HOWELL – Democrat Theresa Berger will seek a second four-year term as Howell’s mayor and will be challenged by Republican Suzanne M. Brennan, a former member of the Howell K-8 School District Board of Education.
The 2020 general election will be held on Nov. 3.
Berger will be joined on the Democratic ticket by Township Council candidate Andre de Garmeaux.
Brennan will be joined on the Republican ticket by Evelyn O’Donnell, who is a member of the Township Council and is serving as deputy mayor in 2020.
The council term is also a four-year seat. The council candidates are profiled in a separate article.
Brennan, an attorney, previously held an appointment as Howell’s municipal court public defender. She is the mother of three children and a 23-year resident of the township. She was elected twice to the Howell K-8 school board. She is currently serving as a Brookdale Community College trustee.
“I am honored to be running for mayor because I sincerely respect the significance of the mayor’s role in our community. I believe my experiences as a mom, as a volunteer and as a professional provide me with a unique, multifaceted perspective of what it takes to lead our township.
“The knowledge I have gained and the skills I have developed have prepared me for what I believe is one of the most important positions in our community.
“Now more than ever, we need engaged leadership. We need thoughtful collaboration, courage to make decisions and a commitment to taking action to ensure Howell will continue to thrive.
“I look forward to the campaign and the opportunity to share my vision for advancing the township while maintaining the traditions that make it such a special place to live,” Brennan said.
Berger was elected mayor in 2016 and became the first Democrat to serve on Howell’s governing body in 16 years when she took office in January 2017.
In Howell’s form of government, the mayor is directly elected by voters, but is a member of the five-person Township Council. The mayor runs the council meetings.
Berger said that during her first term as mayor, she has worked “to help create a path for a better fiscal future. For the first two years, I stood strong as one vote against four to ensure the introduced budget was decreased before final passage.”
She said she is proud of her involvement in Howell’s affordable housing settlement.
“When I came into office, Howell was faced with 16 affordable housing projects and an obligation to build 1,368 units. Projects were getting passed with little to no transparency.
“I insisted on (holding) public meetings for north and south Howell where residents were brought up to date and were given the opportunity to express their concerns and ask questions.
“By listening to this information, a plan was agreed upon which brought our (affordable housing) obligation down to 895 units. Are there some things I would have changed if I could? Yes, but at the end of the day I feel I represented the residents and included them in a process they otherwise were left out of,” Berger said.
“There are many things I am proud of, but I would be remiss without including my support for Chief (Andrew) Kudrick and our police department. During the years before I was mayor, our police department staffing was being decreased as the town was increasing building.
“Since becoming mayor, I have fully supported and fought to build our police department back to numbers that are recommended by the chief to keep our town and our officers safe,” she said.
Berger said she is running for re-election to continue on a path of smart, planned, sustainable development, reining in the municipal budget and keeping Howell safe for future generations.
“There are many projects we have been working on that will reduce the number of rooftops and restore our parks. I want to see them through to completion and continue the process of revitalizing Howell.
“I am committed to continue increasing our open space to assure our town’s character remains intact. I want to continue to grow Howell’s economy by supporting the business community. All of these plans are particularly important in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time leadership is imperative to protect lives and to protect our livelihoods,” Berger said.
