West Caldwell Mayor Makes History as he Begins Sixth Term – TAPinto.net

WEST CALDWELL, NJ — Joseph Tempesta, Jr., was sworn into his sixth term as mayor of West Caldwell by Hon. Bridget Stecher during the township’s reorganization meeting held at Crane’s Mill on Saturday.

Tempesta has the distinction of not only serving the longest of any West Caldwell mayor, but is now also the senior stateman among all mayors in Essex County as he enters his third decade in the position. Running unopposed in November, Tempesta received 3,219 (or 99.02 percent) of the total votes.

Prior to becoming mayor in 1999, Tempesta served as a township council member for many years after being elected at age 25. 

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Incumbents Stanley Hladik and Michael Crudele, who also ran in the unopposed election, were administered the oath of office for their new terms by Hon. Steve Backfisch. Hladik, beginning his fourth term on the council, received 2,993 votes, and Crudele, entering his second term, received 2,733 votes.

In unanimous support of Councilman Stephen Wolsky’s motion, the council named Councilman Joseph Cecere as council president for the year of 2019.

As the council moved through the agenda, appointments were made for the standing council committees, including: Parks and Recreation, Finance, Public Works, Legal and Personnel, Public Safety, Technology, Pool Utility and Real Estate. Council representation to other municipal committees, boards and commissions were also established, including: Local Assistance Board, Environmental Commission, The Bridge, Senior Citizens Transportation Board, Planning Board, Board of Health, Camp Wyanokie, Municipal Alliance Committee and the library board.

Annual mayoral appointments, including the municipal attorney, prosecutor, assistant prosecutor, chief public defender and municipal engineer, were also approved with advice and consent of council.

Also adopted were resolutions to establish official meeting dates, official publications, rate of interest for nonpayment of taxes, bond counsel, auditor, architects and insurance agency amongst other required items.

In addition, the council adopted a resolution authorizing the appointment of officers of the West Caldwell Volunteer Fire Department.

Deputy Fire Chief Robert Hebrank, Jr., 1^st Assistant Chief Jonathan McNamara, 2^nd Assistant Chief John Medina, Captain Thomas Weber, 1^st Lieutenant Mark Watkins, 2^nd Lieutenant Peter May, Safety Officer Richard Otterbein and Safety Officer Frank Norton were sworn into office for the year by Tempesta.

Tempesta also nominated citizens to represent the Zoning Board of Adjustment, Planning Board, Library Board of Trustees, Local Assistance Board and the Environmental Commission, which were all approved unanimously.

Many family members, residents, supporters and local dignitaries attended the one-hour ceremony, including former West Caldwell councilmen Robert Masella and Richard Otterbein, who offered their congratulations to all. Masella remarked that he was looking forward to Tempesta’s goal of a community center coming to fruition.

“All winning teams have a great head coach, and West Caldwell is fortunate to have such a great leader to continue to lead the community,” Otterbein said as Tempesta begins his sixth term.

John Kelley, the newly elected mayor of Caldwell, was also present to congratulate Tempesta and his colleagues. Tempesta said he is looking forward to working with the new administration in Caldwell.

During his own remarks, Tempesta congratulated Cecere, Hladik and Crudele and gave a special thanks to “all the volunteers who were sworn in today.”

“I thank them on behalf of the community for their willingness to ‘give back,’” he said.

In addressing priorities for the upcoming year, Tempesta spoke of the township’s COAH obligations, which he said will greatly impact West Caldwell as well as all municipalities in the state. 

“We have an obligation to build affordable units and we want to build our fair share,” he said. “But that is the operative word: what is fair and reasonable.” 

He noted that the court is requiring West Caldwell to build 500 units of affordable housing, which represents 20 percent of the housing that is required by the court. According to Tempesta, this means there is potential for 2,500 residential units to be built. To “put that number in perspective,” Tempesta explained that the Township of West Caldwell currently has “just under 4,000 residential units.”

“Last year, I told you that we would also be looking toward making some major investments in our community to serve the next two generations and that includes a potential facility that can house many services for our families, senior citizens and our most precious assets: our children,” said Tempesta. “A facility that is all-encompassing, including cultural and recreational facilities, an indoor pool and possibly integrating a new municipal building, including our municipal offices and potentially a new library and senior citizens center. We have already started the feasibility study and hope to have some potential preliminary plans before the end of the year.”

Crudele, who moved to West Caldwell from Clifton nine years ago, thanked his family and friends and echoed the mayor’s comments thanking the people of West Caldwell “for entrusting [him] to a second term” in his hometown.

Hladik also thanked his family, particularly his wife Megan, as well as the mayor “for taking another term to lead us.” Addressing his children, Hladik said, “Wherever you go in life, always remember I do this to give back to the community.  Wherever your home is, give back to the community.”

Cecere thanked his colleagues for their support of his presidency. He also explained his abstentions on all matters as it relates to the volunteer fire department, noting that being a proud member of the department causes a conflict of interest.