DECISION DAY

S. Amboy Voters Choosing A New Mayor, Council

(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Oct. 27, 2010) SOUTH AMBOY — For the first time in over two decades, the name “John O’Leary” will not be on the election-ballot when this city’s registered voters go to the polls next Tuesday.

After serving as South Amboy’s Chief Executive since 1986, O’Leary announced in March that he would not seek a seventh four-year term as Mayor of the one-square-mile “Pleasant Little City” in this year’s election, choosing instead to retire after 24 years of service.

“Twenty-four years is a long time, and I think that after all that time, I’ve earned the right to retire,’’ O’Leary declared at that time. “This is not something that just came-about recently, but something that I’ve been thinking-about for eight years, regarding my tenure as Mayor.’’

O’Leary, also Chairman of the South Amboy Democratic Organization (SADO), released a one-page prepared statement with more information about the Councilman chosen to succeed him than about his decision to step-aside.

He has insisted that his decision not to run for Mayor again had nothing whatsoever to do with subpoenas the city received last year, emphasizing that he has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

“The City of South Amboy turned-over all the documents it was asked-for,’’

O’Leary said. “The city feels that everything was done forthright in regards to all of our actions.’’

SADO voted unanimously to select Council President Fred Henry Jr. — who replaced current 19th District Assemblyman Craig Coughlin on South Amboy’s five-member Council — to run for Mayor (8B), along with incumbent Councilman Joseph Connors (9B) and newcomer Michael “Mickey’’ Gross (10B) to run for the two At-Large Council seats available in this November’s election.

“In these tumultuous and ever-changing economic times, the experience and knowledge I’ve obtained during my tenure on the Council and the South Amboy Redevelopment Agency, and my 35 years as an educator in the South Amboy school system, gives me a unique perspective and knowledge to lead the city over the next four years as Mayor,’’ Henry said in a prepared statement.

Henry — a former History teacher and Athletic Director at South Amboy High School, Hoffman Plaza, and currently Dean of Students there — continues his family’s tradition of public service. His father, Fred Henry Sr., also served as South Amboy City Council President.

Connors — Supervisor of Laboratory services Research & Development at F.I.

DuPont de Nemours, Parlin, a former member of the South Amboy Board of Education and a member of the city Planning Board for 23 years — has been a City Council member for the past eight years.

Gross — the head of the Middlesex County Environmental Health Division since February 2009 — said in a prepared statement that “I’m looking-forward to working as hard as I can for the people of South Amboy.

“Even in these hard economic times, South Amboy is moving forward, and it has done some great things in the past 20 years,” he said. “I want to be part of the team that helps keep the city moving-forward.’’

Gross started-out as a Sanitary Inspector in June 1982 and rose steadily through the ranks as he acquired more experience and credentials.

Following the death of First Ward Councilman Russell Stillwagon, Donald Appl egate was chosen to fill that seat and is running unopposed.

While no Republican filed petitions to run for that party’s nomination for Mayor, GOP challengers Saverio Sagliocco (9A) and David Longenhagen(10A) were nominated in the June 8 Primary Election as Republican candidates for the two available Council seats.

Meanwhile, Independents filed their nominating petitions to run in November, with the deadline also falling-on June 8.

Three-time Council candidate Vincent Mackiel (8C, “Independent-Clean Air”) , Board of Education member John Dragotta (8D, “Independent For Change”) and 2006 mayoral candidate Mary O’Connor (8E, “United South Amboy”) filed petitions to run for Mayor, while 2002 mayoral candidate and former Board of Education member Eugene “Gene” Reagan (9F, “Better South Amboy”) filed petitions to run for Council.

Harry Gelder (“Save Our South Amboy”) dropped-out of the race, while Dragotta has done little visible campaigning.

O’Connor announced her candidacy in a prepared statement issued when she filed her petitions, calling her agenda simple and clear: she will “rein-in taxes, promote business development, provide accountability to residents, and prioritize safety.’

O’Connor promised to “provide fiscal responsibility to residents who were hammered with a 38-percent tax increase in the city budget last year, and an over-five-percent increase in school taxes approved by the current Administration.

“There’s yet another tax increase coming in the new 2010 City Budget,” she predicted back then. “The current Administration has not only raised taxes significantly, but also has increased our debt by millions of dollars while at the same time considering to cut-back our basic services such as garbage-collection.”

O’Connor said that she will promote business development in South Amboy “to enliven the cityscape and offset residential taxes.

“There are too-many vacant storefronts and unutilized lots,” she said.

“The establishment of offices and services will bring employers, employees and customers to town. Those people will, in turn. patronize supporting businesses such as restaurants and shops. I will establish a business-friendly environment and a fast-track path to speed the opening of prospective businesses.”

O’Connor pledged to “provide accountability for the state of the city by providing frequent status-reports.” O’Leary has not delivered a “State Of The City” Address in three years.

“Today’s technology enables current information to be available to those who seek it,” she said. “Status-reports will create a transparent and inclusive government.”

O’Connor called Henry “part of the problem in South Amboy” because he “takes his lead from the now-six-term Mayor O’Leary, and has voted in accord with O’Leary for many years.

“Residents are disappointed and angered by news of subpoenas and suspicions linked to our current Mayor,” she said. “To elect Henry is to continue the present problems.”

O’Connor pointed out that “South Amboy has such great potential: easy access by major highways, convenient to train, with stunning waterfront acreage.

“It’s time for the great town of South Amboy to take its place alongside other beautiful shore communities, and I’m ready to make that happen,” she declared.

O’Connor was raised around the country as the daughter of an army officer (along with her seven siblings) before settling in Freehold, where she attended public school and later graduated from Rutgers University. In her most-recent corporate position at the software company Oracle, she managed the implementation of financial business systems for global corporations.

Dragotta said that he is running “to make some changes.”

Mackiel, a community activist who has taken-on Amboy Aggregates’

sand-mining operation, said that he will “continue speaking-out for a cleaner South Amboy waterfront.”