Mayor Berger Sworn In To 2nd Term, Thomas Russo Named Dep. Mayor

HOWELL, NJ - Familiar faces on the Howell Township Council took up new positions during the township’s annual reorganization meeting last week: While Mayor Theresa Berger was sworn in for a second term during the Jan. 5 virtual meeting, the deputy mayor role was passed from Republican Councilwoman Evelyn O’Donnell to Republican Councilman Thomas Russo.

Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling (D-Monmouth) administered the mayor’s oath of office before Berger issued the following comments:

“To the citizens of Howell: thank you for your confidence, which was evident with an overwhelming reelection. I will work hard to fulfill our dreams of good, positive development and maintaining our trust,” Berger said at the meeting.

In her remarks, the mayor stated her eagerness to work with the governing bodies of the township on issues of transparency, overdevelopment, internet service, open space and bipartisanship, “the only way we should govern our town.”

“We should run this town by voting for the betterment of Howell as a whole,” Berger said. “When we all work together, our community thrives.”

Berger cited a few goals for the council in 2021, including setting budget goals to prevent taxes from increasing, expanding the successful farmers market into a year-round event, starting a mentoring program between local professionals and Howell High School students and implementing a “Shop Howell” program to assist local businesses.

The mayor added the hope for more community events once the pandemic subsides to include music, food trucks, turning Howell Day into an Oktoberfest event and bringing in a beer garden for residents to enjoy.

Former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli swore in O'Donnell for a new council term, with the former deputy mayor issuing the following comments:

“I think that we are quite a unique community. I know that this is the first evening of the rest of Howell’s future, and together many things can happen and many things will happen. Many things are underway and many projects are still to come.”

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden swore in Russo, who was unanimously elected by the council to take the deputy spot.

"I was watching Miracle and Herb Brooks said, ‘Great moments are born from great opportunity’ and if this past year has taught us anything, there is no shortage of opportunities to do some great things. We had some difficult times, some challenging times, but I believe there are brighter days ahead for Howell and opportunities to do some great things together,” Russo said.

In Howell, the mayor oversees the council and is elected alongside four council members, all of whom serve four-year terms. The group selects a deputy mayor each year at its annual reorganization meeting. In the absence of the mayor, the deputy mayor runs the council meetings.

O'Donnell was challenged in November by Mayor Theresa Berger's Democrat running mate Andre de Garmeaux, who demanded a recount of the votes three weeks after the general election. O'Donnell ran alongside mayoral candidate Suzanne Brennan. While the recount saw O'Donnell picking up several more votes, an exact count was not immediately available. Read more: Recount Confirms O'Donnell's Howell Council Spot