FAIR HAVEN – After more than a decade of service to Fair Haven, Mayor Benjamin Lucarelli has resigned from his position.
Lucarelli’s resignation was announced on Fair Haven’s municipal website by Borough Administrator Theresa Casagrande on Sept. 14. No reason was provided for the mayor’s sudden resignation.
Lucarelli was appointed mayor in 2012 after Michael Halfacre resigned from the position.
Later in 2012, Lucarelli won an election to complete the remainder of Halfacre’s term.
Lucarelli was elected to four-year terms in 2015 and 2018. His current term as mayor was due to expire on Dec. 31, 2022, so he leaves office about 15 months prior to the end of that term.
Prior to becoming Fair Haven’s mayor, Lucarelli was appointed to the Borough Council in 2009 to fill a vacant seat on the governing body. Later that year he was elected to a full three-year council term.
Under Fair Haven’s form of government, the mayor and the members of the Borough Council are elected separately. The mayor only votes on municipal legislation to break a tie.
“On behalf of the Borough Council members and the citizens of Fair Haven, I want to acknowledge (Lucarelli’s) leadership and many accomplishments during his nine years as mayor and sincerely thank him for over 12 years of volunteer community service as a member of the Fair Haven governing body,” Casagrande wrote in her message. “We collectively wish him and his family all the best and look forward to seeing him around town for many years to come.”
Because Lucarelli is a Republican, the leaders of the Fair Haven Republican Party will provide the council with the names of three candidates to succeed Lucarelli as mayor.
At a future meeting, the members of the council will vote for one of the Republican candidates to complete Lucarelli’s term.
Democrats hold four of the six seats on the Borough Council. The remaining two seats are held by Republicans.