Mine Hill Township operates under the “Mayor-Council Plan” of the Optional Municipal Charter Law, also known as the Faulker Act of 1950. The Mayor-Council Plan is modeled after the federal and state governments, consisting of two separate and co-equal power centers directly elected by the people: the Mayor as chief executive, and the Council as the municipal legislature.
From Left: Councilwoman Kristine Kanzenbach; Councilman Bret Coranato; Councilwoman Jerilyn Marino; Council President Fred Willis; Councilwoman Debbie Giordano; Mayor Sam Morris.
Meet the Mayor:
Mayor Sam Morris has been a resident of Mine Hill since 1995. He and his wife Nancy have 2 children, Zack and Sarah. Sarah attends Dover High School and Zack is in college.
A native of Delaware, Sam has been a New Jersey Resident since 1989. He is a graduate of Rutger’s-Newark in 1994 with a B. A. in American History, and received his Certified Public Manager designation, also from Rutgets, in 2018. Sam serves the Township as a full-time Mayor; he previously worked in the medical IT and insurance industries.
Sam has been President of the Mine Hill Educational Foundation since 1993. In 2012, Sam was awarded Governor Christie’s Jefferson Award for Volunteerism for his volunteer and charitable work in Mine Hill. Sam enjoys sports and cars in his recreational time. He is an avid Phillies and Eagles fan.
Sam’s major policy initiatives are governmental transparency and accountability; fiscal stability; debt reduction; pay-as-you-go financial policy; property maintenance; expansion of sewers and the municipal tax base; improvement and expansion of recreational space; and improvement of quality of life in our tight-knit community.
Feel free to contact the Mayor. He welcomes the opportunity to help in any way he can. He can be contacted by calling Town Hall at 973-366-9031. You can also email the Mayor at MayorSamMorris@MineHill.com.
Meet the Council:
Councilman Bret Coranato is a lifelong resident of Mine Hill, and currently resides on Route 46 with his wife, Nancy, and their two daughters, Alisha and Christina. Bret is the Council Liaison for the Board of Education, the Senior Citizens’ Good Years Club, and the Interlocal Services Committee. In the past he has also served on the Mine Hill Recreation Commission and Mine Hill Beach Committee and as co-chairman of the Mine Hill Day Committee. Bret is also a youth leader for junior and senior high students at Grace Church in Netcong. When not running his home improvement company, Bret enjoys coaching his daughter’s soccer team and running. Bret can be reached at BCoranato@MineHill.com.
Councilwoman Debbie Giordano was appointed to the Council in October of 2017 and re-elected the following November. She has been a resident of Mine Hill since 1997. She is a nurse currently working has Regional Clinical Reimbursement Specialist with Alaris Health. She enjoys adventures with her grandchildren, camping, the Outer Banks, kayaking, gardening, and cooking. She serves as the Council liaison to the Wharton/Mine Hill Police Department, and also serves as a Deputy OEM Coordinator. Debbie can be reached at DGiordano@MineHill.com.
Councilwoman Kristine Kanzenbach has been a resident of Mine Hill since 2001, and currently resides on Frank Street; Kris has been a member of the Council since 2009, and currently serves as Council Liaison to the First Aid Squad, Senior Citizens’ Good Years Club, Community Committee and the Community Development Profit Sharing Committee. When not working as a Systems Analyst at Schindler (previously Westinghouse Elevator), Kris enjoys playing volleyball, gardening, home improvements, puzzles and mysteries, and visiting with her children and grandchildren. Kris can be reached at KKanzenbach@MineHill.com.
Councilman Fred Willis was elected to the Council in 2011, and serves as Council Liaison to the Planning Board. A lifelong resident of Morris County, Fred has lived in Mine Hill with his wife, Karen, since 1995 and is self employed as a contractor. Fred can be reached at FWillis@MineHill.com.
Councilwoman Jerilyn “Jeri” Marino was appointed to the Council on July 1, 2021 and currently serves as council liaison to the Community Committee. She has been a resident of Mine Hill since November 2008, residing with her husband, Russ, on West Randolph Avenue. She’s worked in the corporate hospitality industry for over thirty years. She currently volunteers on a crisis response team for JBWS, assisting victims of domestic violence and volunteers as a mentor, inventory control manager and foster committee member for Eleventh Hour Rescue. Jerilyn enjoys cooking, photography, antiquing with her husband and hanging with her “pack” and foster dogs. Jerilyn can be reached at jmarino@minehill.com.