RockawayNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Rockaway Borough Council Election 2026

2 of 6 council seats are on the ballot, with 4 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
Early in-person voting (Oct 24): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Voters choose up to two of four candidates for two at-large Borough Council seats; the mayor and the other four council members are not on the ballot.

Early in-person voting · Oct 24

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

What the next council decides

01Data centers3 sourced facts

Where it standsIn September 2026 the council adopted Ordinance 26-17, which codifies the prohibition of data centers as a land use.

What's on the tableThe next council decides whether to keep or change the borough's data center rules.

02Water and sewer rates3 sourced facts

Where it standsIn June 2026 the council raised water and sewer rates, 4-2, effective July 1, 2026.

What's on the tableThe next council decides future rates and how to pay for wells, water mains and water tanks.

03Budget and taxes3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe 2026 municipal budget introduced in June 2026 carries a municipal tax increase of $76.59 per year (2.84% over 2025).

What's on the tableThe next council writes the 2027 budget and decides on new borrowing for capital projects.

04Borough staffing and pay2 sourced facts

Where it standsIn June 2026 the council adopted, 4-1, salary ranges for borough and water utility positions.

What's on the tableThe next council sets pay ranges and fills open borough positions.

05Volunteer firefighter stipends2 sourced facts

Where it standsOrdinance 26-21, creating a volunteer firefighter incentive program, was introduced on Oct. 8, 2026, with final consideration set for Oct. 22, 2026.

What's on the tableThe next council decides each year whether to fund the stipends in the budget.

1 note on these statements

Mayor Thomas Mulligan's term ends December 31, 2027, so the mayor's office is not on the 2026 ballot. Morris County Clerk · Aug 7, 2026

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Should Rockaway Borough prohibit data centers?

  2. 2. Should the borough raise water and sewer rates to cover the cost of the system?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted7 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.

Key dates

The seat math

4 stay (not up this year): Robert DeVito Jr., Thomas J. Haynes III, James R. Hurley, Thomas Slockbower2 on this ballot

6 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

  • Rockaway Borough has an elected mayor and six elected council members; the mayor serves a four-year term, and each year two council members are elected to three-year terms. Borough of Rockaway
  • The mayor presides at meetings and votes only in the event of a tie. Wikipedia
  • The 2026 ballot lists four candidates for two Borough Council seats. Morris County Clerk
  • The council terms of Melissa Burnside and Patrick McDonald end December 31, 2026. Borough of Rockaway

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