Articles Township government
Bridgewater's Council in 2026: Appointments and Public Access, Explained
How Bridgewater's mayor-council government makes appointments; every split vote on boards and professional contracts in 2026, with each member's vote and the reasons given on the record; and the requests about remote comment, budget sessions, agenda documents, records requests and the voting age, with the answers recorded in the minutes.
The short version
- Bridgewater has an elected Mayor (Matthew C. Moench) and a five-member Township Council. In 2026 the Council is Council President Joan Geiger, Vice-President Andrew Bucko, Ridwana Isla, Michael Kirsh and Timothy Ring.
- On January 8 the Council filled the Zoning Board of Adjustment seat by seat; four motions failed 2-3, four appointments passed 3-2 and two passed 4-1.
- On February 5 a consent motion on eight professional appointments failed 2-3. All eight passed 5-0 on February 19.
- Through the year, residents and members asked for remote public comment, a public budget session, posted backup documents and other changes. The minutes record the answers below.
How appointments work
Under the township’s form of government, the Mayor makes most staff and professional appointments with the Council’s advice and consent, and the Council appoints members of several boards. On January 8, when the agenda listed two Council members for the Middle-Brook Regional Health Commission, Mayor Moench raised a point of order that appointments to administrative commissions are “typically mayoral appointments with the advice and consent of the Council.” The Council, the Mayor and Township Attorney Christopher Corsini discussed Faulkner Act case law and agreed on “a collaborative approach.” The item was tabled 5-0. On January 22 the Council appointed Christine Madrid, Ridwana Isla and Stam Stellakis (alternate), 3-0 with Kirsh and Ring absent; Geiger described the slate as a “collaboration and compromise between the Administration and the Township Council.”
January 8: the Zoning Board of Adjustment
Before the votes, the minutes record these reasons:
- Councilman Kirsh thanked outgoing members Jeffrey Foose and Don Sweeney, expressed concern about the decision not to retain Mr. Foose, Mr. Sweeney and the expertise of Chris Gabbett, and said the resumes and letters of intent of the proposed new members “should have been provided in good time.” He said appointing new members should be done collaboratively.
- Council President Geiger said the intent to appoint Mr. Franco and Ms. Rose began in good time, and emphasized “the need for a board that reflects the town’s demographics, citing several factors for the new appointments including gender, political affiliation, inclusivity and geography.”
The votes:
| Motion | Bucko | Isla | Kirsh | Ring | Geiger | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reappoint Jeffrey Foose (regular) | Nay | Nay | Aye | Aye | Nay | Failed 2-3 |
| James Franco (regular) | Aye | Aye | Nay | Nay | Aye | Adopted 3-2 |
| Kirsh slate: Foose and Christine Henderson-Rose (regular); Claudio Vescio, James Franco, Johanna Wiseman, John Colucci (alternates) | Nay | Nay | Aye | Aye | Nay | Failed 2-3 |
| Christine Henderson-Rose (regular) | Aye | Aye | Aye | Nay | Aye | Adopted 4-1 |
| Claudio Vescio (Alternate 1) | Nay | Nay | Aye | Aye | Nay | Failed 2-3 |
| Johanna Wiseman (Alternate 1) | Aye | Aye | Nay | Nay | Aye | Adopted 3-2 |
| Claudio Vescio (Alternate 2) | Aye | Aye | Aye | Nay | Aye | Adopted 4-1 |
| Chris Gabbett (Alternate 3) | Nay | Nay | Aye | Aye | Nay | Failed 2-3 |
| John Colucci (Alternate 3) | Aye | Aye | Nay | Nay | Aye | Adopted 3-2 |
| Anthony Mignella (Alternate 4) | Aye | Aye | Nay | Nay | Aye | Adopted 3-2 |
The minutes record no stated reasons from Councilman Ring, Councilman Bucko or Councilwoman Isla.
January 22 public comment. Former Councilman Filipe Pedroso said appointments should be made on qualifications rather than identity, and objected to the decision not to reappoint Mr. Foose and Mr. Sweeney. The minutes record these responses: Geiger said that in a town of 46,000, women, people of color and non-Republicans have historically been underrepresented on quasi-judicial boards, and that seeking a board reflecting the town’s population “does not sacrifice merit”; Kirsh said the previous Zoning Board already included members of diverse backgrounds and that the changes removed younger members; Bucko asked Mr. Pedroso to say how any appointee was unqualified, and Mr. Pedroso said his criticism was of the Council’s selection criteria, not the appointees’ qualifications. Resident Cathy Franco said she supported the appointees’ qualifications.
February 5 and 19: professional appointments
On January 22, with Kirsh and Ring absent, the Council appointed the Township Engineer (William H. Burr IV, Colliers, up to $140,000), the Township Planner (Katherine Sarmad, up to $77,500), the Affordable Housing Planner (Darlene Green, up to $40,000) and bond counsel (John Draikiwicz, Gibbons P.C.), each 3-0, and tabled the rest. Asked by Cathy Franco about bid thresholds, the Attorney and Administrator said professional services are exempt from public bidding and procured by request for proposals, and that several appointments were postponed “to ensure a thorough review of the high volume of submissions.”
On February 5, Council President Geiger said most professional appointments on the agenda would be postponed to give candidates additional time to respond to requests for proposals (RFPs), that the roles were primarily alternate positions and that the delay would not displace anyone serving or already scheduled for appointment. Councilman Ring then moved, by consent, eight resolutions: the Redevelopment Planner (Michael Sullivan, Clark Caton Hintz, up to $20,000); the Savo, Schalk law firm’s fee schedules (up to $460,000 general, $100,000 affordable housing and $40,000 tax appeals); special tax counsel Carlin, Ward, Ash & Heiart (contingent, “at no cost to the Township”); labor counsel Matthew Giacobbe (up to $120,000); prosecutor John Lanza (up to $80,000); and public defender Scott Mitzner (up to $40,000).
| Motion | Bucko | Isla | Kirsh | Ring | Geiger | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consent approval of the eight appointments | Nay | Nay | Aye | Aye | Nay | Failed 2-3 |
The items were pulled to the next meeting.
On February 19, Geiger said more than 53 appointments of staff, professionals and committee members had been made, with 11 still open. She said she had asked the Presiding Judge of Somerset County, Judge Gerard Shammy, about holdover appointments to the prosecutor and public defender posts, and that he advised there was no issue, though a vacancy beyond six months could become one. The Council then approved all eight, plus alternate prosecutors and an alternate public defender, 5-0 (Res. #26-02-19-060 to -068 and -074). On labor counsel, Geiger said she had suggested other firms, which did not submit proposals, and thanked the Mayor for his cooperation; the Mayor thanked her. After a closed session the special tax counsel appointment was amended to cover “the 2025 tax year,” 5-0.
March 19: the Municipal Alliance
On the Bridgewater-Raritan Municipal Alliance slate, Councilman Kirsh raised one appointee’s residency outside Bridgewater. Geiger cited an earlier appointment of a non-resident who represented a private organization as a precedent. Administrator Pappas said the relevant code had been sent to the Township Attorney for review.
| Motion | Bucko | Isla | Kirsh | Ring | Geiger | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remove the non-resident appointee from the slate | Nay | Nay | Aye | Aye | Nay | Failed 2-3 |
| Adopt the slate (Res. #26-03-19-094) | Aye | Aye | Abstain | Nay | Aye | Adopted 3-1-1 |
The Attorney’s conclusion on residency is not in the minutes LocalWhy reviewed.
Applicants and vacancies
- On February 5 Geiger said applicants for boards and committees would be required to include a letter of intent, and that she and Kirsh were drafting Council bylaw amendments setting expectations for volunteer applicants. Adoption of the amendments does not appear in the minutes through October 1.
- On April 9 Geiger reported openings and applicants: Health Advisory Board 2 and 3; Library Advisory Board 4 and 5; Park Board 5 and 6; Recreation Board 5 and 3; Historic Advisory Board 4 and none; Shade Tree Commission 4 and 2; Veterans Advisory Board 3 and none.
Requests about public access, and the answers recorded
- A public budget session (Anda Cytroen, March 19): Geiger said no special meeting was scheduled but she would discuss it with the Council. Budget review was done by the two-member Budget and Finance Committee (Bucko and Isla). The January 8 minutes note that only two members can formally serve on it “to comply with public meeting regulations,” while the full Council takes part in the budget process.
- Remote public comment (raised by Geiger on July 23, for elderly and disabled residents): Kirsh said hybrid participation would raise policy questions, including about members who cannot attend in person; Pappas cited staffing, technology and “a significant investment”; Isla said the platform matters and asked whether YouTube allows callers to speak. On August 6 Kirsh reported on a meeting with the administration that reviewed logistics, cost, platform and rules, recalled the “approximately $125,000 investment made several years ago” in the meeting room’s systems, and said “the current system continues to serve the Township well.” Cytroen thanked the Council and asked it to consider Somerset County’s experience with remote participation.
- Showing residents’ materials on screen (July 23): Geiger suggested considering one- or two-page materials and said staff indicated it may be doable.
- Backup documents for agenda items (Bucko, September 3): he said supporting documents are often given to the Council but not routinely included with public agenda materials, acknowledged some may be sensitive, and proposed investigating technology to make appropriate ones available. The Township Attorney said it could be reviewed with the Clerk and administration.
- Planning Board agendas (March 19): after Isla raised errors in an applicant’s notice letters and on an agenda, Pappas said agenda information had come directly from the applicant’s submission and that agendas will now list the applicant, location and relief sought “without including any editorial commentary.”
- Records requests: on April 9 Pedroso said his March 9 Open Public Records Act request for the Township’s self-build housing feasibility study took 22 business days to answer and that the one document was withheld as attorney-client privileged. On October 1 Geiger reported attending a seminar on OPRA requests.
- A local voting age of 17 (Bridgewater Youth Council, July 23): six members presented a proposal for municipal and school board elections. The Township Attorney said expanding voting eligibility would require action at the state level and encouraged them to take it to state representatives.
- Residents with disabilities (October 1): Geiger said she had asked a bipartisan group of residents to work on a committee for residents with physical or mental impairments or mobility issues, with more information expected in January.
Meeting schedule
The 2026 schedule was adopted at the January 5 reorganization. The Council has met twice a month, usually on Thursdays, at 7:00 p.m.; the township’s calendar lists each date.
What residents can do
- Apply for a board or committee; printed applications are kept outside the Council meeting room.
- Speak in public comment: three minutes, which the Council President may extend, with an additional minute for responses from the dais. Meetings stream live on the township’s YouTube channel.
- File an OPRA request with the Township Clerk.
- Corrections to this page can be emailed to info@localwhy.org.