U.F. elects first-ever female official
Two newcomers best Fleischacker in election
BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

UPPER FREEHOLD - Next year will mark the first time in township history when a woman will serve on the governing body. Voters elected Lori Horsnall Mount and Stan Moslowski Jr., who are both lifelong residents of the area and 1982 graduates of Allentown High School, to the Township Committee Nov 6. Each will serve a threeyear term on the committee, with Horsnall Mount earning the honor of being the firstever township committeewoman.

Although Horsnall Mount and Moslowski both ran on the Republican ticket, they did not run together. Mayor Stephen Fleischacker, a registered Republican who ran as an independent with Moslowski in the election, was defeated in his re-election bid.

Moslowski earned the most votes in the election with 1,321, and Mount garnered 1,103 votes. Fleischacker received 933 votes.

Jennifer Coffey, who was also listed on the ballot as an independent candidate, had publicly withdrawn from the race before the election but still received 257 votes. She and Fleischacker had announced their independent candidacies the same day, but Fleischacker noted shortly afterward that he would instead support Moslowski.

When asked what, if anything, she will do to bring the divided town together, Horsnall Mount replied, "Communication."

"It is a critical tool that must be utilized," she said.

Horsnall Mount continued, "I believe all points of view and ideas deserve the opportunity to be heard with an open mind. The committee must weigh the pros and cons of each topic and clearly communicate their impact or benefit to the residents."

Mount said she plans to work with anyone who is truly committed to keeping Upper Freehold Township rural and affordable.

"That is the platform that I ran on and that my constituents support," she said.

Mount will join her brother-in-law, Committeeman David Reed, on the dais in January. Her father, David Horsnall, also served on the Township Committee for 12 years but decided not to seek re-election in 2005.

Mount said her priorities for next year include managing growth and developing a master plan that the community as a whole will support. She also said she will focus on helping manage commuter and heavy truck traffic in the township, as well as supporting emergency services with the development of a comprehensive emergency services plan.

Mount said she is grateful for the support that she received in the election.

According to the election results, Mount lost in the largest voting district in town, District 4, which includes the Four Seasons active-adult community, but won in all the other districts. She received 194 votes in District 4, whereas Moslowski received 494 votes in that district and Fleischacker earned 463 votes.

When asked why he thought he did so well in District 4, Fleischacker replied, "Why I did so well in one district compared to the others is irrelevant. The election was won and lost by the total number of votes."

Fleischacker said that it's too early for him to tell if he will remain involved in township affairs. He added that he does not currently have plans to run for re-election in the future.

Moslowski did not respond to questions about the election prior to press time.

He and Horsnall Mount will join Reed and Committeemen Robert Faber and Stephen Alexander on the Township Committee at the first meeting of the governing body next year.

Although Alexander, who was first elected to office in 2003, will be the senior member of the committee, he is a relative newcomer to the township when compared to the others who will comprise the new governing body. Alexander moved to Upper Freehold in 2000.