BERKELEY – Mayor Carmen Amato sat down with a reporter during his last month as mayor, in an office with awards and other memorabilia, and said that leaving this post – which he’s had for 12 years – was bittersweet.
Becoming elected as a senator for District 9 is a dream, but it means he won’t be involved in the day-to-day operations of a town that he loves so much.
Moving up to Trenton is not his first change in scenery. He has been an elected official for more than three decades. He started as a Berkeley Board of Education member before moving on to Central Regional, then Township Council.
With State Senator Christopher Connors not running for re-election, Amato decided to take a shot at the post. It will be the first time that someone held the seat without the last name Connors, as Christopher’s father Leonard was first voted into that role when the 9th District was redistricted in 1981. It’s been Republican ever since. Amato will be joining Assemblyman Brian Rumpf and Stafford Mayor, Assemblyman-elect Gregory Myhre in making laws for the state from our area.
Throughout his tenure as mayor, the Township Council frequently sent resolutions to the governor, the 9th District, and other decision makers about what they thought should happen on the state level. Now, Amato will be the one making the decisions.
To a point, at least. As a Republican, he’s in the minority in Trenton, and as a junior member of the Senate, he’ll have a lot of fighting – or reaching across the aisle – to do in order to make progress.
“I’ve already got a to-do list,” he said.
One item involves an unfunded mandate that the state compels towns to do. Disabled veterans don’t have to pay property tax. Amato has always said that this is a great program, and a wonderful way to thank veterans. However, the towns lose out on tax revenue. In a town with a huge senior population, like Berkeley, that means that they lose out on quite a bit. In 2020, Berkeley officials estimated that they lost out on $1,188,068.59 in taxes.
Connors and his team had previously written a bill requiring the state to reimburse towns for these amounts, and Amato vowed to continue working toward that end. The 9th District was redrawn after the census, and Amato now represents Manchester, another town with a large senior and veteran population.
Another bone of contention has been state aid for schools. Local officials have been upset that so much of the funding is redirected toward urban schools up north, causing shortages in suburban schools. Amato and the Township Council has endorsed a plan that each student get a set amount of aid.
It’s these kinds of “common sense” solutions to problems that he hopes to champion as a lawmaker.
“I always prided myself in my ability to work across the aisle,” he said. When he was on the council, he worked with Mayor Jason Varano, a Democrat. “A lot of that is missing in Trenton – and D.C.” He wants to be a citizen legislator, and “fight for the people I represent.”
Looking Back
These 12 years weren’t easy. Superstorm Sandy happened 10 months into his first term. Suddenly, the town he loved was a literal disaster area.
“That’s something you never forget,” he said. “Public Works was picking up people’s whole lives. People were putting out all of their memories on the curb.” As the garbage collectors went up one side of the street, by the time they came back around, the curbs were full again.
There were widespread power outages and trees blocking roads. Then, the police had to blockade certain areas to keep looters out.
The bay shore areas of town like Good Luck Point and Glen Cove still have not fully recovered. Some houses are permanently gone, and the land purchased by the county as open space.
Adding insult to injury, the Federal Emergency Management Agency released new flood maps that required people to rebuild their homes way higher than they expected. The town fought it.
“We learned a lot from Sandy,” he said. “We weren’t as prepared as we thought as a municipality.”
There were also forest fires to contend with, and of course the pandemic.
Some issues will continue, such as the redevelopment of the former Beachwood Mall on Route 9 and the de-annexation attempt by South Seaside Park. Neither of these are new issues, but their outcome might be what defines incoming Mayor John Bacchione’s term.
Amato prided himself on improving recreation in town, both in the physical sense and in supporting youth activities.
“I remember playing on fields that had broken glass,” he said. So, an early goal of his was to improve all the parks in town.
“We’re looking to make investments in youth,” he said. If they’re not busy, they’ll get into trouble. Using public-private partnerships, grant funding, and help from locals like Hall of Famer Al Leiter, the town did a lot of projects for recreation. Now, children enjoy turf fields, the Bob Everett Little League complex, and more. Youth sports become feeder systems for the high school teams, ensuring their success, which also garners sports scholarships and brighter futures for the graduates.
Most people think of Berkeley as Route 9, but there’s acres upon acres west of that road, much of it landlocked. It’s here that tons of development could have happened, but it didn’t.
Partnering with the county, more than 1,000 acres of open space has been permanently preserved. These include the NJ Pulverizing plant, the WOBM pit, the Cedar Creek Campground, and parts of Blackbeard’s Cave. The pulverizing property would have been 4,500 homes alone. Berkeley would have been a lot different if these had been developed.
Amato credited the help from Township Councilman John Bacchione, who is a member of the county’s advisory committee for purchasing open space.
“John’s going to (start) with a balanced budget and $12 million in surplus,” he said. This is a far jump from when Amato started, with $10,000 in surplus and $1 million over budget from the previous administration.
“I thank the voters – they’re the ones who made it all possible. I also want to thank all the employees who worked hard throughout Sandy and snowstorms” and other challenges. “They’ve always put people first.”
“With all the challenges, we’ve stood together, did a good job, and improved the bond rating.
Some of the accomplishments have been great for morale, like saving the iconic Bayville Dinosaur and helping der Wunder Wiener re-open.
“I’m going to miss all of this,” he said.
Other people are going to miss him too, it seems. At his last Township Council meeting as mayor, many people came out to give their regards.
One of them was long-time County Commissioner Joseph Vicari, who said that Amato and Bacchione listen to the residents. “They serve the people – not themselves.”
“The best place to live and retire is Berkeley Township, and that’s why Carmen is going to be a senator,” he said.
Mayor-elect Bacchione described Amato’s service as an elected official since 1994, and also noted his work on the Ocean County Commission on Missing and Exploited Children, the Ocean County Board of Health, PTAs, Central Regional Alumni Association, Knights of Columbus, Holy Name Society, Italian American Club, and the Ocean County Utilities Authority.
“Thank you for all the years you served in Berkeley Township,” he said.
Berkeley Township Superintendent James Roselli said that he met with Amato in 2012 after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that killed 26 people. Because of the mayor, “uniformed police officers have been in the schools since 2012.”
“We know that Carmen will still be a friend of Berkeley’s and that John will do a good job,” he said.
Police Chief Kevin Santucci said how much easier it is to do your job when the mayor and council supports you.
Confidential assistant Gina Russo has been working with him since he became mayor and “I can assure you that he’s worked tirelessly 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
She was one of many township officials who referred to Amato’s text messages at 3 or 4 a.m. She presented him with a leadership award from the administration.
“No one loves this town more than Carmen Amato,” she said.
Councilman Keith Buscio said “I’m proud to be a member of the Township Council while Carmen is mayor.”
“Saying ‘thank you’ seems so small,” Councilwoman Sophia Gingrich said. “All of our Berkeley residents and Ocean County residents benefitted from your wisdom and kindness.”
Councilman Angelo Guadagno thanked him for supporting things that made a big difference, like the school supply drive, and for “getting involved in everything and getting it done.”
Councilman James Byrnes admitted that he was probably Amato’s biggest “pain in the ass,” and that he’ll continue to be the same to Bacchione. But he also thanked Amato for what he did for Berkeley and “now you got to do this for the other 19 towns.”
Councilman Michael Signorile thanked the mayor for mentoring him. “I look forward to a good run with John, too.”
Councilman Thomas Grosse said “He’s done a lot for us. We love you. Good luck.”
Council President and Mayor-elect John Bacchione said “You did a great job as mayor and on the school boards. Berkeley Township has been lucky to have you.”
Township officials such as clerk Karen Stallings, attorney Lauren Staiger, planner Jim Oris, and engineer John LeCompte also gave their regards.
“It’s been a hell of a ride,” Amato said in his emotional final address to the residents.
He thanked his wife, Nellie, and son C.J., for enduring the last 32 years. “(The years) haven’t been easy. Without the support of your family, you cannot be in public service.”
He thanked his late father, who “30 years ago, stood in front of Bayville School, handing out cards to residents asking them to vote for his son for school board. Thanks Dad.”
He thanked Bob Wray and former Councilman Nat Abbe, a Democrat who took him under his wing when he joined the council, and taught him a lot about finances. He thanked Anthony DePaola, former president of the Republican Club. “I miss all those guys.”
He thanked former members of his team of elected officials, Karen Davis, Kevin Askew, Fran Siddons, and Judy Noonan, and the current members of the council, Bacchione, Buscio, Byrnes, Gingrich, Grosse, Guadagno, and Signorile.
He thanked first responders, employees, voters, and current and former administration officials such as John Camera and Fred Ebeneu. He called Gina Russo a rock that kept his feet on the ground.
He said when he was going door to door, introducing himself to voters, some people said that they only see politicians at election time. So, he vowed to make himself accessible to meet with groups, and said he recently had his 123rd miniature town hall since taking office.
“I might be fighting the good fight in Trenton, but my heart is in Berkeley Township,” he said.
