Montclair’s Brendan Gill Sworn In For New Term As County Commissioner

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A lifelong Montclair resident has officially kicked off another term on the Essex County Board of Commissioners.

Brendan Gill was sworn in last week at the commissioner board’s annual reorganization meeting. It will be his fifth term in office.

Gill, a Democratic Party member, emerged victorious in last November’s general election, nailing down an at-large seat on the board with 68,764 votes.

He was first elected in 2011 as the commissioner in District 5, which includes Belleville, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Montclair and Nutley. Gill captured an at-large seat in 2014, and now represents all 22 municipalities in the county.

Gill served as president of the board from 2018-2021, and has served as president of the New Jersey Association of Counties. He currently serves as chair of the Essex County Anti-Gun Violence Committee.

In recent years, Gill has been a staunch advocate of the Essex-Hudson Greenway, a new state park that will connect eight North Jersey towns with a huge hiking/biking pathway. Read More: Essex-Hudson Greenway Takes Leap Forward (Here's Where It Will Begin)

He currently lives in Montclair with his wife, New Jersey Assemblywoman Alixon Collazos-Gill, and their two children.

“I am so proud to be part of running a county that balances fiscal responsibility to our tax payers with the investments in our parks, infrastructure and delivery of services that ensure the quality of life our residents expect and deserve,” Gill said.

“I am so honored and grateful to be given this opportunity to continue serving the people and county of Essex,” he added.

The Essex County Board Of County Commissioners has several powers, including approval of the annual operating and capital budgets (property taxes in New Jersey are made up of three parts: school, municipal and county). Other powers include passing ordinances and resolutions, overriding a veto of the county executive and conducting investigations.

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