an x icon - click to close the quick summary modal

quick summary

Sherman R. Taylor

Sherman R. Taylor is a lifelong Millville resident (born 1970) with 38 years in emergency services, including work as an EMT, firefighter, Class I Special Police Officer, Emergency Management Coordinator/Deputy, and Senior Public Safety Telecommunicator and Communications Training Officer for Cumberland County 911 and the Millville Police Department. He retired from public safety dispatch in 2024. His family has deep local roots—his father worked at Wheaton Glass for 50 years, his mother served as a controller for local auto dealers since 1955, and his grandparents operated Robbins Market at 5th & Broad.

Taylor frames his candidacy around three themes—Strength, Experience, Commitment—with priorities that start with public safety staffing and readiness: bringing the police department “back to full staff or better,” ensuring the fire department is appropriately staffed with firefighters and EMTs, and improving recruitment and training pipelines. He argues this won’t change overnight due to hiring timelines but says reversing long-term understaffing is essential.

Economically, Taylor supports building Millville’s ratable base and positioning the city as “a hub for business and commerce,” which he believes requires the “right economic development team.” He also emphasizes culture and communication: listening to residents, encouraging community involvement, and restoring civic pride. He has expressed interest in serving as Public Safety Director if assigned, noting his working relationships with multiple department heads and his ability to contribute in any seat under Millville’s commission form of government.

Throughout the campaign, Taylor has maintained a visible community presence—attending the Four Seasons Forum, the InformTheVoteNJ Brewery Meet & Greet, and likely the Housing Authority event—but has not presented a dedicated campaign website or detailed public plan for implementation. His communication has remained primarily through social media posts highlighting broad goals and past community success stories rather than specific action steps. While his commitment to Millville and decades of service are clear, his campaign materials stop short of offering voters measurable policy details or a durable, centralized record of his agenda. (Refer to the transparency explanation below for more details.)

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

an x icon - click to close the quick summary modal

Rating Explanation

Sherman R. Taylor

Taylor began his campaign with a substantive introductory statement that outlined his background and top priorities, alongside an active Facebook page. Those early steps provided a slightly stronger baseline of information than many first-time candidates. However, he has not yet produced a dedicated campaign website, long-form interviews, or a clearly public-facing event organized by his campaign. His appearance at an earlier fundraiser alongside two other candidates raised the same concerns about voter accessibility and coordination—such events limit press coverage and exclude voters unwilling to contribute financially.

Since then, Taylor (like Newell Branin) did take a positive step by attending the Inform The Vote NJ Meet & Greet at Glasstown Brewery. That appearance allowed for genuine accessibility and visibility in front of voters, filling at least one gap in this campaign season’s sparse public schedule. At the same time, he declined participation in the Millville Public Library Candidates Forum—the only forum this cycle to be recorded and shared broadly. While the last-minute nature of the forum makes that decision understandable, the end result is that voters still lack a durable, accessible record of his agenda and issue positions.

This highlights a larger structural problem of election-season disorganization: when neither candidates nor civic institutions establish a consistent framework for fair, public-facing events, transparency becomes piecemeal and reliant on outside invitations. In that environment, voters are left guessing how much responsibility for the information gap lies with individual campaigns versus the system as a whole.

To move upward, Taylor would need to centralize his platform in a campaign site with organized issue sections and participate in at least one long-form interview. The real benefit for voters will come not just from broad priorities, but from the concrete action plans that show how his campaign ideas would materialize if elected.

Overall rating: Almost Average — cordial and visible, but lacking detailed, publicly accessible plans or long-form transparency.

Click the red x at the top of this box and then scroll 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 for the fast take.
  2. Scan the objective sources. Check the links for campaign pages and any interviews as they’re added.
  3. Check the agenda & positions. We group stated priorities plainly to make cross-candidate comparisons easier.
  4. Read the Transparency/Accessibility rating. See how reachable and documented the candidate has been so far.
  5. Use the page as a hub. Stick to sources if you want just the facts; tap the rating/modal for context about access and responsiveness.

Where we add context or opinion, it’s to help busy voters make sense of gaps in local information.

Sherman R. Taylor

Running for:
Millville City Commissioner
Incumbent
Challenger
Sherman R. Taylor headshot

Websites

Quick Summary

Sherman R. Taylor is a lifelong Millville resident (born 1970) with 38 years in emergency services, including work as an EMT, firefighter, Class I Special Police Officer, Emergency Management Coordinator/Deputy, and Senior Public Safety Telecommunicator and Communications Training Officer for Cumberland County 911 and the Millville Police Department. He retired from public safety dispatch in 2024. His family has deep local roots—his father worked at Wheaton Glass for 50 years, his mother served as a controller for local auto dealers since 1955, and his grandparents operated Robbins Market at 5th & Broad.

Taylor frames his candidacy around three themes—Strength, Experience, Commitment—with priorities that start with public safety staffing and readiness: bringing the police department “back to full staff or better,” ensuring the fire department is appropriately staffed with firefighters and EMTs, and improving recruitment and training pipelines. He argues this won’t change overnight due to hiring timelines but says reversing long-term understaffing is essential.

Economically, Taylor supports building Millville’s ratable base and positioning the city as “a hub for business and commerce,” which he believes requires the “right economic development team.” He also emphasizes culture and communication: listening to residents, encouraging community involvement, and restoring civic pride. He has expressed interest in serving as Public Safety Director if assigned, noting his working relationships with multiple department heads and his ability to contribute in any seat under Millville’s commission form of government.

Throughout the campaign, Taylor has maintained a visible community presence—attending the Four Seasons Forum, the InformTheVoteNJ Brewery Meet & Greet, and likely the Housing Authority event—but has not presented a dedicated campaign website or detailed public plan for implementation. His communication has remained primarily through social media posts highlighting broad goals and past community success stories rather than specific action steps. While his commitment to Millville and decades of service are clear, his campaign materials stop short of offering voters measurable policy details or a durable, centralized record of his agenda. (Refer to the transparency explanation below for more details.)

This election is on November 4th, 2025



Transparency/Accessibility Rating: Almost Average

transparency rating gauge - developing
Explanation

Taylor began his campaign with a substantive introductory statement that outlined his background and top priorities, alongside an active Facebook page. Those early steps provided a slightly stronger baseline of information than many first-time candidates. However, he has not yet produced a dedicated campaign website, long-form interviews, or a clearly public-facing event organized by his campaign. His appearance at an earlier fundraiser alongside two other candidates raised the same concerns about voter accessibility and coordination—such events limit press coverage and exclude voters unwilling to contribute financially.

Since then, Taylor (like Newell Branin) did take a positive step by attending the Inform The Vote NJ Meet & Greet at Glasstown Brewery. That appearance allowed for genuine accessibility and visibility in front of voters, filling at least one gap in this campaign season’s sparse public schedule. At the same time, he declined participation in the Millville Public Library Candidates Forum—the only forum this cycle to be recorded and shared broadly. While the last-minute nature of the forum makes that decision understandable, the end result is that voters still lack a durable, accessible record of his agenda and issue positions.

This highlights a larger structural problem of election-season disorganization: when neither candidates nor civic institutions establish a consistent framework for fair, public-facing events, transparency becomes piecemeal and reliant on outside invitations. In that environment, voters are left guessing how much responsibility for the information gap lies with individual campaigns versus the system as a whole.

To move upward, Taylor would need to centralize his platform in a campaign site with organized issue sections and participate in at least one long-form interview. The real benefit for voters will come not just from broad priorities, but from the concrete action plans that show how his campaign ideas would materialize if elected.

Overall rating: Almost Average — cordial and visible, but lacking detailed, publicly accessible plans or long-form transparency.



Videos

Status

No long-form interview posted here yet. As soon as a radio/podcast/video conversation is recorded, it will appear with timestamps and key takeaways.

Overall Agenda and Positions

  • Public Safety & Readiness

    Taylor’s top priority is staffing and readiness across police, fire, and EMS. He supports returning the police department to “full staff or better,” ensuring the fire department is appropriately staffed with firefighters and EMTs, and improving recruitment, training, and time-to-field given lengthy hiring pipelines.

    Proposes/Emphasizes:

    • Rebuilding authorized strength for MPD and fully staffing Fire/EMS.
    • Shortening time to hire/train where possible; setting realistic timelines for onboarding.
    • Leveraging his 38 years of operational perspective to improve coordination among public safety departments.
    • Expressed interest in serving as Public Safety Director if assigned, citing broad experience and existing relationships with department heads.

  • Economic Development & Ratables

    Taylor links safety and prosperity: a safer city is easier to market, and expanding the ratable base is essential for services and long-term stability. He calls for building Millville into “a hub for business and commerce” with the right economic development team.

    Proposes/Emphasizes:

    • Recruiting/empowering an effective economic development team.
    • Prioritizing projects that broaden the tax base to fund core services.
    • Presenting Millville as a confident, cooperative partner for investors and employers.

  • Governance, Community Input & Civic Pride

    Taylor stresses a collaborative commission that actively listens to residents and restores a sense of pride in Millville. He frames “community involvement” and consistent responsiveness as necessary to rebuild trust.

    Proposes/Emphasizes:

    • Regular engagement with citizens to surface concerns and solutions.
    • Commissioners working cooperatively to reach the best outcome for residents.
    • Campaign theme: Strength, Experience, Commitment—bringing a service mindset to city leadership.


Background and Campaign Message

— Source: Candidate campaign statement

"Hello everyone, my name is Sherman R. Taylor and I am running for Millville City Commission on November 4th, 2025 (Column E, Lever 2). I was born in Millville in 1970 and have lived here for 54 years. My parents, Sherman and Shirley, lived in Millville for over 80 years. My father worked for Wheaton Glass for 50 years, and my mother served as a controller for several long-standing car dealerships beginning in 1955. My maternal grandparents owned and operated Robbins Market at 5th and Broad for decades. I come from a hard-working family with deep roots in this community.

I’ve given back to Millville my entire life—starting with cutting neighbors’ lawns as a kid to volunteering with emergency services. I know and understand this community. I’m married to my wife Susan, a retired Millville Police officer. We have a son, Chuck, his wife Tina, and two grandsons. I’m rooted here for the future.

I graduated from Millville Senior High School in 1989. At the end of my sophomore year I began my emergency services journey as an EMT with the Millville Rescue Squad. I was hooked, and I’ve spent the next 38 years serving Millville and Cumberland County as an EMT, firefighter, Class I Special Police Officer, Emergency Management Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator, and for the last 33 years as a Senior Public Safety Telecommunicator and Communications Training Officer for Cumberland County 911 and for the Millville Police Department (25 of those years), before retiring in 2024.

I believe I’m the best choice for Commission because I care deeply about where Millville has been, where it is now, and what it can become. I’ve seen our city at its best and its worst. With hard work, cooperation, and commitment, we can make Millville the vibrant gem of Cumberland County again.

Priorities: First, public safety. We must bring our police department back to full staff (or better) and ensure the fire department is properly staffed with firefighters and EMTs. Hiring and training take time, but we can rebuild. Second, economic development. We need ratables to grow into a hub for business and commerce, and that takes the right economic development team. Finally, a renewed civic culture: listening to residents, welcoming community input, and restoring pride in our city.

I’m ready to hit the ground running. My goal would be to serve as Public Safety Director if assigned because that’s where my heart and experience are. I also understand other departments and, as a department head for over 15 years, have strong relationships with current leaders and can contribute wherever I’m needed. With your support, I’ll serve to the best of my ability and beyond.

Slogan: Strength, Experience, Commitment for Millville. I will be a strong leader, I have the experience, and I am committed to making Millville a safer, better place to live.


Experience

Emergency Services & Public Safety

  • EMT, Millville Rescue Squad (started during high school; 38 years total in emergency services)
  • Firefighter
  • Class I Special Police Officer
  • Emergency Management Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator
  • Senior Public Safety Telecommunicator & Communications Training Officer, Cumberland County 911; Millville Police Department (25 years); retired 2024

Local Roots & Family Background

  • Born in Millville (1970); lifelong resident
  • Father: 50 years at Wheaton Glass
  • Mother: Controller for local car dealerships since 1955
  • Maternal grandparents: Owners/operators of Robbins Market (5th & Broad) for decades

Education

  • Millville Senior High School — Class of 1989