Berkeley Heights Residents Vote in Favor of Secession

Berkeley Heights residents voted Tuesday in favor of seceding from Union County while also keeping all of their incumbents in office.

Nearly 70 percent of the 3,549 residents who voted were in favor of the town potentially moving to a new county. 

Republican incumbents Edward Delia and Thomas Pirone also retained their seats on the Berkeley Heights town council.

Pirone received received 39.15 percent of the vote, while Delia picked up 31.81 percent. Democrat Stephen H. Yellin earned 28.24 percent of the 6,504 votes cast in the race for the two, three-year seats.

The three incumbents also retained their seats on the Berkeley Heights Board of Education, beating out challenger Carl D'Emilio in a tight race.

Denis Smalley received 26.57 percent of the vote, followed by Helen E. Kirsch's 25.07 percent and John C. Sincaglia's 24.51 percent. D'Emilio picked up 23.53 percent of the 5,509 votes cast.

The New Providence and Mountainside elections were uncontested.

Republican James Madden ran unopposed to fill a one-year unexpired term on New Providence's borough council and fellow GOP members Michael Gennaro and Robert Munoz each earned three-year terms.

Incumbent David Hasenkopf and newcomer Bernadette C. Cuccaro ran unopposed in New Providence's school board election.

Republican incumbents Glenn W. Mortimer and Rene Dierkes will return to Mountainside's town council.

James W. Ruban Jr. received 34.84 percent of the vote, Carmine Venes picked up 32.73 percent and Christopher H. Minks earned 32.22 percent in Mountainside's Board of Education election.