Mountainside committeewoman running for Council

Mountainside Municipal Committeewoman Rachel Pater will run for one of the town’s Borough Council seats this November.

“I am honored to represent Mountainside on the Council and I look forward to working with the Mayor and other Council Members,” said Pater. “Serving the people of Mountainside is a responsibility I take very seriously. I welcome the opportunity to continue my involvement in the community, and I encourage people to reach out to me.”

Sitting councilwoman Wendy Fech-Caccamo is backing out of the campaign for unspecified health reasons.

Mountainside’s elections this year have been defined by a lawsuit against the borough and its police department for a series of alleged harassment incidents committed by two of the town’s police officers, some of which involved a now-infamous sex toy dubbed “big blue.”

Pater will run alongside sitting Republican councilman Bob Messler.