MANCHESTER – Ken Palmer enjoyed serving as mayor of the township since 2015, but becoming a superior court judge is his “dream job” and in order to take on that role, he had to tender his resignation as mayor.
Yesterday, the New Jersey Senate voted to confirm Palmer’s nomination to serve as a Judge in the Superior Court. Governor Phil Murphy nominated him on June 10 and his name was placed on a list of nominees to the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee.
“This is my dream job,” Palmer told JerseyShoreOnline.com today. “Becoming a judge has always been my career aspiration and I am extremely humbled to be selected. As the saying goes, when one door opens another shuts.”
“My time as your mayor has come to an end. Earlier today, I submitted my letter of resignation. The next mayor will be chosen by the Township Council and I am confident whomever is selected will continue to lead the town in a direction that improves our residents’ day to day lives,” Palmer added.
“I want to personally thank you for bestowing the honor and privilege of serving as your mayor for the past six and one half years. With the trust you provided me, I have tried to make decisions that would improve your daily lives.
“I am proud of the many accomplishments over the past six and one half years, from incorporating the leaf vacuum into our fall clean up to refurbishing our parks, implementing the energy aggregation program, improving our infrastructure and bolstering our emergency services, we have accomplished a lot in a short amount of time,” he said.
Mayor Palmer said that there were many people he wished to thank. “All of the accomplishments I mentioned above and beyond are due to the wonderful employees in our township. They are smart, capable and dedicated to Manchester Township.”
“I want to thank the current Township Council and prior members. When I was elected, I didn’t know them but appreciated their support over the years. I especially would like to publicly thank my assistants Jeanne Cribbin (in my law office) and Margaret Camposano (in town hall). These two ladies have kept my life organized, made it possible to work two demanding jobs, been two of my most trusted confidants and two of my best friends. I also want to thank Donna Markulic and James Gant, the real brains behind the operation,” the mayor said.
The mayor said “of course, I have to thank my wife and children. They have always been encouraging and understanding each time I had to come home late, take a call or miss a family event. Anybody who serves in this job must either be single or have an incredible spouse which I do.”
Final Thoughts As Mayor
“Lastly, and most importantly, thank you residents for the humbling honor to be your Mayor. I am proud to say I served Manchester Township. In case anyone was wondering, barring any unforeseen setbacks, the new water tower will be operational in the fall and we should not have any lawn watering restrictions next summer,” Mayor Palmer added.
Township employees gathered for a surprise farewell that served to celebrate Palmer’s new position as a judge and to say goodbye to him as mayor.
Several community members, friends, and Township employees in attendance spoke about Mayor Palmer during the farewell noting his care for the community, and his dedicated efforts to improve life in the township for all residents.
“You’re the best boss I’ve ever worked for,” said Police Chief Lisa Parker. “You are a leader amongst leaders. You have left this entire community better off. We are so proud of you.” Parker was sworn in as police chief two months after Palmer took the oath of office as mayor in 2015. She is ending her service as police chief on June 30 beginning her retirement after 32 years serving the township police department.
Pastor Owen Alston, who has known Palmer since he was a child, said that he is “incredibly proud of this young man” and the positive changes he brought to Manchester Township. “This is your family and you had a lot to do with shaping them.”
Dennis Adams, Manchester Township High School principal and lifelong friend of Palmer, said that he is a man of integrity who always adhered to his “core values. That is not something that is easily done. We’re proud of you. We’re looking forward to you to do great and better things.”
Public Works Director Al Yodakis praised the Palmer’s ability to not only build a cohesive team of municipal employees, but to lead them to the benefit of our residents. “I can’t say enough about him.”
The mayor thanked the Township employees who he said helped to bring about his vision of change during his time in office. “There are so many people here who do so much. Really, the credit belongs to you.”
