UPDATE: Former Bernards Mayor Seeks Freeholder Seat

Former Bernards Township Mayor Carolyn Kelly, who served on the Township Committee between 2001 and 2009, will be a candidate Tuesday night before the Republican County Committee as a possible choice to fill a vacancy on the Somerset County Freeholder Board.

As of Monday morning, Kelly said she believes there are two candidates seeking to be appointed to the 13-month position on the county's governing body. The seat on the Somerset County Freeholder Board was vacated earlier this month by Freeholder Jack M. Ciattarelli, a Republican.

The other candidate is Montgomery Township Mayor Mark Caliguire, according to Al Gaburo, Somerset County Republican chairman. Gaburo said one of the candidates is expected to be chosen on Tuesday night, after the committee nominates Ciattarelli to fill the state assembly position of the late Peter Biondi (R-District 16.)

suddenly vacated by Biondi, who to that position earlier this month.

Under state law, that leaves it up to members of the Republican County Committee to select a replacement for Ciattarelli on the Freeholder Board, Brett Radi, Somerset County clerk, said on Monday afternoon. The replacement for freeholder would be appointed to serve through the remainder of Ciattarelli's term, which expires Dec. 31, 2012, Radi said.

Under an updated version of state statutes, Radi said whoever is chosen as the new Republican Freeholder can be sworn in at any time following Tuesday night's Republican County Committee.

Kelly said she had served as mayor of Bernards Township twice, in 2005 and in 2009. She said she served three full terms as a member of the all-Republican Township Committee, from the start of 2001 until the end of 2009.

After that, Kelly said she was appointed by the Freeholders to the Somerset County Open Space Advisory Committee.

In that capacity, Kelly said she has been working with committee members to evaluate properties throughout Somerset County to determine whether their preservation would be consistent with the county's open space master plan. She said a goal is to make sure there is parkland and a "green belt" throughout Somerset County, she said.

"I have two years of experience working with the Freeholders and people all over the county," Kelly said.

As far as her experience in Bernards that she beleives would be a valuable addition to the county board, Kelly said she was part of the Republican Township Committee that instituted a long-term pay-as-you-go policy for municipal capital improvements. That resulted in a municipal budget that became debt-free as of Nov. 1, she said.

"I couldn't point to another town in New Jersey that is debt-free in 2011," Kelly said on Monday.

Patch will continue to update this story as more information is available.