A nthony J. Ammiano, who was sworn in to office as Freehold Township’s mayor for 2012 on Jan. 6, is beginning his second one-year term as mayor much the way he began his first term as mayor in 2006.
Ammiano, who serves on the all-Republican Township Committee, told attendees at the governing body’s 2012 reorganization meeting that he was sworn in on the same date in 2006, Jan. 6.
He said he officiated at his first wedding on Jan. 7, 2006, and he told those in attendance that he was going to officiate at a wedding on Jan. 7, 2012.
Ammiano was sworn in as mayor by Freehold Township Municipal Clerk Terry Warner. Ammiano’s wife, Maria, and his son, A.J., were by his side.
Committeeman David Salkin, who served as mayor in 2011, was selected by his fellow committee members to serve as deputy mayor in 2012. Salkin took the oath of office with his wife, Patty, their children, Alex and Rachel, his father, Joe, and brother, Eric, by his side.
The other members of the committee are Barbara McMorrow, Eugene Golub and Robert McGirr.
Ammiano said he is honored to serve as mayor. He thanked his fellow committee members for placing their confidence in him.
“I am looking forward to working with my colleagues on the committee and with the residents of Freehold Township, the best residents in Monmouth County. We will continue to aggressively pursue shared services with our neighboring municipalities and the county,” he said. “We are all trying to meet the challenge of the 2012 budget year in an attempt to responsibly control taxes while continuing the current services to our residents.”
The committee’s goals for the year include creating a regional leaf and brush recycling center near Burke Road to save money and to help surrounding towns cut their costs for brush and leaf disposal.
“We would like to thank our employees during these trying times, these past couple of years, for doing more with less. Congratulations to all of you for an outstanding job,” Ammiano said. “We have maintained the strength of our police department, while working with them to continue their transition though the reduction in manpower over the past couple of years.”
Ammiano said he will work with the Freehold Township K-8 School District Board of Education and the Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education to put pressure on the state to come up with a funding formula that benefits Freehold Township more than the current school aid formula does.
Improving the public works yard and parks and recreation staff are also priorities.
“We want to give employees the necessary tools to handle an ever-increasing workload with the same staff, and protect the equipment from decay and disrepair with state-of-the-art facility improvements, while creating more environmentally efficient and safe facilities,” Ammiano said. “We will also continue to find a solution for the zoning of Route 9 that sets a course for responsible development of our remaining parcels of land over the next decade.”
During his comments, Salkin said, “People want to know why I continue to run for the governing body after 16 years. I have everything I need right here. My family is here, my work and my business are here. Why wouldn’t I want a say in what happens here?”
He thanked residents who serve on Freehold Township’s boards, committees and organizations.
Salkin thanked the municipal employees, professionals and staff for helping him during 2011, when he served as mayor, and he singled out Susan Mladinov, the executive secretary to Township Administrator Peter Valesi, for her assistance.
McGirr thanked those individuals who give their time to Freehold Township and said volunteers “make the town what it is.”
McMorrow thanked American troops who are defending freedom around the globe, saying, “Many of us often take that freedom for granted. We shouldn’t.”
Golub was absent from the meeting.
Valesi thanked everyone for making his transition to township administrator a smooth one and he recognized Mladinov for her assistance. He said she is “the glue that holds the township together.”
Duane Davison was reappointed as the township attorney for the 30th year. He said he is pleased to work with Valesi, who operates Freehold Township as a business, as did former township administrator Thomas Antus.
The committee appointed Elizabeth Kiernan as tax collector, Catherine Campbell as treasurer, Thomas F.X. Foley as Municipal Court judge, Nicole Sonnenblick as municipal prosecutor, and Richard Sciria as municipal public defender.
Resolutions were approved for professional services with Francis C. Accisano as Planning Board attorney; William Antonides and Company for auditing services; DiFrancesco, Bateman, Coley, Yospin, Kunzman, Davis and Lehrer for real estate and tax appeal legal counsel; the Galvin Law Firm as Zoning Board of Adjustment attorney; Hatch Mott MacDonald for engineering services; and Lomurro, Davison, Eastman and Munoz for township attorney and supervising prosecutor services and labor services.
— Contact Clare Marie Celano at [email protected]