Scroll down to learn about your Leadership Team
Catherine Payne, Mayor
2026 Mayor, Catherine Payne, won her election in 2023 on a platform of fiscal responsibility, protecting our vital open space with a 'service first mentality', enhancing our veterans services and a close community connection. Catherine is passionate about Hillsborough and will be serving as Mayor in 2026 with an intense focus on efficiency.
Mayor Payne is proud of her accomplishments: She launched a new series of veteran's support services designed to connect our local heroes to services that can empower and support them as private citizens. Catherine also has been working closely with the Police Chief to ensure his team is fully resourced (E.g., Flock cameras) and staffed by the best Hillsborough can offer to keep our citizens safe. She also voted in favor of our multiple years of a balanced budget, protection of open space and police empowerment to keep us safe.
Mayor Payne is proud of her accomplishments: She launched a new series of veteran's support services designed to connect our local heroes to services that can empower and support them as private citizens. Catherine also has been working closely with the Police Chief to ensure his team is fully resourced (E.g., Flock cameras) and staffed by the best Hillsborough can offer to keep our citizens safe. She also voted in favor of our multiple years of a balanced budget, protection of open space and police empowerment to keep us safe.
Shawn Lipani, Deputy Mayor
Shawn Lipani is the longest serving Committeeperson on the Township Committee. He served as Mayor in 2023, as he did in 2021 and 2022. Shawn and his family have lived in Hillsborough since 1972. Shawn knows Hillsborough like the back of his hand and is currently working through multiple projects aimed at protecting our open space, maintaining our tax base while maintaining a low tax rate and focusing on the complexities of our infrastructure planning.
Deputy Mayor Lipani is proud of his long-lasting accomplishments. He launched the road sustainability study which enabled Hillsborough to launch its road repaving program in 2024, the purchase of the Mindel property that protected hundreds of acres of land, his tireless work to support residents during IDA (from his live interview on CNN and his recent work ), he maintained a balanced budget during the covid pandemic and staunchly supports the Hillsborough Police Department.
Lipani also currently serves on the Planning Board and plays and integral role as a key member of the Hillsborough Rotary Club. Prior to these current leadership roles he served Hillsborough as our Deputy Mayor, Somerset County Planning Board, Economic and Business Development Commission, Board of Adjustment, Capital Planning, Tree Mitigation, and Youth Services Commission.
On a personal note, Deputy Mayor Lipani owns and operates Central Jersey Nursery in Hillsborough. He is married with one daughter.
Deputy Mayor Lipani is proud of his long-lasting accomplishments. He launched the road sustainability study which enabled Hillsborough to launch its road repaving program in 2024, the purchase of the Mindel property that protected hundreds of acres of land, his tireless work to support residents during IDA (from his live interview on CNN and his recent work ), he maintained a balanced budget during the covid pandemic and staunchly supports the Hillsborough Police Department.
Lipani also currently serves on the Planning Board and plays and integral role as a key member of the Hillsborough Rotary Club. Prior to these current leadership roles he served Hillsborough as our Deputy Mayor, Somerset County Planning Board, Economic and Business Development Commission, Board of Adjustment, Capital Planning, Tree Mitigation, and Youth Services Commission.
On a personal note, Deputy Mayor Lipani owns and operates Central Jersey Nursery in Hillsborough. He is married with one daughter.
Robert Britting, Committeeman
Committeeman Robert Britting served as our Hillsborough Mayor in 2024 and Deputy Mayor in 2023. Robert "Bob", along with his wife and 3 children, moved to Hillsborough in 2017 and are incredibly happy to settle here. In 2024 as liaison, he serves the finance committee, police department, social services, health, recreation, open space and economic and business development departments, and the lead liaison to the school board. Prior to serving on the Township Committee, Britting served on the Environmental Commission, Board of Adjustment and Sustainable Hillsborough commission. In less than one year (2022),
Britting is proud of his accomplishments: He got 206 back on track, blocked numerous warehouses, preserved hundreds of acres of land and open space, fully resourced the police department (including the Flock cameras to monitor safety throughout the town), new social programs for children and seniors, presided over balanced budget, launched the road re-paving program in 2024 and 2025 and liaised over 10 major recreation and social service projects aimed at creating a more sustainable system for our children and residents. He also launched the "Ask the Mayor" series that transparently opened the community up to what was happening in the moment.
Britting is determined to focus on protecting our way of life through strong public safety, proactive fiscal budget management, aggressively protect our open space and liaise with the township leadership on most effective ways to protect our children and seniors. Professionally, Britting has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 23+ years in multiple senior leader roles. He holds his doctorate (PhD) in Organizational Change Management and Economics and an MBA in Marketing.
Britting is proud of his accomplishments: He got 206 back on track, blocked numerous warehouses, preserved hundreds of acres of land and open space, fully resourced the police department (including the Flock cameras to monitor safety throughout the town), new social programs for children and seniors, presided over balanced budget, launched the road re-paving program in 2024 and 2025 and liaised over 10 major recreation and social service projects aimed at creating a more sustainable system for our children and residents. He also launched the "Ask the Mayor" series that transparently opened the community up to what was happening in the moment.
Britting is determined to focus on protecting our way of life through strong public safety, proactive fiscal budget management, aggressively protect our open space and liaise with the township leadership on most effective ways to protect our children and seniors. Professionally, Britting has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 23+ years in multiple senior leader roles. He holds his doctorate (PhD) in Organizational Change Management and Economics and an MBA in Marketing.