of the best things we ever did was to vote for non-partisan elections in 2013.
Our Borough Council has Democrats, Republicans and Unaffiliated members, just like our residents. Unlike our national counterparts, when the Council makes decisions, we act on the only thing that really matters: what is the best thing for the people of our town. We work together, we share information and knowledge, we make plans to help our neighbors, we share in a vision to make Highlands even better for those who live, work and play here.
The folks in Washington could learn a thing or two from Highlands. No matter our differences, we find a way to always put the people of our town first. No matter how great the challenge is, we find a way to figure out how to make a solution work. No matter what the world throws at us, we act together as a cohesive unit for the greater good of our town. There is an old saying that there is no “I” in team. In Highlands, we not only believe it, we are united to embody it. Like I said, folks in Washington could learn a thing or two from Highlands.”
Michael J. Warren
“As an elected representative of the Residents of Highlands, the most important responsibility is to ensure everyone’s voice is heard in an inclusive and respectful manner. From this gathering of information and exchange of ideas, together we will plan a strategy to take our
borough forward. We believe that the nonpartisan elections in Highlands represent a round table where we all sit around communicating, as opposed to a table with two sides. The goal is to develop a plan that reaches not only into tomorrow but into the next 5, 10, 20 years in the future. The challenge all of us face in our borough, state, country is to listen to each other. we may not always agree and on some occasions have completely opposite opinions, understanding that, and realizing it’s going to happen goes a tremendous way in obtaining our goals. I am confident that I will bring an open mind to all the decisions needed to govern in Highlands. I promise to listen before speaking. I am also very honored to be supported by The Residents of Highlands.”
The article originally appeared in the October 13 – 19, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
