Tom Mazzaccaro and Jim Sandham, two long-time Montville residents, are throwing their hats into the ring for the upcoming township committee nominations. With Mazzaccaro’s 15 years of experience chairing the planning board and Sandham’s background as a former mayor, these guys are not exactly newbies to the political scene. The June 10 GOP primary will see them pitted against a fresh face team of Daria Senaldi and Chris Fano, who have the backing of the local Republican committee.
The stage is set for an exciting showdown between the seasoned veterans and the up-and-comers. Montville, once a simple farming community, has transformed into a thriving suburban town, attracting professionals from all walks of life. Just take a drive along Route 46 and you’ll see the dramatic changes, like the disappearance of that old auto junkyard that used to be an eyesore on the east end of town. And let’s not forget, this place is as solidly Republican as they come.
Tuesday night, supporters gathered for a fundraiser at the Knoll Country Club in Lake Hiawatha, with guest speaker Bruce Driver, a former New Jersey Devils defenseman. Driver praised Mazzaccaro and Sandham for their unwavering loyalty to Montville over the years. The event drew in a crowd of prominent locals, including Charles Grau, who has a long history on the school board, and Joseph O’Dowd, whose family once ran a well-known dairy. Even Paul DeGroot, who ran for Congress in 2022, made an appearance, alongside Assemblyman Jay Webber, who was just there to mingle and greet folks. It’s not every day you see such a gathering of Montville’s elite in one place.
Mazzaccaro and Sandham are confident in their abilities to tackle issues like affordable housing mandates, a common headache for suburban towns in New Jersey. Their plan? Snatch up as much land as possible to halt excessive development, while using the extra revenue from these projects to improve roads and emergency services. Sandham believes that with their wealth of experience, they are the best equipped to handle these challenges. As for their opponents, Senaldi and Fano, well, they’ve been pretty quiet in response to media inquiries and even turned down an invite to a League of Women Voters’ debate. Maybe they’re saving their energy for the real battle ahead.
