Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026
Westwood Borough Council Election 2026
2 of 6 council seats are on the ballot, with 4 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check
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How to vote · 12 days left
General election day (Nov 3): the election office's noticeThese 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.
Borough Council
Vote for up to 2- Erin CollinsIncumbentAccountant and Westwood Borough councilwoman since 2018. She graduated from Rutgers University in 2004 with a B.A. in Political Science.3sourced
- Lauren LetiziaIncumbentWestwood Council President and former chair of the borough's Historic Preservation Commission. She is a cofounder of Celebrate Westwood.6sourced
- Kristian RasmussenEmergency medical technician running for Westwood Borough Council as Democrat Erin Collins's running mate.2sourced
- Beth StaplesRetired chief of staff to District 39 Assembly members and former Westwood councilmember. She has chaired the borough's Planning Board and Historic Preservation Committee.3sourced
Voters choose up to two of four candidates for two at-large Borough Council seats; the mayor is not on this ballot.
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.
- U.S. Senate
- Cory Booker · Democratic
- Justin Murphy · Republican
- Veronica Fernandez · End the Corruption!
- Joanne Kuniansky · Socialist Workers Party
- U.S. HouseDistrict 5
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
01Affordable housing and downtown zoning3 sourced facts
Where it standsThe council adopted a fourth-round affordable housing overlay on Mar. 13, 2026, while the borough and Fair Share Housing Center dispute how many units are required.
What's on the tableThe next council will carry the borough's housing plan through court review and decide how to zone the contested downtown tract.
- The council on March 13 approved Ordinance 26-08 and three related resolutions tied to the borough's fourth-round affordable housing obligations. Pascack Press
- Under the interpretation supported by Fair Share Housing Center, 25% of Westwood's unmet need, 235 units, would require zoning for 59 units. Pascack Press
- The roughly 300-unit development at 349 Broadway and 1 Westwood Ave. remains in litigation over a related eminent domain action. Pascack Press
02Municipal budget and taxes2 sourced facts
Where it standsThe council adopted the 2026 municipal budget on May 5, 2026 on a 6-0 roll call.
What's on the tableThe next council will take up the 2027 budget.
- Resolution 26-144, adoption of the 2026 municipal budget, passed on a roll call with all six council members voting yes. Borough of Westwood · May 5, 2026
- The mayor's report says the municipal budget represents roughly 29 cents of every tax dollar. Borough of Westwood · Mar 17, 2026
03Downtown parking2 sourced facts
Where it standsThe council adopted Ordinance 26-15, adding a payment-in-lieu-of-parking article to the land-use code, on May 19, 2026.
What's on the tableThe next council will oversee how the payment-in-lieu program and downtown parking acquisitions are used.
- Ordinance 26-15 adds Article XXVI, Payment In Lieu Of Parking, to Chapter 195 Land Use and Development. Borough of Westwood · May 19, 2026
- Westwood is pursuing acquisition of part of the 349 Broadway property for additional downtown parking. Pascack Press
2 notes on these statements
Erin Collins and running mate Kristian Rasmussen are the Democratic candidates; Lauren Letizia and running mate Beth Staples are the Republican candidates. New Jersey Globe
Erin Collins is currently the only Democrat serving on the Borough Council. New Jersey Globe
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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. How should Westwood respond to the state's fourth-round affordable housing obligation?
2. How should the borough hold down the municipal tax impact?
3. How should the borough handle parking demand downtown?
4. What should be the borough's main flood strategy?
Key dates
- Voter registration deadlineBergen CountyOct 13, 2026
- General election day (polls 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.)Bergen CountyNov 3, 2026
The seat math
5 stay (not up this year): Ray Arroyo, Robert Bicocchi, Beth Dell, Anthony Greco, Cheryl Hodges2 on this ballot
6 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.
- Council roll calls list six council members; the mayor is listed separately and does not appear on the roll calls. Borough of Westwood · Mar 17, 2026
- Councilmembers Bicocchi and Dell were sworn in on Jan. 6, 2026 for three-year terms expiring Dec. 31, 2028. Borough of Westwood · Jan 6, 2026
- Westwood's mayor is elected in a borough election: Ray Arroyo won the election and took office in 2020, and was re-elected in 2022. Borough of Westwood
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