Update 11/10/17 – Corson retained his seat on the Township Committee by receiving 52 percent of the vote. The 53-year-old Republican self-storage owner prevailed despite heavy Democratic voter turnout. Bond and Grubb received 40 percent and 9 percent of the Upper Township vote, respectively, according to unofficial results posted by the Cape May County Clerk’s Office.

“It all went well,” Corson told the source. “There was a lot of Democratic turnout from the governor’s race [that affected local races].” New Jersey voters elected Democrat Philip D. Murphy as governor.

Though an earlier report inferred Corson had been serving continuously on the committee for 19 years, he was appointed last year to fill the seat vacated by Jeffrey Pierson, who took a position on the Cape May County Board of Freeholders. Corson previously had served 18 years on the committee. Pierson was re-elected to the county board on Nov. 7, the source reported.

Corson’s top priorities for the new term are promoting commercial development and keeping open the B.L. England power plant. Litigation over the construction of a natural-gas pipeline has clouded its future, per the source. “We need to make sure the plant stays open because it is a huge part of our tax base,” Corson said.

Part of the self-storage operator’s plan to help spur more commercial development in the area is to work with Ocean City in expanding sewer lines to Marmora, an unincorporated area of Upper Township. Without the sewer upgrade, businesses have been reluctant to move into the community, Corson said.

11/6/17 – Curtis Corson, owner of Seaville Self Storage in South Seaville, N.J., is running for re-election to the Township Committee for Upper Township, N.J., which serves the same function as a city council. A Republican, he has served on the committee for 19 years, including a stint as deputy mayor, according to the source.

Challengers for the seat are Democrat Kiesha Bond, a photographer, and Independent Jon Kevin Grubb. Bond is the first Democratic Party candidate to run for a seat on the committee since 2012. Grubb ran as a Republican last year but lost in the primary election to incumbents John Coggins and Hobie Young, the source reported.

Seaville Self-Storage is a family-owned business that has served the Ocean View, N.J., area for more than 20 years. The property offers 24-hour unit access. It has perimeter fencing and a resident manager. The logo on the company’s website boasts that the business has had the same prices since 1992.

Corson also owns Plantation Campground in Ocean View. The four-season campground offers free cable television, laundry, and two bathhouse facilities with complimentary hot showers.

The five-member Township Committee includes the mayor and deputy mayor. Members serve staggered, three-year terms.

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