Candidate Comparison

Compare the candidates issue by issue

Every entry below is a direct excerpt from what a candidate submitted to Across the Ballot. Where a candidate did not respond, the cell says so. No position is inferred, ranked, or scored.

Samantha Hand

Democrat

Interview Response Received

Rob Movshin

Republican

No Response Received

Catherine Payne

Republican

No Response Received

Meghann Valeo

Democrat

Interview Response Received

How to read this table

A cell contains either a candidate-provided quotation or the label “No response received through Across the Ballot”. A non-response means Across the Ballot has no sourced statement from that candidate on that issue. It does not mean the candidate has no position. Campaign-stated themes for candidates who did not complete the interview are listed separately on each candidate profile and labeled as campaign material.

Candidate positions by issue for the 2026 Hillsborough Township Committee election
Issue	Samantha Hand	Rob Movshin	Catherine Payne	Meghann Valeo
Taxes	“Families are dealing with increasing property taxes and everyday costs… Residents deserve confidence that every municipal dollar is being used responsibly.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)	No response received through Across the Ballot	No response received through Across the Ballot	“Families are dealing with increasing property taxes and everyday costs… Residents deserve confidence that every municipal dollar is being used responsibly.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Municipal Budget	“We want stronger long-term financial planning, careful examination of spending, greater transparency in the budget process, and aggressive pursuit of grants and shared-service opportunities that can reduce pressure on local taxpayers.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)	No response received through Across the Ballot	No response received through Across the Ballot	“We want stronger long-term financial planning, careful examination of spending, greater transparency in the budget process, and aggressive pursuit of grants and shared-service opportunities that can reduce pressure on local taxpayers.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Development	“We support responsible, thoughtful growth, not growth simply for the sake of growth… Residents also deserve meaningful opportunities to understand major projects and provide input early in the process.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)	No response received through Across the Ballot	No response received through Across the Ballot	“We support responsible, thoughtful growth, not growth simply for the sake of growth… Residents also deserve meaningful opportunities to understand major projects and provide input early in the process.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Public Safety	“We will continue supporting our emergency responders, seniors, families, and community organizations that make Hillsborough a desirable and safe place to live.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)	No response received through Across the Ballot	No response received through Across the Ballot	“We will continue supporting our emergency responders, seniors, families, and community organizations that make Hillsborough a desirable and safe place to live.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Roads	“We need to consider traffic, roads, drainage, flooding, emergency services, schools, environmental impacts, open space, infrastructure capacity, and the financial implications for taxpayers.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)	No response received through Across the Ballot	No response received through Across the Ballot	“We need to consider traffic, roads, drainage, flooding, emergency services, schools, environmental impacts, open space, infrastructure capacity, and the financial implications for taxpayers.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Parks	“Where possible, improvements should be supported through collaboration with Somerset County, open-space funding, grants, partnerships, sponsorships, and other funding sources so that the entire burden does not fall on local taxpayers.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)	No response received through Across the Ballot	No response received through Across the Ballot	“Where possible, improvements should be supported through collaboration with Somerset County, open-space funding, grants, partnerships, sponsorships, and other funding sources so that the entire burden does not fall on local taxpayers.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Recreation	“Most importantly, residents should have a meaningful voice in determining which investments are most needed.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)	No response received through Across the Ballot	No response received through Across the Ballot	“Most importantly, residents should have a meaningful voice in determining which investments are most needed.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Affordable Housing	No response received through Across the Ballot	No response received through Across the Ballot	No response received through Across the Ballot	No response received through Across the Ballot
Economic Development	“Expanding our commercial tax base can help reduce the disproportionate burden placed on residential taxpayers, but new development must make sense for the location and community.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)	No response received through Across the Ballot	No response received through Across the Ballot	“Expanding our commercial tax base can help reduce the disproportionate burden placed on residential taxpayers, but new development must make sense for the location and community.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Transparency	“Hillsborough deserves leadership that is accountable, transparent, and focused on affordability for the people who live here.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)	No response received through Across the Ballot	No response received through Across the Ballot	“Hillsborough deserves leadership that is accountable, transparent, and focused on affordability for the people who live here.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Community Engagement	“We believe elected officials should be accessible not only when they are campaigning, but throughout their entire term with hosting town halls and community forums.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)	No response received through Across the Ballot	No response received through Across the Ballot	“We believe elected officials should be accessible not only when they are campaigning, but throughout their entire term with hosting town halls and community forums.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Infrastructure	“The township must also address infrastructure, public safety, recreation, and other essential services… [including] improving long-term financial planning, identifying efficiencies, pursuing county, state, and federal funding whenever possible.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)	No response received through Across the Ballot	No response received through Across the Ballot	“The township must also address infrastructure, public safety, recreation, and other essential services… [including] improving long-term financial planning, identifying efficiencies, pursuing county, state, and federal funding whenever possible.” Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)

Taxes

Samantha Hand: “Families are dealing with increasing property taxes and everyday costs… Residents deserve confidence that every municipal dollar is being used responsibly.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Rob Movshin: No response received through Across the Ballot
Catherine Payne: No response received through Across the Ballot
Meghann Valeo: “Families are dealing with increasing property taxes and everyday costs… Residents deserve confidence that every municipal dollar is being used responsibly.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)

Municipal Budget

Samantha Hand: “We want stronger long-term financial planning, careful examination of spending, greater transparency in the budget process, and aggressive pursuit of grants and shared-service opportunities that can reduce pressure on local taxpayers.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Rob Movshin: No response received through Across the Ballot
Catherine Payne: No response received through Across the Ballot
Meghann Valeo: “We want stronger long-term financial planning, careful examination of spending, greater transparency in the budget process, and aggressive pursuit of grants and shared-service opportunities that can reduce pressure on local taxpayers.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)

Development

Samantha Hand: “We support responsible, thoughtful growth, not growth simply for the sake of growth… Residents also deserve meaningful opportunities to understand major projects and provide input early in the process.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Rob Movshin: No response received through Across the Ballot
Catherine Payne: No response received through Across the Ballot
Meghann Valeo: “We support responsible, thoughtful growth, not growth simply for the sake of growth… Residents also deserve meaningful opportunities to understand major projects and provide input early in the process.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)

Public Safety

Samantha Hand: “We will continue supporting our emergency responders, seniors, families, and community organizations that make Hillsborough a desirable and safe place to live.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Rob Movshin: No response received through Across the Ballot
Catherine Payne: No response received through Across the Ballot
Meghann Valeo: “We will continue supporting our emergency responders, seniors, families, and community organizations that make Hillsborough a desirable and safe place to live.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)

Roads

Samantha Hand: “We need to consider traffic, roads, drainage, flooding, emergency services, schools, environmental impacts, open space, infrastructure capacity, and the financial implications for taxpayers.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Rob Movshin: No response received through Across the Ballot
Catherine Payne: No response received through Across the Ballot
Meghann Valeo: “We need to consider traffic, roads, drainage, flooding, emergency services, schools, environmental impacts, open space, infrastructure capacity, and the financial implications for taxpayers.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)

Parks

Samantha Hand: “Where possible, improvements should be supported through collaboration with Somerset County, open-space funding, grants, partnerships, sponsorships, and other funding sources so that the entire burden does not fall on local taxpayers.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Rob Movshin: No response received through Across the Ballot
Catherine Payne: No response received through Across the Ballot
Meghann Valeo: “Where possible, improvements should be supported through collaboration with Somerset County, open-space funding, grants, partnerships, sponsorships, and other funding sources so that the entire burden does not fall on local taxpayers.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)

Recreation

Samantha Hand: “Most importantly, residents should have a meaningful voice in determining which investments are most needed.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Rob Movshin: No response received through Across the Ballot
Catherine Payne: No response received through Across the Ballot
Meghann Valeo: “Most importantly, residents should have a meaningful voice in determining which investments are most needed.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)

Affordable Housing

Samantha Hand: No response received through Across the Ballot
Rob Movshin: No response received through Across the Ballot
Catherine Payne: No response received through Across the Ballot
Meghann Valeo: No response received through Across the Ballot

Economic Development

Samantha Hand: “Expanding our commercial tax base can help reduce the disproportionate burden placed on residential taxpayers, but new development must make sense for the location and community.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Rob Movshin: No response received through Across the Ballot
Catherine Payne: No response received through Across the Ballot
Meghann Valeo: “Expanding our commercial tax base can help reduce the disproportionate burden placed on residential taxpayers, but new development must make sense for the location and community.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)

Transparency

Samantha Hand: “Hillsborough deserves leadership that is accountable, transparent, and focused on affordability for the people who live here.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Rob Movshin: No response received through Across the Ballot
Catherine Payne: No response received through Across the Ballot
Meghann Valeo: “Hillsborough deserves leadership that is accountable, transparent, and focused on affordability for the people who live here.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)

Community Engagement

Samantha Hand: “We believe elected officials should be accessible not only when they are campaigning, but throughout their entire term with hosting town halls and community forums.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Rob Movshin: No response received through Across the Ballot
Catherine Payne: No response received through Across the Ballot
Meghann Valeo: “We believe elected officials should be accessible not only when they are campaigning, but throughout their entire term with hosting town halls and community forums.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)

Infrastructure

Samantha Hand: “The township must also address infrastructure, public safety, recreation, and other essential services… [including] improving long-term financial planning, identifying efficiencies, pursuing county, state, and federal funding whenever possible.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)
Rob Movshin: No response received through Across the Ballot
Catherine Payne: No response received through Across the Ballot
Meghann Valeo: “The township must also address infrastructure, public safety, recreation, and other essential services… [including] improving long-term financial planning, identifying efficiencies, pursuing county, state, and federal funding whenever possible.”
Candidate-provided response (Samantha Hand & Meghann Valeo, joint submission)

Source: Candidate-provided written interview responses submitted to Across the Ballot