No Contest: Petillo, Young, Klein Win

No contest. Officially.

A last-minute campaign by three write-in candidates wasn't enough to defeat three officials seeking re-election in Hopatcong. The formally uncontested elections went as expected for the Republican incumbents: Sylvia Petillo won her second straight mayoral race while incumbent John Young and newcomer Estelle Klein nabbed the open council spots.

Still, write-in candidates garnered several hundred votes. It wasn't clear Tuesday how many of those went to unofficial candidates Michele Guttenberger, who ran for mayor, and Mara Modes and Randal Paulenich, gunning for council. The trio declared themselves candidates over the weekend, and promoted their effort both online and through in-person flyer distributions.

Also, the referendum to combine Hopatcong's planning and zoning boards into a single land-use board earned 1,493 "yes" votes to 479 "no" votes.

Unofficial results from Tuesday's election:

Petillo earned 1,473 votes, securing her win over 255 other write-in votes. Young hauled in 1,465 while Klein took 1,316, compared to 458 council write-ins.

Petillo's smooth-sailing win was in stark contrast to her 2007 victory, when she edged independent James O'Brien 1,747-1,455 to become Hopatcong's first female mayor.

"We've made a lot of changes in the first four years," Petillo said. "Really, we brought in a lot of grant money and I'm looking forward to using that grant money to finish what we started. It's not over. The economy is in a tough spot. There's no easy fix. There's no short-term fix. We have to be in for the long haul."

Petillo ran on a campaign of lowering property taxes and exploring shared services. She said her focus wouldn't deviate from her first term.

While Young's re-election didn't shock many, Klein's entrance could have come as a surprise in June.

Klein, who served on Hopatcong's council from 2003 to 2008, will replace four-term Councilwoman Madeline McManus, a retired borough school teacher and the council's last Democrat. McManus, who considered running as an independent in April, decided in June leave her seat due to personal reasons.

Petillo said she enjoyed her time on council with McManus.

"She really had a heart for the people and she's in touch with the history of Hopatcong, which is important," Petillo said. "You have to know where you were if you want to look forward. We didn't always agree, but I always respected her opinion."

Klein, like McManus, has a reputation for for being outspoken. Klein, a real estate broker, ran on a platform of controlling spending.

"They have to think of a way to save money," Klein said of the borough council. "Shared services would be one [idea]."

Young, in his second term, ran on platform of stabilizing taxes. He also said he'd help Hopatcong find new sources of revenue and business.

"I'm just looking forward to serving Hopatcong for another term," Young said.

Write-in candidates Guttenberger and Modes wished the winners luck.

"I just want to thank everyone who voted for me," Modes said. "And I wish the winners good luck."

"I wish [Petillo] the best," Guttenberger said. "It's going to be a tough economy and it's going to be a hard four years for her. I wish her the best."

Randall Paulenich, also a write-in candidate for council, wasn't immediately available Tuesday night.

Petillo said she was excited the referendum passed.

"Voters made a wise decision" to pass the referendum, Petillo said. "By combining boards we can reduce meetings and some of the applicants' times and money. It's cost-efficient."