Chatham Mayor, Deputy Mayor Kick Off Re-Election Campaign

CHATHAM, NJ — Incumbents Chatham Mayor Ashley Felice and Deputy Mayor Mark Hamilton kicked off their re-election campaign last week.

Felice and Hamilton were both elected to the Chatham Township Committee on the Republican ticket, defeating former Chatham Township Mayor Michael Kelly in the three-way primary and then defeating Democrats Amee Shah and Phil Ankel in the general election in 2020.

In 2022, Felice was elected as mayor, beating out Stacey Ewald in a 3-2 vote. At the 2023 reorganization meeting, Felice was once again elected as mayor, but this time it was a unanimous decision.

Read more: Mayor, Deputy Mayor Appointed In Chatham Township For 2023

“We are proud to serve the residents of Chatham Township and are committed to making it a better place for all,” Felice said. “We delivered on the promises that we made three years ago, and we look forward to building on those successes to ensure Chatham Township remains the exceptional place that we all call home.”

Felice and Hamilton, who are only in their second year as mayor and deputy mayor of Chatham, claim to have already led the local government to significant accomplishments, including:

• Maximizing the municipal budget while maintaining a zero percent municipal tax increase.
• Restructuring existing debt, resulting in a $400,000 decrease in debt service while maintaining our AAA bond rating.
• Refurbishing the public bathrooms at both Shunpike and Nash fields and opening them for public use for the first time in decades.
• Upgrading the walkway from the overflow parking lot to Shunpike Field.
• Repaving almost 20 percent of municipally owned streets.
• Hiring a new full-time recreation director to improve the recreation program and increase recreational offerings to residents.
• Purchasing and installing cameras and automated license plate readers for major intersections, enabling police to enhance their surveillance capability for improved public safety and security.
• Obtaining a federal grant worth over $800,000 to build out a fiber optic data network, providing additional license plate readers with bandwidth to help the Police Department combat auto theft.

"Mayor Felice and I ran, and continue to run, on what the township’s residents have told us matter—low taxes, first-class services, strong support for public safety and law enforcement, and responsible development," Hamilton said. "These are the traditions that have made Chatham township among the most desirable and prosperous municipalities in New Jersey. We are excited to continue providing the sound leadership our community deserves, and fulfill the responsibilities that have been entrusted to us by the township’s residents."

Felice and Hamilton both emphasized their commitment to continuing to work with the entire community to address critical issues such as improving local infrastructure, preserving the township's low municipal tax rate and improving public safety.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly named Brandon Melvin as a candidate in the 2020 general election. The Democratic candidate who ran on the ballot with Amee Shah in 2020 was Phil Ankel.