By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
LAMBERTVILLE — The city’s mayor last week became one of just two people who can say on their resumes they’ve served as president of both the New Jersey Conference of Mayors and the New Jersey League of Municipalities.
Mayor David Del Vecchio ascended to the post of president of the New Jersey Conference of Mayors late last week, several months ahead of schedule. He served the past year as first vice president.
Mayor Del Vecchio was slated to become president in April, when the term of immediate past president, Tom Arnone, was completed. Mr. Arnone resigned as mayor of Neptune City to become a Monmouth County freeholder, leading to his early resignation as president of the conference.
The point of pride for the state’s Conference of Mayors is that it recently gained a voice concerning binding arbitration, according to Mayor Del Vecchio. “We just had a big success with binding arbitration reform,” he said. “We were part of the process.”
A bipartisan agreement passed the Assembly and the Senate on Dec. 13. It is designed to modify arbitration that resolves the salaries of police officers and firefighters.
The Conference of Mayors also is looking at ways to improve and increase shared services among municipalities, according to Mayor Del Vecchio. “Shared services is something I think everyone can support,” he said.
He explained that sharing services does not mean towns will merge or lose their individual identities. “We’re just talking about more creative ways for municipalities to do shared services in a more efficient manner,” he said.
Mayor Del Vecchio has held the top governmental post in Lambertville for 19 years. He is married and the father of two boys.
He acknowledged the addition of his work with the conference will take some of his time and attention, but he said it would take nothing away from his service to Lambertville.
”It’s not going to take anything away from what I’m doing,” he said. “The good thing is this gives me access to people in a different way, and hopefully we’ll become the beneficiary of this better access.”
Mayor Del Vecchio became the New Jersey League of Municipalities president in November 2006 and served through 2007.
The only other person to serve as president of both statewide organizations is Mayor Timothy C. McDonough, of Hope Township.

