Rupert to Resign from Bedminster Committee

Bedminster Township Committeewoman Katy Rupert will announce her resignation following Tuesday's meeting, according to a letter she sent to the administration Monday.

According to the letter she wrote to the administration, Rupert has been diagnosed with a form of rheumatoid arthritis, called multicentric reticulohistio cytosis. This form, known as MRH Rupert wrote, has a significant chance of developing into cancer.

"Over the foreseeable future, I will have numerous appointments, hospital stays and testing done, which I believe will impede my ability to attend meetings and fully execute the duties of my office," she wrote in the letter. "It is in the best interest of the township that I stand down at this time."

Township administrator Judy Sullivan said Rupert was in the final year of her term, and according to state law, the Republican Municipal Committee will now convene and choose three candidates to present to the township committee.

From there, Sullivan said, the committee will interview the three candidates and pick one of them to serve the remainder of Rupert's term, which will end Dec. 31, 2013.

"That person could then run to fill the seat going forward," she said. "We are appointing someone to fill to the end of her term this year."

State law requires the Republican committee to submit the candidates within 15 days of the announcement of the resignation, so 15 days from Tuesday.

"Then within 30 days of the occurrence, the governing body will appoint someone as the successor," Sullivan said.

If there is a tie among the township committee members, the Republican committee will be tasked with choosing the candidate to fill the seat.

"They then have 15 more days to appoint someone, and they choose one of the three," Sullivan said.

Rupert said in the letter that her resignation will take effect as of the adjournment of Tuesday's committee meeting.

"It has been an honor to serve Bedminster, and a pleasure to serve with you and my colleagues on the township committee," she said in the letter. "Should my prognosis change in the future, I would be pleased to serve again in any capacity, however, at this time, my focus needs to be on my health and my family."