Lacey Swears In Mayor, Committeemen

Mayor Peter Curatolo gets sworn in by Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-3rd) at the Lacey Township re-organization meeting as his family looks on. (Photo by Chris Lundy)

LACEY – The Lacey Township Committee swore in a new mayor and deputy mayor, and assigned professional duties during its re-organization meeting on New Year’s Day.

Lacey has a five-member committee, and they choose which of them becomes mayor for a one-year term. Committeeman Peter Curatolo will perform his first year as mayor.

“It’s a great honor and I’m humbled,” he said.

Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-3rd) was on hand to swear in the new mayor. He also swore in Committeeman Nicholas Juliano as deputy mayor. Curatolo and Committeeman Steven Kennis were sworn into their three-year terms as committee members, after winning last year’s election. The committee members thanked MacArthur for taking time out of his schedule to be in Lacey on New Year’s.

Curatolo, 47, works as the director of the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center for the Ocean County Health Department. He thanked his wife and family for their support.

In response to being mayor, “It’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly,” he told the few dozen people gathered for the meeting. “If you have a question or concern, call 609-693-1100 and I’ll return the call.”

He then dispersed credit to the volunteers and families in town for doing the real work. “You are the reason Lacey is the place it is.”

Committeeman Steven Kennis gets sworn in by Rep. Tom MacArthur at the Lacey Township re-organization meeting as his family looks on. (Photo by Chris Lundy)

The committee members thanked Kennis for his year as mayor, and he thanked the committee and his friends and family for support.

Juliano, after being sworn in as deputy mayor, said it had been a great year for the committee. “People say ‘make America great,’ well, we’re going to make Lacey Township greater.”

Committeeman Gary Quinn, who has been on the committee the longest, thanked the rest of the politicians in attendance but also took time to single out Township Clerk Veronica Laureigh and Township Attorney Lauren Staiger. They do the day-to-day heavy work of making the town run. Additionally, he thanked the volunteers that will be appointed to various boards to do projects in town.

The committee also appointed several professionals during the meeting.

Township attorney: Gilmore and Monahan

Special legal counsel, when Gilmore’s firm has a conflict: Dasti, Murphy, McGuckin, Ulaky, Koutsouris & Connors

Engineer: O’Donnell Stanton and Associates

Prosecutor: Steven Zabarsky

Conflict prosecutor: Dasti, Murphy, McGuckin, Ulaky, Koutsouris & Connors; and Steven Smith

Auditor: Rodney Haines from Holman Frenia Allison P.C.

Public defender: Brian Rumpf

Labor counsel: James Holzapfel

Bond counsel: Meghan Bennett Clark

Tax map maintenance engineer: East Coast Engineering

Township planner: John Hess of CME Engineering

Director of Community Development: Chris Reid

Recreation director: James Wioland

Municipal Alliance Coordinator: Heather Scanlon

Public agency affirmative action officer: Veronica Laureigh

Laureigh noted that they are currently seeking more volunteers to fill some positions. They are looking for members for the Senior Citizen Recreation Committee. The Senior Citizen Advisory Committee needs a representative from Bamber and one from Lanoka Harbor.