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Governmental operation is by a Mayor and Council form of government with the Mayor elected at-large by the voters to a two-year term and an eight-member Council elected by the voters, two from each of the four (4) wards, on a staggered basis for two-year terms. The Mayor and Council operate on a legislative basis, with the Mayor having veto power.
The day-to-day operations fall within the jurisdiction of the Town Administrator whose duties are specified by local ordinance, and who generally carries out the policies adopted by the Mayor and Council. The Town maintains full-time professional management to assist in the conduct of its affairs. It has 18 major departments, with each department’s operation overseen by one or more Council members.
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Mayor Alberto G. Santos has been Mayor of Kearny since January 1, 2000. He was re-elected as Mayor in 2001, 2003 and 2005. Previously he served as councilman of Kearny's Second Ward for one year. The Mayor is a graduate of Georgetown University (Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service), B.S.F.S., and the New York University School of Law, J.D. and LL.M. (Tax Law). He is admitted as an attorney in the States of New Jersey and New York.
Mayor Santos serves as the Clerk to the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders. He was previously an associate in the New York office of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton and in the Newark office of Saiber, Schlesinger, Satz & Goldstein.
Mayor Santos is a member of the Town Planning Board, Kearny Economic Zone Development Corporation, Kearny Municipal Utilities Authority and the New Jersey Meadowlands Municipal Committee. He is also chairman of the Town's Department of Public Works Committee and the Kearny Democratic Party. Mayor Santos is proficient in Portuguese and Spanish. |
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Council member 1st Ward Alexa Arce has lived in Kearny for over 20 years. This is her second term as the First Ward Councilwoman. She is a Graduate of St. Cecilia’s Grammer School and Kearny High School. Graduate of Berkeley College of Business with an Associate Degree in Office Administration. Graduate of Pace University with a Bachelor Degree in Human Relations/ Applied Psychology.
Alexa is the Chairperson for the Transportation. She is on the Police, Water, and Recreation, Beautification Committees. She is the current council liaison for the Planning Board and the Board of Health.
Alexa has been employed with Bank of America (formally Fleet Bank) for the over 10 years. She is on the Team Bank of America Volunteer Networks and the Diversity Committee.
Over the past few years Alexa has volunteered her time and raising funds for the following organizations:
March of Dimes Walk America, Project HOPE (Homebound Outreach Project for the Elderly) at Beth Israel Medical Center, Aids Walk, Making Strides – Walk for Breast and Ovarian Cancer.
Over the past few years Alexa has volunteered her time and raising funds for the following organizations:
March of Dimes Walk America, Project HOPE (Homebound Outreach Project for the Elderly) at Beth Israel Medical Center, Aids Walk, Making Strides – Walk for Breast and Ovarian Cancer.
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| Council member 1st ward David Krusznis was appointed to the Council in February 2005. Mr. Krusznis presently serves on the Fire Committee, DPW/Shade Tree Committee, Buildings Committee and the Legislative Committee. He is also the Council liaison to the Municipal Court and a Commissioner on the Board of Health.
Councilman Krusznis is a Captain in the Hudson County Department of Corrections and is a Commanding Officer in Internal Affairs/ Special Investigations. He and his wife Annette (Ferraioli) have two children David and Gianna. In addition to his police training, Councilman Krusznis has certifications in management, supervision and leadership. He served as President of PBA Local 109A for the last eight years from 1996 until November 2004, Chairman of the Ethics Committee of PBA local 109A from 1992 until November 2004 and Co- Chairman of the Negotiations Committee from 1994 through 2004. |
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Council member 2nd Ward Barbara Cifelli Sherry a 35 year resident of the Second Ward, is serving her fourth term as Councilwoman. During her tenure she has served as Chairperson of the Police Department and the License Committee. She has also served on the Water Committee, the Insurance Commission, Finance committee and is a voting member of the Kearny Enterprise Zone Development Corporation. For the past two years, she has served as Council President.
Prior to holding public office, Mrs. Sherry operated a family restaurant in Harrison and she recently retired from the commercial insurance business.
Born in Harrison, she was educated at Washington School, Saint Cecilia High Scholl and Newark State College (Kean).
She is the widow of the former Kearny CFO, Dennis Sherry; mother of seven and grandmother of twelve.
Councilwoman Sherry's approach to elected office is simple: be honest and accessible.
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| Council member 2nd Ward Laura Cifelli-Pettigrew is a lifelong resident of Kearny. She has served as a 2nd Ward Council member since January 2000.
Education:
- Graduate of Franklin School and Kearny High School
- Graduate of Seton Hall University, Bachelor of Arts Degree
- Kean College, Teacher of Pre-school and K-8 N J State Teaching Certificate
Memberships and Community Service:
- 2nd Ward Councilwoman
- Kearny High School PTA member
- NJ Education Association member
- Operation Friendship member
- Kearny High School Project Graduation, founding member and active participant
- Kearny High School Soccer Booster Club member
- Former member of Franklin School PTA
- Former Child Shield representative
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| Council member 3rd Ward Carol Jean Doyle has lived in Kearny over 35 years and is serving her fourth term. She serves as chairperson for Finance, Seniors and the United Veterans Organization. She serves on the following committees: Museum, Fire and Department of Public Works/Shade Tree. She is a member of the Kearny Municipal Utilities Authority, 25 year member of the Kearny Safety Council and a 12 year member of the Kearny Municipal Alliance. She served as a Recreation Commissioner for 5 years.
She is one of the founding members of the Kearny Domestic Violence Task force and Neighborhood Watch Program. Presently she is first vice president and board member of Pathways to Independence.
She has served as past president of the The Woman’s Club of Arlington, American Legion Auxiliary Unite #99 and the Hudson County American Cancer Society.
Annually she serves as chair for the Passaic River Clean-Up, Senior Picnic, Memorial Day Parade and the Christmas Giving Tree.
Carol Jean is married to Norman A. Doyle, Jr.; they have two children Meghan married to Jon Zimmerman and Norman III. They are the proud grandparents to Ryan and Kelsey.
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| Council member 3rd Ward Eileen Eckel took her seat as a Third Ward Council Representative in January 2005. Mrs. Eckel currently serves on the Recreation, Buildings and Legislative Committees and chairs the Beautification and Lighting Committees. She also acts as the council liaison to the Library Board. Councilwoman Eckel is a middle school English teacher in Fairlawn. A graduate of Montclair State University, she is now enrolled in a Master’s Program in Educational Technology at Ramapo College. Eileen and her husband Thomas are the proud parents of Brian and Tara.
Mrs. Eckel is a former member of the Kearny Board of Education and the Kearny Zoning Board. She is active in several local service organizations including Kearny High School PTA, Kearny PTA Council and the Friends of Erin.
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Council member 4th Ward Michael D. Landy
has served as councilman of the 4th ward since November of 2003. He has been a 4th Ward homeowner since 1992 and is married to lifetime
Kearny resident Joette (Maiore) Landy. He is the extremely proud father of three: Michael, age five, Nicole, age three, and Jake, age one. Michael received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from New Jersey City University and his New Jersey Teachers certification and Masters Degree in School Administration from Saint Peter's College in Jersey City.
He has been employed by the
Harrison
School district since 1991, serving as an 8th grade teacher in
Washington
Middle school for 12 years and is currently a History Teacher at
Harrison High School teaching classes in United States History, Geography, and Political Science. Mr. Landy was nominated for the Disney Teacher of the Year in 2002 and served as the Head Baseball Coach at Harrison
High School for 13 years before stepping down in 2004 with the most victories of any baseball coach in school history. He was named the Head Football Coach at
Harrison High School in 1998 after serving as an assistant coach for seven years. In 1997 Mr. Landy was elected President of the Harrison Teachers Union. Both Michael and his wife Joette are members of the Schuyler PTA.
Michael presently serves as the chair of the Fire Committee and the Recreation Committee and also sits on the Ordinance,Water, Transportation, Lighting, Senior Citizens, and Beautification Committees. He is also the council liaison to the Kearny Board of Education and the Emergency Squad.
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Council member 4th Ward Susan McCurrie has served as a Fourth Ward Council member since May 2004. She currently serves as chair of the ordinance committee, and sits on the finance, insurance and senior citizens committees. Councilwoman McCurrie is Kearny’s representative to the Hudson County Brownfields Pilot Program and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission on the Arts. She was also special counsel to the town for the senior housing project on Schuyler Avenue and attorney for the Kearny Enterprise Zone Development Corporation.
Born and raised in Kearny, Ms. McCurrie is a graduate of Kearny High School, Seton Hall University (B.A. in English), and New York Law School (J.D.). She is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and New York. After law school, she clerked for the Hon. John A. McLaughlin in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Hudson County. She was an attorney for the New York City Human Resources Administration, Estates/Medicaid division and is currently a partner with her father, Paul and her brother, Stephen in the law firm of McCurrie McCurrie & McCurrie, LLC in Kearny.
Ms. McCurrie has been an active member of many service, social and professional organizations including: the Kearny Friends of Erin, the West Hudson Bar Association and the West Hudson Kiwanis Club. |
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