Transcript: 

Before I begin, I want to thank my lovely bride of 37 years, Susan Boyd — who also happens to have been my high school crush as we were growing up in Leonia.

There is no way for me to adequately thank Sue for her patience, her support, and her sacrifice. I simply could not do this work without her.  

And you should thank her as well — because she helped cut this speech down to something much closer to ten minutes. For that alone, she deserves your appreciation.

I also want to thank my sons, Brad and Justin, who every day remind me why this work is important.  

 It’s hard to believe that two years have already passed since I was sworn in. It feels like yesterday. Serving Leonia in this role has been — and continues to be — an extraordinary honor.

With my corporate career now behind me, and the gift of time that comes with retirement, I’ve had the privilege of doing something deeply meaningful: serving the community I’ve always called home.

One thing I’ve learned in a BIG way about serving on the Governing Body and being Mayor is this: progress is rarely loud. More often, it looks like long meetings, difficult conversations, careful planning, and decisions that don’t always please everyone in the moment — but are made with the long view in mind. That is the work we have been doing. And it is the work we will continue to do.

Tonight, I’ll share some important progress we’ve made — particularly in affordable housing, redevelopment, and our fiscal footing — and outline where we are headed next.

First, I want to thank my colleagues on the governing body. These roles are not easy, and they rarely come with much recognition. Each member brings a deep commitment to Leonia, a willingness to dig into complex issues, and a genuine desire to do what they believe is right for the community. I ask a great deal of them, and they deserve our appreciation.

Leonia is also powered by volunteers. Tonight, we will appoint residents to our boards, commissions, and committees, and we will swear in the officers of the Leonia Volunteer Fire Department — an organization that stands ready 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to protect lives and property. Their service, and the service of so many volunteers, is part of what makes Leonia special.

And none of this works, of course, without strong professional staff.

I want to thank our Borough Administrator, Marisa Mesropian — an exceptional partner in this work. I think Marisa dreams about affordable housing in her sleep.  You simply cannot run a borough without a strong COO, and Leonia is fortunate to have one.

I also want to recognize our Borough Clerk, Jonathan Mandel, now completing his second year. Jonathan has worked tirelessly to ensure that the clerk operations — including tonight’s reorganization — run smoothly and professionally. Along with our CFO, Issa Abbasi, who has brought much needed stability and expertise to bear and all our department heads across public safety, public works, the library, and recreation, this team provides the stability and competence good government depends on.

Over the past two years, I believe we have made real and measurable progress.

That’s not to say we’re without challenges. Serious issues remain. But I believe strongly that Leonia is in a far better position today, particularly when it comes to redevelopment, affordable housing, our financial path, short-term flooding mitigation, how we serve our senior community, our relationship with the County, and our partnership with our largest employer, Kulite.

Let me start with affordable housing.  

This year, we took deliberate and responsible steps to meet our affordable housing obligations — in a way that protects Leonia’s long-term interests and respects the character of our neighborhoods.

By investing the time to understand complex state rules and assembling the right professional team, Leonia secured legal immunity from builder’s-remedy lawsuits. 

I’m very pleased to announce today that we have negotiated favorable settlements on Grand Avenue at Station Parkway and at Christie Heights Street.  

The builder’s remedy lawsuit at Station Parkway initially called for more than 150 units in a 5-6 story building which would have overwhelmed our neighbors and added substantially to traffic, congestion and parking concerns.  I am pleased to announce we have successfully managed this lawsuit and have settled at 14 - 19 units down from the original 150+. Let me say that again, we have settled at between 14 and 19 units.  We can all now breathe a collective sigh of relief but no one more than our neighbors on Spring Street.

There’s another win…  The High Jump Realty suit at Christie Heights and Grand has been settled at 12 down from the proposal of 60+.  

Leonia’s interests were protected. We did not cave to the use of affordable housing as leverage or compromise our density principles.  We stood by our carefully crafted housing plan—one that satisfies our obligations as a municipality and then some. Our position was so compelling that both the Arbitrator and the Judge supported a dramatically lower density than originally proposed. Had this gone the other way, it would have set a damaging precedent and seriously jeopardized our ability to remain true to our goal of restoring, enhancing, preserving, and protecting the small-town character, charm, and traditions that define Leonia. 

These are significant wins for Leonia.

More broadly, this governing body has been disciplined and consistent. We are limiting residential overdevelopment while emphasizing the importance of growing commercial and mixed-use ratables — a balance that protects neighborhoods and helps rebalance the tax burden on homeowners.

That same lens guides our approach to redevelopment and to the Borough’s finances.

When I took office, approximately 93 percent of Leonia’s tax burden fell on homeowners. That imbalance is neither fair nor sustainable. Fixing it cannot be done through cuts alone, and it cannot be solved in a single budget cycle. It requires a long-term strategy — growing the tax base responsibly, controlling costs, and aligning revenues with services.

We now have that strategy.

Under the leadership of our Finance Committee and Councilman Christoph Hesterbrink as Chair, our financial records have been cleaned up and clarified, and our auditors are commending the Borough on transparency and organization. At the same time, we are pursuing smart shared-services opportunities and partnerships that help control costs without compromising service.

We are also strengthening our relationship with Leonia’s largest taxpayer and employer, Kulite. Kulite exemplifies corporate citizenship — supporting scholarships, STEM education, our library, Leonia Day, and so much more. As they grow, we are exploring responsible, transparent ways to help meet their operational needs while strengthening Leonia’s tax base and improving our long-term financial position.

This is what thoughtful partnership looks like — and it benefits the entire community.

So let me close with this.

Leonia is a small town — but what we do here matters. It matters to the families raising children here. It matters to the seniors who built their lives here. And it matters to the next generation that will one day decide whether Leonia is a place worth staying in.

The work we’ve talked about tonight — redevelopment, affordable housing, fiscal discipline, partnerships — is not abstract. It determines whether this community remains affordable, welcoming, and strong.

One thing I’ve learned over the past two years is that informed participation matters. By last count 3000 residents now read my monthly mayor updates. That tells me people want information, context, and transparency — and when residents are informed, they engage constructively.

Looking ahead to 2026, our priorities are clear:

• Building on our affordable housing plans

• Engaging developers as true partners

• Continuing to rebalance the tax burden on homeowners

• And securing funding for more permanent flooding solutions

None of this is easy. All of it matters.

I am deeply confident that Leonia is up to the task — because Leonia has always been defined by people who step up. People who volunteer. People who serve. People who believe that local government, done right, can still make a real difference.

As your Mayor, I am proud of the direction we are heading. I am grateful for the trust you have placed in me. And I remain committed to doing this work with integrity, transparency, and an unwavering focus on Leonia’s future.

What we do today will determine whether future generations can enjoy this remarkable place we call home.

Thank you for your time tonight. Thank you for your engagement. And thank you for believing in Leonia.