Mayor's Office

Happy New Year to all.

It is my distinct honor and pleasure to welcome you to the annual Reorganization Meeting of the Borough of Sayreville.

Thank you for being here, and joining us in this annual New Year’s tradition, as we plan for another year of progress.

I would like to acknowledge my colleagues on the dais, and to offer a special greeting to the newly-elected Councilwoman Mary Novak. Mary, I look forward to working with you again as we plan for the future. Welcome back.

I would also like to welcome back Councilman Stash Synarski, who won re-election in November.

When I was sworn into office last January, at this exact time and place, I made a pledge to greatly improve the parks in our community, as part of our overall commitment to renewed customer service.

Many plans are in design, but there has already been progress to report today.  In a few short months you will see new walking paths at Kennedy Park, as well as renovated restrooms. We have also vastly improved the parking lots at Veterans Park, as well as lighting.

In addition, we have designed two new athletic fields at the Ust Recreational Complex and will be going out to bid for proposals to undertake the work as quickly as possible.

We are also finalizing grant submissions for a large scale revitalization of Bailey Park, another important project.

My hope is you and your families are already taking advantage of new programs we initiated this year through the Sayreville Recreation Department, as well as have visited our brand-new farmers market that opened in 2024 in the park behind this building.

Enhancing communication to residents is another critical hallmark of customer service. To that end, we are strategically placing three large LED signs around town, with messages about public events, weather emergencies and other relevant information that Sayreville residents should know.

One LED sign has already been installed on Ernston Road; others will be installed in the upcoming weeks in front of the Sayreville Active Adult Center on Main Street and at the Fort Grumpy Recycling Center on Bordentown Avenue.

In other areas of progress, we continue working closely with the developers at Riverton, which finally – finally – began construction a few weeks ago on the site on Chevalier Avenue.

I have been in steady contact with the Sayreville Economic Redevelopment Agency, which says a key lease has been signed at Riverton and the $2.5 billion redevelopment plan is moving ahead.

For many of us who have eagerly awaited for construction to commence on this former industrial site, the moment that Riverton began pouring concrete and foundations, we knew that all the work of so many from Sayreville over the years is bearing fruit.  Riverton, as they say, is finally “going vertical.”

We look forward to celebrating the commencement of this major mixed-use project – the largest of its kind in the state – with a ceremony in the spring.

And we expect many more groundbreaking events in the coming years.  You should be amazed and proud: My office receives phone calls on a daily basis from many other major investors across the country looking for opportunities in Sayreville.

We carefully balance each and every proposal we hear. We are only interested in projects that help our town become more affordable to you, creating both jobs and stabilizing taxes for the long-term.

We aggressively seek outside funding – beyond what is raised by taxpayers – to achieve

many of the improvement projects you are seeing around town.

It is amazing to see what can be accomplished when we work closely with dedicated partners that share our vision for the future of an affordable, yet vibrant and safe, Sayreville.

To that end, I would like to once again express my deepest appreciation to the commissioners of a reinvigorated Sayreville Economic Redevelopment Agency, which is ensuring that the right type of investment comes to our community.

SERA and I share a vision: Redevelopment is all about minimizing impact and maximizing returns for the people of Sayreville.

I would also like to thank the many volunteers who are being appointed to municipal boards and commissions this year, as well as many other important positions around Sayreville. I’ve said it for years – and I will say it again today – volunteers are the backbone of this great community.

Allow me to recognize one very special volunteer in our community: Sue Paul. A teacher, she is concluding her 40^th year as a trustee of the Sayreville Public Library. She is moving on and, with her permission, we will be doing a video documenting the many wonderful changes at the library over her time.

And allow me to note one other selfless volunteer, Rich Kosmoski. He is a very, very special individual, who has completed 50 years of service as a Sayreville volunteer firefighter. Thank you, Rich, for your stellar and committed service to protecting the people of Sayreville.

There will be another video produced, highlighting Rich and the evolution of our fire department since the mid-1970s.

I extend my deepest appreciation to you, on behalf of the Borough of Sayreville, for your commitment.

In closing, I would like to once again thank the people of Sayreville for entrusting me in this important leadership role, as your mayor. I remain – and always will be – deeply honored for your support and trust.

God bless our armed forces protecting democracy overseas. God bless America and Gold Bless the people of Sayreville.

My warmest wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2025.