Watch The Virtual Debate Here Between Chatham Township Committee Candidates

CHATHAM, NJ — The Morristown Area League of Women Voters and Morris County NAACP Branch co-hosted its second virtual debate in the Chathams in September, this time for Chatham Township.

On Tuesday night, Chatham Township Committee candidates Katherine “Kathy” Abbott and Mark Lois each virtually participated in the debate, with Morristown Area League’s President Donna Guariglia and President of the Morris County NAACP Branch Vanessa Brown, making the introductions. Jo Anne Kirk, a league-trained moderator, moderated the debate.

In advance, candidates agreed to time limits for each question answered, as well as any rebuttals.

Democratic candidate Abbott is currently serving on the Township Committee as its Deputy Mayor following the departure of former Chatham Township Mayor Tracy Ness. The Republican candidate Lois, who didn’t run in the June primary, replaced Daniel Bevere after Bevere stepped down in July, citing professional obligations. For the June primary, official and certified results from the Morris County Clerk’s Office showed Abbott and Bevere - who each ran uncontested - respectively received 490 and 615 primary votes.

Abbott introduced herself as having held three years prior experience on the Township Committee, as well as two years on the Planning Board and nine on the Environmental Commission. Abbott said she was a founding member of Chatham Citizens Against Pilgrim Oil Pipeline, as well as the Chatham Safer to School Committee, which she said was awarded $1 million in sidewalk grants for the township.

In addition to all of the above and PTO leadership, Abbott said she "enjoys working with residents for the good of the town," with her slogan "Moving Forward Together."

"That describes who I am and what I continue to do for our community," Abbott said.

She said she believes in strength in planning for stormwater issues, the next round of affordable housing and "no more surprise building locations and tax increases," which she said was related to "far-right conservative delays and the failure to collect developer fees to create an affordable housing trust fund."

Abbott said there is more dense development in the township than in past decades, with an urgency to plan open space conservation. She claimed Lois wants to cut that tax, which she cited an average household pays $166 annually for, which she said is needed for purchase of remaining green spaces. She additionally blamed far-right leadership on a "culture of neglect of infrastructure repairs."

Lois introduced himself as a "Republican, husband, father and resident of Chatham Township for over a decade," graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and small business owner.

"Our township is beautiful," he said, adding that he and his wife were drawn to the township for its small-town way of life, safe neighborhoods and low taxes.

Lois called the township and county high-quality places to live, where he's proud to be.

"Chatham Township is worth the effort to preserve," he said.

Lois said he has been an active volunteer in the township, who helps to maintain the gardens at the public library, as well as volunteering at the Colony Recreation Center. In 2021, he became the chairman of the club's five-acre municipal pool and tennis club.

That club, he said, was previously in a "precarious position with shrinking membership and revenue." In 2013 and 2014, that membership collapsed, with the club without a concession vendor, no instructional swim lessons, no tennis program. No committee volunteers at that time, including the township's mayor, renewed their memberships, Lois added.

Since he's been on board as chairman, Lois said he mobilized the volunteer program, which organized to "solve issues without more funding." The group outsourced the tennis program with a revenue share agreement with Fairleigh Dickinson University's coach. Funds were brought back in "without risking any taxpayer monies," Lois said.

Since that time, he said membership has "almost doubled, revenue nearly tripled and for the first time in a very long time, the facilities are not relying on taxpayer support."

"I want to bring this thinking and problem-solving to the Chatham Township Committee," Lois said, stating the "current Democrat majority has delivered an almost 20 percent municipal tax rate increase and a 33 percent increase in debt in just two years."

"The vote for me is a vote for real results, better results for Chatham Township," he said.

Listen to all of what each of the candidates had to say below about their backgrounds, goals for the township if picked for the seat and issues they each believe Chatham Township faces:

The Morristown Area League previously hosted the Chatham Borough debate among candidates Carolyn Dempsey, Jocelyn Mathiasen and Freddie Bicknese on Sept. 22.

RELATED: Chatham Borough Council Candidates Debate Virtually: Watch

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.