Hillsborough General Election 2022: Erynn Murray

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Hillsborough Township Committee general election on Nov. 8 has four candidates running for two open seats.

Democrat Erynn Murray is running for one unexpired term on the township committee against Republican Robert Britting.

Additionally, there two candidates vying for the one, three-year full-term seats on the township committee. Those candidates include Democrat Ronald Yoder and Republican John Ciccarelli.

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.

(All of the candidates were given the same questions)

Erynn Murray

Age: 56

Town of residence: Hillsborough

Position sought: Township Committee Member

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Family:

• Partner: Alison
• Children: Sarah 21, Will 19
• Mother: Mel

Education:

• BS William Paterson College, Teacher
• MA: Montclair State University, Administration
• MA: Kean University, Principal/ Supervisor

Occupation:

• Teacher of Health and Physical Education, Princeton Public Schools
• Athletics Coordinator, Princeton Middle School

Previous or current elected appointed office: N/A

Campaign website: sensiblehillsborough.org

Why are you seeking to run for Township Committee?

Hillsborough has been a wonderful community to raise my family and I want to ensure that all the families in town going forward have the same experience. Unfortunately, what we see now in Hillsborough, after years of the same group running the town, is it’s heading in the wrong direction. Warehouses are being proposed all over town, and as a result of a lack of foresight, many may very well be built. Flooding and truck traffic will only increase. There needs to be more than one point of view on our Township Committee. I will always keep the families and future of Hillsborough foremost in planning for the future.

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

Development needs to be at a moderate pace so a community can acclimate itself and make adjustments as may be needed. What we are seeing now is a massive wave of buildings, bringing an unprecedented influx of traffic to our streets and potentially more kids into our school district.

It is all about planning and having insight into future market trends such as anticipating warehouse development. We must review our existing zoning, and plan for our next affordable housing obligations. We don’t want to be playing catch up or facing deadline deals that may seem good on the surface but result in the wave of the building we are seeing now.

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

Flooding. Even without this massive new building being completed, Hillsborough has faced increased numbers of drastic flooding events. We, in conjunction with the County, State, and Federal levels of government, working with our neighboring communities and environmental groups must tame the Raritan River and other waterways in town through creative stormwater management programs. This cannot wait.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

As an educator, I have found it is as important to learn as it is to teach. We are so fortunate in New Jersey and in our community to have an immense resource of people who have the knowledge and commitment to better our community. We have to draw on those resources and I will make sure Hillsborough Township does so. My opponents are members of the same governing group for the last 20 years. If they had any new ideas, where have they been? We must, as a community, find sensible solutions to the challenges we face.

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

Running for office is an exciting challenge for me. I challenge myself all the time whether it is running a triathlon, backpacking on the AT, or walking up to a door and talking with a resident about their concerns. My goal is always the same, be the best I can be, be respectful and always look for ways to improve.