An 'Especially Special' Day for Town's New Mayor

An old political era in Bridgewater ended and a new one began on New Year’s Day.

In a low-key ceremony before a standing-room-only ceremony at the , Dan Hayes was sworn into a four-year term as mayor.

Patricia Flannery, who served two terms as mayor and declined to run for re-election, received a proclamation from the township council and a standing ovation from those in attendance, including Rep. Leonard Lance, State Sen. Kip Bateman and all five Somerset County freeholders.

Also taking the oath of office were council members Christine Henderson Rose and Matthew Moench, who were elected in November. With Hayes assuming the mayor’s office, the council will be appointing a replacement to his seat on the council.

In his inaugural address, Hayes, calling the day “especially special for me,” said he has a “full commitment” to his new position which he called “daunting, invigorating and very humbling.”

Hayes said the main challenge of the coming years is to maintain the township’s “quality of life which is the envy of others.”

Though the township “is still in the grips an economic storm,” the mayor noted that “thankfully, Bridgewater has fared better than many others.”

However, the mayor warned, “the wind is still in our face.” He added that the township will have to be “resourceful,” including exploring new sources of revenue and continuing to review municipal operations.

Hayes emphasized that the township government will be “transparent.” He also said the government will be “inclusive” and that diversity is one of the township’s strengths.

The mayor also said “long-term thinking is critical” and said an ad hoc committee will be created to study whether the township’s broadband needs are being met.

Hayes was confident that the township will be able to face challenges.

“When the wind eventually turns to our back, Bridgewater will be well-positioned," he said.

Outgoing Council President Howard Norgalis presented Flanney with a proclamation, thanking her for more than a dozen of years of service to the township. Flannery “put her heart and soul into the job” and displayed an “obvious dedication to a job well done.”

Flannery, the township’s first woman mayor, returned the mayoralty to Republican hands in 2003 after Democrat James Dowden, who was mayor for two decades, did not seek re-election.

Norgalis said that under Flannery’s administration, the new municipal complex, first envisioned in the early 1990s, was completed and the township’s municipal use property tax rate remained the lowest in Somerset County.

Allen Kurdyla, the new council president, also recognized the dedication of Flannery.

“The future can not hold enough joy for the Flannery family,” he said, adding that the former mayor is expecting her first grandchild.

The priorities of the township for the coming year, Kurdyla said, include infrastructure concerns, shared services and regionalization, ongoing litigation and the open space master plan.

The council president said elected officials will maintain an “open dialogue” with residents and urged residents to volunteer.

“It’s a way of life in Bridgewater,” he said.

Kurdyla made the meeting’s only comment about Jim Naples returning as township administrator.

“Jim, we’re going to have some fun,” Kurdyla said.

Just one year after he left to serve as public works and business administrator in Clinton Township, Naples is returning to Bridgewater as township administrator, a post he held for seven years and vacated last January. The administrator post  is an appointment of the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

Naples’s return will cause and township engineer, which he vacated when he was appointed administrator at the beginning of 2011.

Natasha Turchan was also re-appointed director of the Department of Finance, Chris Poulsen as director of the Department of Human Services, Richard Borden as director of the Department of Police and William B. Savo as director of the Department of Law Servives. Scarlett Doyle was named township planner and Francesco Taddeo was named public defender in municipal court.