WhartonNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Wharton Mayor & Borough Council Election 2026

2 of 6 council seats are on the ballot, with 6 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 one of two candidates for mayor and up to two of four candidates for two at-large Borough Council seats; 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.

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

What the next council decides

01Affordable housing and PILOT tax deals4 sourced facts

Where it standsIn July 2026 the council approved, 5-1, a tax exemption and payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement with Pillar Wharton Inc., which the borough's redevelopment attorney said secures 11 affordable units.

What's on the tableThe next council decides whether to grant PILOT agreements for future projects and how to use the payments.

02Columbia Street Park3 sourced facts

Where it standsRebuilding Columbia Street Park is waiting on a $4 million federal grant; the mayor said in June that if the grant is not secured, the money would go in next year's budget.

What's on the tableThe next council decides how and when to pay for the park.

03Budget and borrowing3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council adopted the 2026 budget 6-0 in April; the CFO described a 1.01% rate increase and said the borough has been debt-free for over 20 years.

What's on the tableThe next council writes the 2027 budget and decides whether to keep paying for projects without borrowing.

04Downtown parking3 sourced facts

Where it standsA 67-space municipal lot on Pine Street is under construction, and in September the council took up buying the Santander Bank property for more parking.

What's on the tableThe next council will oversee the parking projects and the planned change on Main Street.

05State housing and zoning rules3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council passed a resolution opposing state bill S-1836, and the Planning Board is updating the borough's master plan.

What's on the tableThe next council will review the updated master plan and respond to state zoning proposals.

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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 Wharton grant tax exemptions (PILOT agreements) to affordable housing projects like Pillar Wharton?

  2. 2. Should the council formally oppose state bills that bypass local planning, such as S-1836?

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 voted4 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): Marisa Gonzalez, Jennifer Hobbs, Nicole Wickenheisser, Thomas Yeager2 on this ballot

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

  • Wharton uses the borough form of government: a mayor elected to a four-year term and six council members elected at-large to staggered three-year terms. Wikipedia
  • The mayor presides at meetings and votes only in the event of a tie. Wikipedia
  • The 2026 ballot lists two candidates for mayor and four candidates for two Borough Council seats. Morris County Clerk
  • The mayor's term and the council terms of Vincent Binkoski and Ana Jones end December 31, 2026. Morris County Clerk · Aug 7, 2026

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