Bill Haines, Jr. Credit: Source: Burlington County Web site

Burlington County Freeholder Bill Haines, Jr. is considering retiring at the end of his current term, a move that could make the Republicans’ 3-2 majority on the board even more tenuous.  

“I’m still trying to decide what I’m going to do about freeholder,” said Haines, who this year finishes up his fifth term.

Haines, a Republican who’s sometimes known as “Cranberry Bill,” said that the expansion of his cranberry and blueberry farming business is the main reason he’s considering retiring from the political world.  

The fact that control of the freeholder board is up this year, with Republicans holding just a one seat majority over Democrats, complicates matters.  

“I probably would have made the decision a long time ago if Aubrey Fenton and Stacey Jordan had won the last time, but with control up it makes the decision more difficult,” he said.

Multiple sources expect Republican Freeholder James Wujcik, the only other member of the body whose seat is up this year, to retire at the end of his term. 

Having two open seats would be welcome news for Democrats, who held no seats on the board until last year, when Chris Brown and Mary Anne Reinhart beat Republican incumbents Fenton and Jordan.