New Belleville Manager Making an Impact – TAPinto.net
BELLEVILLE, NJ – Anthony Iacono has hit the ground running since starting as the township manager and his hard work has resulted in saving taxpayers thousands of dollars.
He has focused on getting a handle on spending and installing safeguards to control or eliminate wasteful overtime among municipal employees. In the department of public works alone, he was able to identify and implement measures to slash overtime spending.
On average, the cost of overtime in the department in 2018 and in 2019 prior to Iacono’s first day, June 3, was more than $14,000 each two-week pay period.
In the first pay period since Iacono’s arrival, that figure was slightly more than $2,000. In the second pay period, the overtime cost was slightly more than $2,000.
“As Belleville’s first full-time professional township manager in several years, he has made an immediate impact,” Mayor Michael Melham said. “He is dedicated to working toward spending Belleville’s tax dollars wisely. Going forward, he is going to be a key streamlining our local government and improving the quality of life for its residents.”
Iacono brings to Belleville about 25 years of experience, having served as an administrator in Weehawken, Union City, Secaucus, Paramus and Passaic.
After spending some time working in the private sector, Iacono jumped at the chance to work closely with Melham.
As the township’s highest-ranking non-elected municipal official, he serves as the direct link between the town’s 265 municipal employees and Melham.
That means he is the first person the mayor calls when he sees a pothole that needs to be filled or a sidewalk that needs some sprucing up. Iacono is then tasked with contacting the appropriate department to have the issue addressed.
Iacono enjoys the face-paced nature of the job and the responsibility of keeping Belleville looking good and running smooth.
“I just knew that I would fit into Belleville for various reasons,” he said. “I have worked in some municipalities that were bigger than Belleville and some that were smaller. It was the perfect fit. I like the makeup of the mayor and council. It’s a combination of different visions and if I had one really strong point, it’s my ability to work with everyone.”
Public service is in Iacono’s blood. His dad, Stanley Iacono, was the longtime mayor of Weehawken and played a crucial role in many of the capital improvements in the township.
Iacono’s wife, Valerie, is an elementary school principal in Kearny. They have three children: Paul, 30, Anthony Jr., 25 and Nikalena, 11.