Hillsborough Committee Primary Election 2022: John Ciccarelli

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Hillsborough's primary election on June 7 has two candidates running for one open seat on the Township Committee.

Republican John Ciccarelli is one of two candidates running in the uncontested primary. The other candidate is Ronald K. Yoder, who is running on the Democratic ticket.

Both candidates are running for the one, three-year seat on the township committee.

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

John J. Ciccarelli, PE

Age: 56

Town of Residence: Hillsborough since 1999.

Position Sought: Township Committee

Party Affiliation: Republican

Family: Married to my wife of 25 years, Kim (Demko) Ciccarelli. She was born and raised in Hillsborough and is a teacher’s aide at the Whiton Elementary School in Branchburg. Together we raised two daughters who went through the Hillsborough Township School District with Sydney working as a Park Ranger in Utah and Alexa studying psychology at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina.

Education: I am a graduate of the University of Delaware with a B.S. in Civil Engineering, and also have an M.B.A. with a Real Estate Concentration from Rutgers University. In addition, I am a licensed Professional Engineer in New Jersey (current) and am a Certified Cost Professional and Planning & Scheduling Professional issued by the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International (AACE).

Occupation: I am currently a Director in the Construction Advisory Services practice at J.S. Held LLC and have more than 30 years of experience performing expert dispute resolution consulting and project advisory services for clients in the engineering and construction industries globally. I have prior experience performing this line of work at several firms, including Marsh & McLennan, Deloitte, and the Port Authority of NY & NJ.

Previous Elected or Appointed Office: Hillsborough Township Planning Board and the Master Plan Sub-Committee

Why are you seeking to run for Township Committee?

Hillsborough has given so much to me and my family over the years and stepping up for this servant leadership role is a way for me to continue giving back to the community. As a husband, father, and former President and current board member of the Hillsborough Soccer Club, I want to ensure that Hillsborough stays as one of the Best Towns to Live in America!

Do you feel overdevelopment is an issue in town? How would you like to address it?

Yes. Overdevelopment, driven by the State’s affordable housing mandates, is an ongoing issue because Hillsborough is a very desirable place to live. I plan to address overdevelopment by emphasizing that we must continue expanding our already extensive open space and continue lobbying our NJ Legislature representatives in the State Senate and in the Assembly to address the affordable housing mandate crisis by passing meaningful legislation reforms. My background as a Professional Engineer and industry leader includes experience lobbying in Washington D.C. to secure support for infrastructure programs.

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

Other issues that must be tackled in town include: continue the business-like approach to government and maintaining strong fiscal policies; expand the social and recreational opportunities for senior citizens; and implementation of the township’s road paving plan. My skills and background as a leader in the engineering, construction, and business consulting industries is well suited to help address these issues for the well-being safety of Hillsborough.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

I am humbled and honored to be the candidate that received my party’s unanimous endorsement as they recognized my combined understanding of government and private sector experience with my background as a Professional Engineer and leader in engineering, construction, and business. While I have no doubt that I have a lot to learn from the existing township committee members and professionals, I am also confident that these combined skills will allow me to seamlessly transition to the township committee and make impactful contributions for the citizens of Hillsborough.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

I grew up in Roxbury and drove through Hillsborough numerous times on my way to school at the University of Delaware in the late 80’s. Now, ironically, I live a couple hundred feet from the route taken when the Promenade was a sheep farm. I enjoy watching sports of all kinds and spent years coaching and watching my daughters participate in soccer, lacrosse, track, and cheerleading with the Hillsborough Township Recreation, Hillsborough Soccer Club, Jr. Raiders, and High School programs. Being from Northern NJ, my allegiance has primarily been to New York teams, especially as a diehard Yankee fan. Professionally, I am also a recognized industry leader and have served for more than 15 years on the Board of Directors for not-for-profit organizations including professional, educational, and Hillsborough. I look forward to using these skills to represent the citizens of Hillsborough and will focus on low municipal taxes and fiscal responsibility, sustainable infrastructure, expanding our extensive open space, maintaining public safety, and enhancing community services for the youth, senior citizens, and all residents of our diverse town. My wife and I raised our family in Hillsborough and made memories to last a lifetime. I am running to serve my family, friends, neighbors, and all current residents as well as future families of Hillsborough to ensure that they have the same opportunity to make the same great memories that we did.