Hello!

This month I am pleased to share the first in the series of the Mayor’s Quarterly Newsletter, a summary of Township Committee municipal activity for the first quarter, along with updates and announcements from the departments. We’re committed to keeping Bernards residents informed and hope you find this update valuable.

Health and wellness are critical to a community’s success, promoting social interaction and individual quality of life. The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute announced the Mayors Wellness Campaign “Healthy Town” winners for 2025.   The winners are the cities and towns that go above and beyond to improve health and wellness in their communities through innovative programs in areas such as exercise, healthy eating, and mental health education and awareness. There were forty-five Healthy Town winners and for the third year in a row, Bernards Township is among them!

This year’s efforts placed a strong emphasis on accessibility, with initiatives such as a sensory-friendly hour before the Mayor’s Fall Festival for guests with cognitive disabilities. The Mayors Wellness Campaign is an important lever toward making our community a great place to live and thrive.  Please join me for a Mayor’s Wellness activity, “Yoga at Dunham Park,” on Wednesday, May 27, 6:00pm.

On March 12, I was joined by Committeewoman Asay and Committeeman Hodges at the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge Interfaith Iftar celebrating the close of Ramadan.  Representatives from several congregations and public office all spoke to the themes of unity, charity, and strengthening bonds with family and the wider community.

The Township Committee is actively seeking grant funding to support capital projects.  At the March 24 meeting, we approved Resolution #2026-0207, Bernards Township’s application for FY2027 Community Project Funding through Representative Tom Kean, Jr. The application seeks $1.8M in federal funding for the construction of the Pleasant Valley Park Culvert and Paths Project.  We appreciated receiving letters of support for the project funding from Somerset County Administrator Colleen Mahr, Assemblymen Vincent Kearny and Andrew Macurdy, and Senator Jon Bramnick.

We are getting ready to celebrate! Somerset County proudly launched the 250th anniversary at the Grain House, Old Mill Inn, to commemorate the beginning of this historic year. See the America 250 web page for information on local, county, and state 250th Anniversary events.

Thank you as always to those who are attending the Township Committee meetings. Upcoming meetings are posted on the Township Committee web page. Meetings are open to the public, and begin at 7:30pm, Town Hall, 1 Collyer Lane.

Your Voice Matters! You can contact me with township questions/ thoughts/ comments at (201)306-0178, or via email at amccarthy@bernards.org. Please note that any correspondence sent to me will be visible to the full township committee and clerk.

– Mayor Ana Duarte McCarthy