Hello and Happy new year!

As has been customary, I am sharing an update on the Township Committee actions that have occurred during the month of January.

On Tuesday, January 6, we held our annual reorganization meeting. Mr. Brett Hodges and Mr. John Tompkins were sworn in as newly elected Township Committee members. Later, I was nominated and voted as mayor, and Mr. Tompkins as deputy mayor. Serving as mayor is an honor and wonderful opportunity and I look forward to continuing serving our community in this role.

During January, the township business included, among other actions, introducing and adopting ordinance #2026-2592, to set Calendar Year 2026 Appropriation Limits and to Establish a Cap Bank. The additional 1.5% gained with the ordinance gives us as much flexibility as possible for future years. Doing so is considered a best practice and is recommended by our auditors every year.

The Township Committee also recognized the achievements and contributions of Muslims in our community through Resolution 2026-0139, “Muslim Heritage Month Celebration – January 2026”. Dr. Ali Chaudry and other members of the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge were on hand to receive the Resolution.

Other notable actions were the reintroduction of second public comment. During the first public comment, comments are welcomed on any agenda item. However, if an ordinance is listed for its own public hearing on the agenda, the public is asked to hold their comments for that public hearing. Comments are welcomed during the second public comment period of the meeting on any matter over which the township committee has jurisdiction. For more information on the reintroduction of the second public comment read here.

This past year, the Township Committee approved ordinances to fulfill our state-mandated affordable housing obligations. During the January 13 meeting, township committee attorney John Belardo provided an update on Bernards Township and the fourth round of affordable housing. To hear Mr. Belardo’s remarks, watch a recording of the meeting beginning at 20:21.

The Township Committee also liaises with the county and surrounding municipalities. Last week I spoke at last week’s Somerset County Business Partnership meeting “Meet the Somerset Hills Mayors” and had a chance to brag about our community and make connections. Joining me were Deputy Mayor John Tompkins, and Committeewoman Jennifer Asay, who spoke about being a film ready community. On Thursday, March 15, I participated in a meeting with the mayors who are part of the Somerset Hills Protection Committee (Bedminster, Bernards, Bernardsville, Far Hills, Peapack Gladstone). The group will be meeting monthly.

This past Monday, January 26th, I had the pleasure of joining other Township Committee colleagues at the Basking Ridge Fire Chief’s and EMS Captain’s 2026 New Years Dinner. It was an enjoyable evening and an opportunity to give appreciation and thanks for hard work of the volunteers.

These past few weeks, several residents had asked whether they needed to carry passports or ID cards in the wake of recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in nearby Morristown. In light of those questions, the township has posted a link on the “Residents” tab to the NJ Government Office of New Americans. Every person who lives in or visits New Jersey has rights regardless of their citizenship or immigration status. The information is designed to help individuals understand their rights and responsibilities when interacting with immigration enforcement officers, primarily Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers.

In closing, we experienced a significant storm this past weekend. A note of thanks to our Department of Public Works and first responders whose preplanning and responsiveness during the winter storm event kept residents safe. We encourage residents to please sign up for alerts on winter weather and other emergencies on our Bernards.org website.

The Township Committee meets the second and fourth Tuesday of the month, 7:30pm, at Town Hall. All are welcome to join us.

In addition, you can contact me on Township matters 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 county clerk.

– Mayor Ana Duarte McCarthy