Mayor Richard Pucci Monroe will have a new mayor next year for the first time since the 1980s.
Local parties introduced their slates for the 2015 municipal election after longtime Mayor Richard Pucci announced he would not seek re-election to the post this November.
The decision by Pucci, who has served seven consecutive terms since 1988, was followed by back-to-back announcements signaling an early start to the election season in Monroe.
Gerald Tamburro, current president of the Township Council, will run for mayor on the Democratic ticket, while the Republicans have chosen Martin Herrmann, owner of the Hightstown-based Martin Herrmann Investment Advisors and Associates.
Republicans Harold Kane and Joseph Atanasio will attempt to unseat Democratic incumbents Stephen Dalina and Leslie Koppel for at-large seats on the Township Council. All terms are four years.
Roslyn Appleby-Kane, who chairs the Monroe Township Republican Organization, said the candidates impressed the committee with their focus on reducing spending in the township.
“They’re interested in the amount of spending in town and, of course, we’re all interested in the taxes in town … and the building in town,” Appleby-Kane said. “There are a number of things that can be done to reduce spending. Those things need to be looked at and they need to happen, because it is not inexpensive to live in Monroe.”
Tamburro said the Democratic Party is prepared to deal with Pucci’s departure and move the township forward.
“We were kind of unsure as to what [Pucci] was going to do,” Tamburro said. “When he finally decided he wasn’t going to run … it was a surprise, but it was not unexpected. “It’s an awesome task,” Tamburro said. “When I first ran, I replaced [former Councilwoman] Lee Farber, and I was told I had big shoes to fill. I do believe I filled those big shoes, but right now running for mayor I have even bigger shoes to fill.”
Tamburro said he feels capable and ready to accept the responsibility, citing his experience as a councilman. He added that his running mates are “two very experienced and dedicated people,” and that he is “very excited” to run alongside them.
According to Tamburro, priorities include open space preservation and continuing to facilitate the expansion of the town, which will soon have another adult community.
Pucci said his health is keeping him from building upon his 28 years of service as mayor.
He said his philosophy has always centered on visibility — as Monroe residents’ chief representative, he believed it was his duty to be present at as many local events as possible. However, two back surgeries and the possibility of a third operation forced him to pause when considering an eighth four-year term.
“I was always blessed with good health, but in the past two-and-a-half years or so I’ve had two major back surgeries,” Pucci said. “I haven’t fully recovered from the second one yet.
“It became quite frustrating for me that I couldn’t be everywhere that I [used to be].”
Further, the demands of wearing two hats — mayor of Monroe and executive director of the Middlesex County Improvement Authority — significantly limited Pucci’s family time, he said.
In the nearly three decades of Pucci’s mayoral tenure, Monroe has burgeoned from a small, rural community of 17,000 residents to a bustling township of about 40,000 within 43 square miles.
“It was an exciting period for me to be part of the process of planning out a community,” Pucci said in an interview. “We literally had minimal services in those days and we knew that when the growth would occur there would be a need for all kinds of facilities.
“We really grew. We’ve got a state-ofthe art high school and state-of-the-art facilities [like] the library, the senior center,” Pucci said, adding that about 7,000 acres in the township remain undeveloped and deedrestricted as open space or preserved farmland.
Councilman Michael Leibowitz, the sole Republican on the Township Council, said he once thought Pucci was allowing too much development, but looking back, he commended the mayor’s stewardship.
“It was a professional handling of growth,” Leibowitz said. “They planned ahead, because we have [these facilities] now, and we do need them.”
Leibowitz said he always felt as though the object was to govern and that the township has been able to remain “above petty politics.”
Middlesex County Democratic Organization Chairman Kevin McCabe said the party is looking forward to November’s race, but for now, the focus should be on Pucci’s political career.
“In the coming months, we will focus on electing Mayor Pucci’s successor,” McCabe said in a statement. “But today is a day to celebrate [Pucci’s] accomplished record of service over the course of three decades.”
Tamburro said “the township wouldn’t be what it is today if it weren’t for Mayor Pucci.”
During his time as mayor, things have come full circle for Pucci. When he assumed office in 1988, his daughter was graduating high school. As he prepares to depart, his granddaughter is about to graduate.
Despite facing pressure from supporters to stay in the game, Pucci said the decision was an organic one that he feels confident about.
“I know it’s time, and I believe only the person can know when it’s time,” he said.