Bernards Township General Election 2026: Joan Bannan

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Bernards' general election on Nov. 4 has four candidates running for two open seats on the Township Committee.

Joan Bannan is one of two Democratic candidates running in the general election. Bannan is running with current mayor Ana Duarte McCarthy.

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Additionally, there are two Republican candidates: Paul Humbert and Kirsten Light.

All of the candidates are running for the two, three-year seats on the township committee.

Are you running for office in Basking Ridge? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Basking Ridge Patch.

Joan Bannan

Age: 66

Town of residence: Bernards Township

Position sought: Bernards Township Committee

Party affiliation: Democrat

Family: Mother of 4, Grandmother of 3

Education: Seton Hall University – BS in Economics; Seton Hall University School of Law - JD

Occupation: Attorney – Porzio Bromberg & Newman

Previous or current elected appointed office:

Elected to Bernards Township Committee 2019-2021
Board of Health – 2015 - 2021
Municipal Alliance – 2017 - 2021
Sewerage Authority – 2019 - 2021
DPW & Engineering Subcommittee – 2019 - 2021
Environmental Commission – 2005 -2006; 2019 - 2021
Green team – 2019 -2021
Community Service – 2019
Golf Advisory Committee – 2019
Insurance Fund Committee – 2019 - 2020
Planning Board – 2019 - 2020; 2026
Liaison Friends of Kennedy-Martin-Steele Farmstead – 2019
Parks, Pathways & Recreation – 2019
Communications Task Force – 2019
Vision 2020/Planning for the Future Task Force – 2019
Police Subcommittee – 2020-2021
D&I Committee - 2021

Campaign website: btdc.org/mccarthybannan

Why are you seeking election for the Bernards Township Committee?

I am seeking election for several reasons, many of which echo those which drove me to run for office previously. When I ran in 2018, I was motivated to restore transparency in local government and to ensure that residents were afforded an opportunity to be heard. I am pleased to say, with the election of John Tompkins and Brett Hodges and under the leadership of Mayor Ana Duarte McCarthy, this past year has been marked with the restoration of the second public comment as well as a collaborative and congenial spirit among all the members of the Committee. Good things are happening. Our community has been protected from Data Centers and commercial property owners must maintain their property in good condition. The World Cup came to Basking Ridge this summer with the Battle of Basking Ridge. Thus, I am seeking election to maintain this momentum. I also want to ensure the Township remains debt-free and is fiscally responsible with taxpayers' funds. Safety for our residents, both in and out of their homes, is a priority as well. Last and certainly not least, I am interested in demonstrating, especially to our young residents, that rigorous debate of different viewpoints and civility are not mutually exclusive and often lead to the very best decisions.

The need for special needs housing has been discussed in the Township. How would you propose tackling this issue?

Providing special needs housing serves to support valued members of our community. Bernards Township is currently home to six group homes for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Township does not own these properties but provides financial support via our Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Ongoing partnerships with non-profit organizations, such as Our House, are something I would support as well as investigating other potential and innovative ways to provide such housing.

With rising healthcare costs and inflation, how do you propose keeping tax increases to a minimum?

The Township has remained debt-free for close to thirty-five years. When I served on the Township Committee from 2019 to 2021, all committee members worked with the professional staff to keep us debt-free and minimize tax increases.

If elected, I am committed to continuing the "Pay as You Go" policy. What that means, in practical terms, is to carefully assess the budget and to seek opportunities to offset increased costs. With respect to health insurance premiums, these costs are largely out of the municipality's control. Consequently, we must look for savings by continuing to pursue county, state, and federal grants. Past efforts have resulted in an $835K grant to upgrade communications equipment for the Police Department and pending US Congressional approval, the Township will receive $1.8M to remediate the culvert at Pleasant Valley Park in 2027.

Additionally, I propose we be aggressive in our pursuit of additional sources of revenue through economic development to reduce tax burdens on our residents. The Township's economic development subcommittee has been meeting with business owners to determine how we can best support their businesses. I would continue those efforts and expand them to include input from residents as to what commercial businesses they would like to see in town. Armed with this information, I would advocate for the aggressive pursuit of such opportunities by entering conversations with private entities who could best fulfill the community's needs and desires in the most expansive way.

For instance, as an off-the-cuff example, consider a Regional Sports and Wellness Hub. Such hubs are known to include ice rinks, indoor driving ranges and golf simulators, gymnastics centers, and indoor turf fields or tracks, full-service fitness clubs, physical therapy partnerships, sports medicine specialists, health-conscious restaurants and cafes, and dedicated event spaces. Discussions with the potential entities could include agreements to provide court/field time for public school teams (potentially doing away with participation fees) other youth leagues, hosting adaptive sports for disabled residents, and sports for senior citizens. Such a commercial endeavor could greatly increase the commercial ratable base to lower the residential tax share.

Looking at the necessity to meet the state's affordable housing obligation while also avoiding overdevelopment, do you feel the Township Committee has been balancing this well? Or how would you propose balancing this issue?

In 2023, the Township Committee proposed creating a Westgate Village Mixed Use Senior Overlay Zone to repurpose a failing office property in a plan to meet its anticipated fourth round affordable housing obligations. In March 2024, the State adopted an entirely new system for calculating municipal housing obligations for the Fourth Round with strict, fast-tracked schedules and deadlines. The new law also provided that if a town missed a single deadline, it risked losing its immunity to builder's remedy lawsuits. Such lawsuits are brought by private developers who seek an order to force the approval of a high-density development and setting aside local zoning ordinances.

Neither Bernards, nor any other town in NJ, knew exactly what their obligations were until mid-October 2024. Ultimately, the Committee successfully challenged the allocation of the prospective need of 218 units and entered a settlement with an agreed obligation of 198 units and approved two projects Ridge Oak and Westgate. Due to the change in the way housing obligations were calculated, the Committee had to increase the number of family units and remove the Senior Overlay Zone at Westgate.

Differently, there appears to be a misperception that another project for a massive film studio overlay that included special needs housing was considered and rejected by the Township Committee for the fourth round. This project was raised in November 2024 but did not make it through review by the Planning Board. Also, while conformance with the NJ Highlands Master Plan was a topic of discussion, it was never considered or rejected with respect to the Town's fourth round obligations. Even assuming it would have been possible to conform immediately, it would have had no effect of fourth round obligations.

Given the statutory changes and impending deadlines, the Committee adopted a plan, that may have brought more dense housing than anyone might have liked but in doing so, they avoided the consequences of even higher density housing and legal fees. Other municipalities that adopted a "stand up to Trenton" attitude, and were either non-compliant or delayed their compliance, have been hit with a barrage of concurrent builders' remedy lawsuits seeking court orders to force the building of massive projects. Consequently, by choosing not to control their own destiny, these towns have delivered their local land-use authority into the hands of state judges and developers.

I would propose balancing the issue of our affordable housing obligations and overdevelopment by proactively and timely investigating strategic tools such as partnering directly with non-profit housing entities for 100% affordable developments where towns achieve a 1 to 1 conversion rate as opposed to a 4 to 1 ratio of market rate to affordable units. I would also continue our efforts to maximize state bonus credits. Lastly, I support the investigation and potential of conformance with the NJ Highlands Master Plan. Efforts to consider conformance have been initiated by Mayor Duarte McCarthy, who recently invited representatives of the Highlands Council to present information and answer questions from residents. I would propose these discussions continue and be evaluated. While the next round is in 2035, smart and strategic planning should be ongoing and include communications with residents to keep them informed.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in the Township?

As noted above, we need to continually assess the safety of residents, who should feel safe inside their homes and when they leave to go to work, take a walk, or ride a bicycle. Efforts assessing safety and educational programs to enhance it, such as the Ride Wise Program initiated by my running mate, should be ongoing. Bernards Township has earned the distinction of being one of the safest towns in NJ, thanks in large part to our Police Department. We need to ensure they have the tools and training they need to continue to serve and protect our residents.

I also want to continue efforts to make Bernards Township a community where all residents feel they belong and are valued. This past year, the Township Committee approved the construction of a cricket pitch at Pleasant Valley Park and conducted a survey of residents over 55 in conjunction with the Somerset Hills YMCA to identify the need and desire for resources and programs. These projects and efforts serve the larger ideal of inclusion and community.

What is your favorite thing about living in Bernards Township?

It's too difficult to pick just one. The Bernards Public Schools brought me to the Township years ago, and I am grateful for the excellent education my children received from truly stellar teachers and administrators. I love the beautiful open spaces we have preserved, the public parks, and walking trails. I love the history we have honored and repurposed for art and music events at the Ross Farm and Farmstead Arts. I love the friends I have made here and the people I've met who live in town and/or who serve our community - the professional staff, first responders and volunteers. These are just a few of my favorite things.

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself or your campaign?

Yes. Despite what our opponents have been claiming, Bernards Township hasn't suffered or changed under a Democrat majority. In fact, there has been a return to a functioning and cordial committee which is a good development for local government and the residents of our Township.

Transparency matters and does not begin when you are sworn into office; it starts when you throw your hat in the ring. Our opponents, who were previously aligned in 2022 when Ms. Light ran for the BOE and Mr. Humbert served as the Chairperson of her campaign, are now at odds.

Ms. Light, during her primary campaign, questioned whether Mr. Humbert was "best" for Bernards and suggested campaign donations by a developer affected "endorsed" candidates' votes on affordable housing developments. Mr. Humbert, now claiming to be a moderate, has accused her of being "far right." Bringing the kind of chaos that ensued on the BOE a few yearsago and now appears to be returning in our opponents' campaigns, will not serve our town well. I ask that you vote for Ana and me to maintain the positive momentum in local government. We are leaders you know, with experience you can trust.