an x icon - click to close the quick summary modal

quick summary

Heather Garrison

Heather Garrison is a long-time Millville resident and community builder running for City Commissioner. She has been active in the PTA and local events for years and currently works for the Holly City Development Corporation on community, economic, and housing initiatives. In a brief “man on the street” interview she emphasized her belief in the power of community, a desire to highlight Millville’s positives, and a commitment to make residents feel safe, heard, and included. While this shows openness to engagement, detailed policy positions and a full platform have not yet been provided.

Click the red x at the top of this box and then scroll down down for more in-depth information and sources.

an x icon - click to close the quick summary modal

Rating Explanation

Heather Garrison

Relative to the Millville status quo, Heather Garrison’s transparency and accessibility is rated Average (Trending Upwards). She has made herself available for a brief “man on the street” interview, offering a glimpse of her background and campaign message about community-driven change. However, voters looking for a fuller picture of her priorities will find limited detail beyond these initial statements.

To move toward a stronger rating, Garrison could publish a comprehensively detailed platform on a dedicated website, host well-advertised meet-and-greet events where residents can ask questions, and participate in one or more longer-form campaign or press interviews to unpack her message in depth.

Click the red x at the top of this box and then scroll down down for more in-depth information and sources.



Suggested Use of Candidate Pages & Project Disclaimer

Note: There are a few ways to use this page. It mixes objective source material with light analysis and first-hand reporting so voters can choose their depth.

How to get the most out of this candidate page
  1. Start with the Quick Summary. Click the Quick Summary button underneath the websites section. It gives you the fast take: what we know from sources + brief analysis from a “data collector / local reporter” point of view.
  2. Scan the objective sources. If you want more data, jump into the source material we’ve collected:
    • Official campaign website (if available)
    • Social media pages and posts (if available)
    • Interviews (video/audio) and transcripts (if available)
  3. Check the agenda & positions. Look for the candidate’s stated agenda and issue stances. We try to group them plainly so you can compare across candidates quickly.
  4. Read the Transparency/Accessibility rating. For a deeper look at how transparent the candidate has been (web presence, interviews, follow-ups, meet n greets) and how communicative they've been in response to outreach, see the rating and its short explanation. This helps you understand what’s easy to find and who is easy to contact.
  5. Use the page as a multi-layered hub. If you 'just want the facts', stick to the source documents. If you want opinions about transparency, accessibility, and communication, check the transparency meter. If you want coverage somewhere in between, like interviews that range from introductory to moderately pressing, watch the interviews. Choose your own adventure.

Where we add context or opinion, it’s to help busy voters make sense of gaps in local information. Not everyone has time to be a volunteer politico.

Heather Garisson

Running for:
Millville City Commissioner
Incumbent
Challenger

Websites

Quick Summary

Heather Garrison is a lifelong Millville resident and community builder running for City Commissioner. She currently serves as a Community Builder for the Holly City Development Corporation (HCDC), where she helps coordinate community, economic, and housing initiatives—including leading monthly food distributions since 2021 that connect families with essential resources. Garrison also serves on the Holly City Family Center Board of Trustees and has played a central role in neighborhood engagement programs like PlayStreets, which she helped launch in 2016.

Her deep local involvement includes serving as President of Silver Run Elementary’s PTO for eight years (2014–2022), founding and leading a Millville Girl Scout Troop (2017–present), and working at Silver Run Elementary from 2017 to 2022. She has earned multiple recognitions for her civic leadership, including the Outstanding Citizen Award from the Millville Chamber of Commerce (2021), the Vocational Service Award from Tri-County Rotary (2024), and the Pride in Millville: Joyce Vanaman Award for Volunteerism (2024).

Garrison’s campaign centers on restoring community pride, highlighting Millville’s strengths, and ensuring residents feel safe, supported, and heard. Her long track record of service positions her as one of the city’s most experienced community organizers in this election. However, while her résumé reflects exceptional civic engagement, her campaign has not yet presented detailed policy positions or a comprehensive platform. Much of her information remains dispersed across social media and local organizations—underscoring the broader challenge of translating extensive community work into clear, accessible campaign materials. (Refer to the transparency explanation below for more details.)

This election is on November 4th, 2025


Videos

2025 Millville Car Show "Man on the Street" Interview with Heather Garrison



📋 Click here for full interview summary 📋

In this quick “Man on the Street” chat from the Millville Car Show, InformTheVoteNJ talks with Heather Garrison, a candidate for Millville City Commissioner. Garrison shares how the event reflects the community’s energy and explains why she’s running: to highlight Millville’s positive side, change negative narratives, and help shape a safer, more inclusive city. She also gives a snapshot of her background — 22 years living in Millville, raising six children through the public schools, active PTA involvement, and her current work as a Community Builder at Holly City Development Corporation focusing on community and economic development. Whether or not she wins a commission seat, Garrison says she’ll keep working to ensure residents feel safe, heard, and included in shaping their town’s future.


Transparency/Accessibility Rating: Average (trending upwards)


Explanation

Heather Garrison has demonstrated consistent community-based presence and deep involvement that few candidates can match. Through her role with the Holly City Development Corporation, she regularly coordinates neighborhood programs and public events, including the monthly “Chat and Chew” sessions at the Millville Public Library, which invite residents to discuss local issues and build connections in an informal, welcoming setting. That ongoing forum for public dialogue is comparable, in civic value, to the weekly radio programs hosted by other candidates—it represents a genuine, sustained channel of engagement outside of election cycles.

Garrison attended the Four Seasons Forum and the InformTheVoteNJ Meet & Greet, and likely participated in the Housing Authority event, but she did not attend the recorded Candidates Forum. Still, her year-round community engagement far exceeds what most candidates demonstrate during campaign season. Residents who want to meet her can generally do so without much difficulty—a notable strength in a political environment where some campaigns operate behind social media walls.

However, while her accessibility is undeniable, transparency in the campaign sense remains limited. Garrison’s Facebook page contains thoughtful posts, including one about the importance of transparency itself, yet there is still no centralized campaign platform or clearly documented outline of issue priorities and action plans. Her messaging relies heavily on her reputation and track record rather than detailed plans or policy proposals. While many voters admire her humility and her “doing the work” mentality, that same approach risks leaving others unsure of her policy positions when it comes time to vote.

This distinction—between being visible in the community and being transparent as a candidate—is critical. Accessibility fosters trust, but transparency provides clarity. In a county where many residents don’t follow politics closely and where election coverage remains fragmented, the absence of structured campaign materials can unintentionally blur the message.

Overall rating: Average (Trending Upwards) — exceptionally accessible through civic work and community presence, but limited by the lack of formal campaign documentation and clear, centralized communication for voters seeking specifics.

Agenda

  • Community-Driven Change

    Heather Garrison frames her campaign around the power of community. She says she has witnessed residents rally together for positive change and wants to highlight the good that already exists in Millville. Her goal is to help shift the narrative from negativity to possibility—showing that Millville can be a safe and vibrant place to live, work, and raise a family.


    If elected, Garrison says she will work to ensure residents feel safe, heard, and included in shaping how their town develops. She emphasizes that regardless of the election outcome, she intends to continue her community-building efforts through her current work.

Issues

  • Highlighting Millville’s Positives

    Garrison believes that Millville’s reputation can improve if its positive aspects are given more visibility. She says she wants to “help change the narrative” so residents and outsiders alike see Millville as a place with opportunity rather than decline.


    While she has not yet outlined specific policy proposals, her stated focus is on building a sense of safety, inclusion, and pride among residents through community and economic development initiatives.



Background and Experience

  • Professional and Civic Involvement

    Heather Garrison has lived in Millville for 22 years and is married with six children, all of whom attended the Millville Public School System. She has been active for many years in the Parent Teacher Association and other community activities.


    She currently works for the Holly City Development Corporation as a Community Builder, focusing on community development, economic development, and housing. Garrison says her heart is with the city and she wants to see “good things and better things” happen for all residents, not just downtown.


  • Commitment to Service

    Garrison states that even if she does not win a seat on the Millville City Commission, she will continue working to make residents feel safe, heard, and included through her professional and volunteer roles.