Milburn voters have narrowly rejected a referendum to change its form of government from partisan to non-partisan after 313 additional votes were counted for the June 16 election.
The margin of defeat has increased from 50 to 59, with just five possible mail-in ballot cures for technical deficiencies remaining.
The total number of no votes is 2,034, with 1,975 yes votes, a margin of about 1.5%.
That means the November general election between Republican incumbents Frank Saccomandi IV, the current mayor, and Ben Stoller, will face Democrats Beth Zall and Bill Brazell goes on as scheduled.
Last November, voters overwhelmingly approved the creation of a charter study commission, passing a referendum by a 65%-35% margin. The measure received bipartisan support and was backed by 4,458 voters, while 2,369 opposed it.
The same election also produced a significant shift in local politics. Republicans captured control of the five-member township committee for the first time in more than ten years after Jamie Serruto defeated incumbent Annette Romano by 140 votes. Incumbent Michael Cohen narrowly secured another term, winning by just 26 votes. Combined with two Republicans elected in 2023, those victories gave the GOP a 3-2 majority on the governing body.
Romano was among several Democrats who opposed the charter study commission referendum, arguing that partisan elections offered their party a stronger opportunity to reclaim control of the township committee.
In April, the charter study commission unanimously endorsed a proposal to adopt a nonpartisan Council-Manager form of government.
Should voters approve the proposal, a new township council would be elected this November, superseding the results of the Democratic and Republican primary elections held in June. The new governing structure would take effect on January 1, 2027.
The plan would replace the existing five-member township committee, which has governed the municipality since 1857, with a seven-member council elected at-large. It would also eliminate annual partisan elections for three-year terms and instead establish nonpartisan elections every other year in November. Council members would serve four-year terms, with four seats appearing on the ballot in one cycle and three in the next. The mayor would continue to be selected from among the council members, and no changes are currently proposed regarding the one-year mayoral term.
In explaining its recommendation, the commission pointed to concerns with the current system, including the effects of annual partisan campaigns, which it said can contribute to ongoing electioneering, instability, and political division. The proposal would also replace the business administrator position with a township manager vested with broader statutory authority.