SAYREVILLE — Republican Mayor Kennedy O’Brien won his re-election bid, defeating Democratic challenger and Council President David McGill on Nov. 3.
O’Brien, serving his fourth term as mayor, drew 3,290 votes, or 52.05 percent of the votes cast, to McGill’s 3,022 votes, or 47.81 percent. With the victory, O’Brien becomes the first mayor in Sayreville’s history to be elected five times.
“I remain focused on open, honest and transparent government,” O’Brien stated in an email. “I am not interested in machine politics. My team is only beholden to the people of Sayreville. It has been the key to my success.”
Noting that his “focus is consistently to improve the residential quality of life,” O’Brien discussed his objectives of “smart redevelopment, attracting the type of business that generates revenue to the borough, but without a significant impact on traffic or the schools” and securing “the type of business that does not generate noise or odor.”
O’Brien cited the Luxury Pointe project as an example of an intelligent redevelopment program, describing it as revenue-positive and the borough would receive a steady increase in revenue during every year of its construction.
O’Brien commented that with additional revenues, he and his team could “invest in more recreational opportunities, more police services and other avenues that enhance civic pride and increase property values.”
Additionally, O’Brien stressed the need for bipartisanship on the Borough Council.
“We have seen the negative effects of logjam government that is unable to serve the people,” he explained. “We don’t need it in Sayreville.”
In another close election, candidates Pat Lembo, a Republican, and Steven Grillo, a Democrat, won seats on Sayreville’s Borough Council, drawing 3,093 votes, or 25.46 percent, and 3,047 votes, or 25.08 percent, of the vote, respectively. They defeated Democratic Councilman Ricci Melendez, who received 3,006 votes, 24.75 percent, and first-time candidate Christian Hibinski, a Republican, who picked up 2,993 votes, 24.64 percent.
Lembo’s triumph provides the Republicans with an additional seat on the sixmember council and lowers the Democrats’ majority from 5-1 to 4-2.