On January 13, 2025, Heather Cheesman officially became a Commissioner on the Bordentown City Board of Commissioners.
This happened after she won the Special Municipal Election held on November 5, 2024.
The election was necessary because longtime Commissioner Jim Lynch resigned in March 2024, which left a vacancy on the board.
Cheesman has lived in Bordentown her whole life and has extensive experience in public service, so she was chosen to fill the role.
When Lynch resigned, the city had to follow New Jersey law, which required the remaining board members to temporarily appoint someone to the position.
At that time, Mayor Jennifer Sciortino and Deputy Mayor Joe Myers selected Cheesman for the job, and she was sworn in on March 11, 2024.
However, the law also required the position to be decided permanently through a Special Election in November.
When the election came around, Cheesman ran as a non-partisan candidate and won, showing that the people of Bordentown trusted her to take on this important responsibility.
During the swearing-in ceremony on January 13, State Senator Troy Singleton led the proceedings.
He shared how much he admired Cheesman’s commitment to the community and how honored he was to officially welcome her back to the Board of Commissioners.
Like many others in Bordentown, Singleton knows Cheesman as someone who works hard and puts the city first.
Since Cheesman has spent much of her life serving others, her new role as Commissioner is a natural fit.
In 2009, she served as Deputy Mayor and Director of Revenue and Finance, where she managed the city’s finances and helped make key decisions about its future.
Later, she joined the Bordentown Regional School District Board of Education, helping improve the local schools.
More recently, she joined the city’s Planning Board, but stepping into the Commissioner role meant she had to leave that position so she could focus fully on her new responsibilities.
When it comes to her career outside of city leadership, Cheesman has also done a lot to help others.
She started as a teacher in New Jersey’s juvenile justice system, guiding young people toward a better future.
After that, she worked for over 15 years at the Burlington County Clerk’s Office, where she became Chief of Staff and later Deputy County Clerk.
Most recently, in December 2023, she began a new job as Director of Payroll at Capital Health System, showing her ability to handle big responsibilities while still staying connected to the community.
As Commissioner of Public Safety and Affairs, Cheesman plans to make Bordentown safer and stronger.
She wants to build on the city’s community policing programs and support its two firehouses.
By finding new ways to strengthen these organizations, Cheesman wants to make sure they can keep providing the services Bordentown depends on.
Now, as she takes on this role, she is ready to work hard to make Bordentown an even better place to live.