BEDMINSTER TWP. – Township Committeeman R. Colin Hickey has been endorsed by the Bedminster Republican Municipal Committee (RMC) to run in this year’s Tuesday, June 2 Republican primary election.
Hickey, who lives on Desiree Court, was chosen following the RMC’s candidate screenings on Wednesday, March 12, at the Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club, 811 Rattlesnake Bridge Road.
He was the only Republican candidate to screen.
He is serving his ninth year on the committee. Should he win in November, he will serve his fourth, three-year term on the dais.
No Democrat to date has publicly announced. The primary filing deadline is 4 p.m. is Monday, March 23.
On Monday, March 16, Hickey said “I sincerely want to thank the Bedminster RMC for the faith they have placed in me, and the opportunity to serve the people of Bedminster, which I do not take for granted.”
He said that, if re-elected, “I will continue to work diligently on behalf of all our residents to keep Bedminster affordable and deliver the services that make our town exceptional.”
According to RMC Chair Steve Parker, Hickey “has distinguished himself with his work with Bedminster’s utility providers to secure investments in, and upgrades to, our local infrastructure.”
According to Parker, Hickey’s “work on the annual budget has ensured that Bedminster is consistently the low tax leader in all of Somerset County.”
Hickey will appear on the primary ballot under the Somerset County Republican Organization label, endorsed by the Bedminster Republican Municipal Committee. Early voting begins May 26 through May 31.
Sole Expiration
Hickey’s is the sole seat expiring this year on the five-member, all-Republican dais.
Hickey was appointed in August 2017 to replace Ken Olsen, who resigned that July. He was then elected to his first full three-year term that November, then again in 2020 and 2023.
He was a member, then chair, of the Bedminster Environmental Commission prior to that appointment.
In a Monday, Feb. 23 email, he said he’s running “to extend the gains we’ve made in a number of key areas, including upgrades to our water, electrical and communications infrastructure.”
In addition, he said Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) “just completed a major upgrade both in the Hills and to the circuits that feed Bedminster, and our cable and telecom providers have begun the process of installing Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH), which I will continue to push to completion if re-elected.”
Hickey said he’d also like to “continue to leverage my tech background to deliver cost savings, improved efficiencies and new services to our residents.
“Over the course of my last three terms, we’ve delivered improvements including a new website, a new notification system (Bedminster Alert), a new online construction portal (SDL), hybrid meetings via Zoom, new payment systems, new security measures and enhanced back-end systems.
“Most recently, we are embracing AI (artificial intelligence) as a means of optimizing costs and gaining efficiencies – our recently announced partnerships with Blue Voice (police policies) and Edwin (cash management) are but two examples.
“We all know low taxes are Job 1 here in Bedminster, so we will look at any opportunity to wring cost out of our financials so as to keep our small town affordable.”
Hickey said he would also like to continue to “play a role in how we preserve Bedminster while maintaining our commercial corridor – yes, the two are compatible and not mutually exclusive.
“We’ve welcomed Fresh Pet’s new corporate headquarters over the past year, and AT&T continues to be a major employer right across the street. But more work remains to be done, particularly as it relates to the disposition of the old AT&T campus and how we attract and retain new high tech and life sciences businesses to Bedminster.
“In addition, I have been part of the Mayor’s initiative on revitalizing our downtown business districts in both Bedminster and Pluckemin Villages, and look forward to remaining part of those efforts.”
There was also “more work to be done to deliver a great sense of community to our residents.
“This year alone we have a bigger and better Farmers Market planned, a new community garden and new and improved parks.
“All this takes time and effort from a dedicated group of volunteers. I’m excited for the future and hope to remain part of the team,” he said.
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in The Bernardsville News.