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Marissa Ranello

Marissa Ranello is a former Millville City Commissioner and current alternate on the Millville Zoning Board of Adjustment. She is seeking election to the City Commission with a platform focused on restoring safety, cleanliness, and pride in Millville to make it a place where families and businesses want to invest.

Ranello emphasizes situational crime prevention by improving lighting, securing vacant properties, and strengthening neighborhood ties. She also proposes aggressive cleanup efforts to combat litter, illegal dumping, and neglected properties, alongside building partnerships for addiction and mental health recovery in line with federal initiatives. Her approach prioritizes creating a safer, cleaner environment as the foundation for long-term economic development—arguing that growth cannot succeed when built on neglect.

Ranello holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and Justice from Rowan University. She previously chaired the Board Governance and Policy Committee while serving on the Millville Board of Education and led the Department of Parks and Public Property during her time as a City Commissioner.

She describes her candidacy as nonpartisan and purpose-driven, grounded in values of hard work, accountability, and service, with the aim of delivering a functional and community-oriented city government.

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Rating Explanation

Dan Dixon

Marissa Ranello first engaged with InformTheVoteNJ last year while running for Millville City Commission. At that time she was cooperative—answering our questionnaire and holding several phone conversations to clarify details.

For the current campaign season, Ranello has again responded to our questionnaire, built a Facebook campaign page, and completed a 10-minute interview on J.T. Burks’ The Race to Millville City Commission series. These are all positive signals of continued transparency and accessibility.

That said, there remain opportunities to further raise the status quo of county-wide campaign culture. Steps such as creating a self-made comprehensive campaign website, hosting well-advertised public appearances, and participating in more lengthy and in-depth interviews would give voters a fuller picture of her platform before casting their ballots.

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.

Marissa Ranello

Running for:
Millville City Commissioner
Incumbent
Challenger

Websites

Quick Summary

Marissa Ranello first engaged with InformTheVoteNJ last year while running for Millville City Commission. At that time she was cooperative—answering our questionnaire and holding several phone conversations to clarify details.

For the current campaign season, Ranello has again responded to our questionnaire, built a Facebook campaign page, and completed a 10-minute interview on J.T. Burks’ The Race to Millville City Commission series. These are all positive signals of continued transparency and accessibility.

That said, there remain opportunities to further raise the status quo of county-wide campaign culture. Steps such as creating a self-made comprehensive campaign website, hosting well-advertised public appearances, and participating in more lengthy and in-depth interviews would give voters a fuller picture of her platform before casting their ballots.

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

This election is on November 4th, 2025

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

Explanation

Marissa Ranello first engaged with InformTheVoteNJ last year while running for Millville City Commission. At that time she was cooperative—answering our questionnaire and holding several phone conversations to clarify details. For the current campaign season, she has again responded to our questionnaire, built a Facebook campaign page, and completed a 10-minute interview on J.T. Burks’ The Race to Millville City Commission series. These are all positive signals of continued transparency and accessibility.

That said, there remain opportunities to further raise the status quo of county-wide campaign culture. Steps such as creating a self-made comprehensive campaign website, hosting well-advertised public appearances, and participating in more lengthy and in-depth interviews would give voters a fuller picture of her platform before casting their ballots.

Overall, she’s on a positive trajectory—her existing efforts already place her a bit above the local status quo, and a few targeted moves could quickly elevate her into the top tier of candidate openness.





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.