Dear Editor:
If you have watched flood waters rise during these more frequent unprecedented storms and worried about your home, then join me and vote for Chris Russo for County Commissioner on November 3.
In August 2011 during Hurricane Irene, the Lake Hiawatha section of Parsippany suffered disastrous flooding when the Rockaway River overflowed and breached a retaining wall. Water rushed into the neighborhood flooding about 500 homes. Denville, and many towns, suffered considerably as well.
In 2021, as now, Lake Hiawatha’s vulnerability to the Rockaway River overflows was stressed again when Hurricane Ida struck. The Hills of Troy neighborhood saw record flooding from the Troy Brook during Hurricane Ida. Storm surges combined with increased runoff from development flooded backyards and homes depositing trash and silt.
The occurrences of flooding are increasing and will become more significant in Morris County. Hurricane Ida was disastrous for many municipalities in New Jersey costing the state about $75 billion. Let that sink in.
In December 2023, water poured into homes along Pompton Plains. Families who have flooded more times than they can count are still waiting for help. The county identifies these homes in its 2025 hazard mitigation plan. 1,060 Morris County homes have a history of repeat flooding and experience damages and other related costs regularly. In Lincoln Park, Pequannock and Denville, only 100 properties have been bought out or elevated. Many residents live from storm to storm bracing themselves for potential damages.
Voters made flood protection a priority of the Open Space Trust Fund. In 2025, Morris County residents voted to utilize funds to maintain and protect preserved land. Yet, the Morris County Commissioners didn’t honor that vote, thereby failing to utilize those funds and further contributing to flooding across the county. The county’s open space tax does not allocate any funds for flood buyouts, yet the county sits on a $77.4 million surplus. Furthermore, despite the 2025 vote, the Commissioners continue to levy a tax rate of 5/8 of a cent for open space, a rate that has not changed since 2021 – 5 years with no change; 53 years of this same “leadership.”
As coastal flooding increases for New Jersey, Morris County’s riverine towns will face these increases too. Increased flood mitigation awareness and restoring funds is essential. We need a leader on the commissioner board that will work for the voters of Morris County, not for their party. We need a leader who is willing to challenge the status quo to move the county forward. Republicans have controlled the commissioner board since 1973 and it’s high time we elect someone that will be a champion for our environment and for our communities.
Chris Russo understands the urgency. He has committed to restoring flood mitigation funding, expanding buyouts for the families on that list, and reporting progress town by town for full transparency. Chris is the kind of leader Morris County deserves.
Please join me in supporting Chris Russo for County Commissioner on November 3rd.
Judy Hernandez
Parsippany
