Inform The Vote

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

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.
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)
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.
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.
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.

Marissa Ranello

Running for:

Millville City Commissioner

Incumbent

Challenger

Websites

Quick Summary

Marissa Ranello is a former Millville City Commissioner, current alternate on the Zoning Board of Adjustment, and advocate for local revitalization through accountability and hands-on community involvement. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and Justice from Rowan University and has previously chaired the Board Governance and Policy Committee on the Millville Board of Education. Her experience across education, public property management, and city governance has given her a strong grasp of local operations, budgeting, and policy implementation.

Ranello’s campaign centers on a practical, neighborhood-first philosophy that prioritizes safety, cleanliness, and community investment as the foundation for Millville’s long-term growth. Her agenda emphasizes situational crime prevention through improved lighting and securing vacant properties, city cleanup and code enforcement, and partnerships for addiction and mental health recovery to address root causes of instability. She views these efforts as prerequisites for meaningful economic development—arguing that businesses and families won’t invest in a city that feels unsafe or neglected.

Claiming political independence, Ranello frames her run as “not with a party, but with purpose.” However, it is fairly well known that she attends the bi-weekly republican breakfasts, which are now only open to Republicans. While the Millville City Commissioners race is technically categorized as non-partisan, this type of gray-area messaging should be considered. That being said, she does stress hard work, accountability, and results over ideology. Her recent campaign messaging also highlights the importance of volunteerism, saying that active community involvement gives candidates a “boots-on-the-ground” perspective of what residents truly need—reinforcing her belief that leadership starts with service.

So far, Ranello has maintained consistent engagement through a public Facebook campaign page, her completed InformTheVoteNJ questionnaire, and an appearance on J.T. Burks’ The Race to Millville City Commission interview series. These efforts reflect genuine transparency and responsiveness, though voters would still benefit from a centralized website or longer-form public events to consolidate her message and expand accessibility. (Refer to the transparency explanation below for more details.)

This election is on November 4th, 2025

Transparency/Accessibility Rating: A Bit Above Average (Trending Up)

Explanation

Marissa Ranello has shown a consistent willingness to engage with InformTheVoteNJ across two election cycles, maintaining noticeable communication and responsiveness compared to some of her peers. She has answered questionnaires both last year and this year, attended multiple public events—including the Four Seasons Forum and the InformTheVoteNJ Meet & Greet—and likely the Housing Authority event. While she did not attend the recorded Candidates Forum, her overall visibility and cooperative track record place her a bit above the baseline for candidate accessibility in Cumberland County.

That said, the 2025 season introduced some mixed results. Ranello may have made a substantive Facebook post about addressing homelessness on October 6th—just before my October 8th social media review cutoff. This cutoff reflects a realistic expectation: press and voters alike can only track so much information before Election Day. Campaigns that rely heavily on social media risk leaving key updates buried under algorithms or lost to timing. As Ranello has shown herself to be communicative in the past, this serves as a reminder that if candidates want something covered, they should proactively send it to the press rather than assume it will be discovered. Transparency isn’t just about producing information—it’s about ensuring it reaches the public effectively.

Another element worth addressing is tone and strategy. Ranello participated in one short interview with J.T. Burks for The Race to Millville City Commission, while effectively declining other opportunities for longer-form interviews or radio appearances. There’s nothing inherently wrong with choosing where to appear; every candidate has the right to decide how they manage their message. But when viewed alongside the broader context—such as off-the-record discussions and the emergence of some campaign-season mudslinging—her selective approach creates an ambiguous picture. Instead of going fully on the record to clarify her positions and reinforce her professionalism, Ranello’s campaign often straddled a middle ground between accessibility and caution.

That said, it’s important to view her choices within the status quo of local politics. Millville—and Cumberland County more broadly—still lacks a stable tradition of structured, recorded campaign events or unified press outreach. In that environment, candidates often end up responding piecemeal to whichever opportunities arise. Ranello’s record remains stronger than some in terms of consistency, but she represents the broader challenge facing the region: even the cooperative candidates are forced to navigate a system where transparency depends more on initiative than infrastructure.

Overall rating: A Bit Above Average — steady and cooperative across cycles, but limited by selective participation and a campaign culture that still normalizes fragmented communication.

Videos

Marissa Ranello on JT Burks’ “Run for Millville Commission Series” (Interview)

📋 Click here for full interview summary 📋

Background & ties to Millville: Marissa Ranello has visited the area since childhood (1980s) and has lived in Millville ~10 years. She has a son in the public school system.

Perspective & priorities: Originally from Staten Island, NY, Ranello says an “outsider” lens helps her focus on present realities rather than mourning the past. She wants in-progress projects to keep moving and emphasizes that “there’s a lot of work to do.”

Commission experience & public safety: Served ~8 months on the City Commission (appointed, then special election). Highlights work on lighting and safety—arguing crime festers where conditions allow it (dark, dirty, neglected spaces). Public and officer safety are high priorities.

19 candidates & functional government: The crowded field encourages her—it shows people care. She hopes voters choose five who can collaborate and stick with their seats for a full term. Advocates pragmatic 6-month/1-year/4-year departmental plans and stability after years of turnover.

Clean, safe, educated—and market the city: Find common ground: clean streets, safe neighborhoods, strong schools, reasonable taxes. To attract business, market Millville better and clean it up. She cites a “Millville Means Business” video with very low views as a missed promotion opportunity.

Closing message: “Stay.” Don’t give up on Millville—plant “seeds of commonality,” pitch in, and grow with the community.

⏳ Click to view timestamps, topics, and takeaways ⏳

Interview Summary – Marissa Ranello x JT Burks

This table highlights key sections of the conversation with main takeaways.

Timestamp	Topic	Key Takeaways
0:00	Intro & roots	Visiting since the 1980s; ~10 years living in Millville; child in public schools.
0:45	Upbringing & lens	Staten Island–born; not “mourning the past”—focus on present and future; keep active projects moving.
1:56	Commission service	Appointed for ~8 months; pushed lighting and public-safety improvements; crime thrives where conditions allow it.
3:06	19 candidates	Encouraged by the interest; wants 5 collaborators with 6-mo/1-yr/4-yr plans.
4:31	Functional government	Calls for stability after years of turnover; voters should pick people who will stay and work together.
6:23	Common goals	Cleanliness, safety, great education, reasonable taxes—shared “ground of commonality.”
7:59	Attracting business	Clean up and market the city; leverage social media to put Millville on the map.
8:58	Marketing gap	“Millville Means Business” promo has very low views—an example of under-marketing.
9:48	Closing inspiration	“Stay. Don’t leave.” Plant seeds, find common ground, and help the city grow together.

Overall Agenda and Positions

Situational Crime Prevention

Make Millville less attractive to crime by improving lighting, securing vacant properties, and strengthening community ties.

City Cleanup

Launch aggressive cleanup campaigns focused on litter removal, illegal dumping, and holding owners of neglected properties accountable.

Economic Development

Make Millville a place people want to invest in by focusing on safety, cleanliness, and quality of life improvements.

Partnerships for Addiction and Mental Health Recovery

Coordinate efforts to expand access to treatment and support for individuals facing addiction and mental health challenges, in line with recent federal initiatives.

Bottom Line

Businesses and families are not going to invest in a city that feels unsafe or neglected. If we want Millville to grow, we have to restore a sense of safety and pride in our neighborhoods. I’ve had honest differences of opinion with past and current candidates on this issue. Some believe the best way forward is to attract businesses first and hope that the rest will follow. I understand that view, but I see it differently because I’ve seen that approach fail. When we try to build economic growth on top of neglect, it doesn’t work. The city needs to be clean, safe, and cared for before people will want to live here, raise families, or open businesses. It really is the chicken and the egg. In my view, cleanup and community investment have to come first if we want lasting progress.

Party Affiliation and Ideology

In Millville, we have nonpartisan elections. I’m not running with a party. I’m running with purpose. My values are rooted in hard work, accountability, and service. That’s how I’ll lead. Politics can get noisy, but most people just want to see their city clean, safe, and functional. I’m focused on that.

Background and Campaign Message

Marissa Ranello currently serves as an alternate on the Millville Zoning Board of Adjustment. She previously served as a Millville City Commissioner, where she led the Department of Parks and Public Property, and as a member of the Millville Board of Education, where she chaired the Board Governance and Policy Committee.

Marissa earned a Bachelor's degree in Law and Justice from Rowan University. Her experience in education and public service has developed her skills in policy development, governance, advocacy, conflict resolution, and ethical leadership. These strengths help her navigate complex issues, support thoughtful decision-making, and serve the community with integrity.