Palmer Confirmed As Judge, Steps Downs As Manchester Mayor

MANCHESTER, NJ — Two weeks after his name was submitted as a nominee, Manchester Mayor Kenneth Palmer has been confirmed as a Superior Court judge.

Palmer, who was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate on Thursday, submitted his letter of resignation on Friday.

"Becoming a judge has always been my career aspiration and I am extremely humbled to be selected," Palmer said in an announcement on the township's website. "As the saying goes, when one door opens another shuts. My time as your Mayor has come to an end."

The Manchester Township Council will choose Palmer's replacement. The council is set to resume in-person meetings beginning with its meeting on Monday, now that restrictions have been lifted on in-person gatherings as the coronavirus pandemic wanes. The council meeting is set for 6 p.m. in the courtroom in the municipal building, 1 Colonial Drive.

"I am confident whomever is selected will continue to lead the town in a direction that improves our residents’ day-to-day lives," Palmer said, and thanked the council, some of whose members were serving when he ousted longtime Mayor Michael Fressola in 2014, for their support along the way.

"I want to personally thank you for bestowing the honor and privilege of serving as your Mayor for the past six and one-half years," Palmer wrote in his farewell letter. "With the trust you provided me, I have tried to make decisions that would improve your daily lives."

Palmer said there are a number of things the township accomplished, including incorporating the leaf vacuum into the town's fall clean-up, refurbishing parks, implementing the energy aggregation program, improving infrastructure and bolstering the town's emergency services, "due to the wonderful employees in our township. They are smart, capable and dedicated to Manchester Township."

He said the town's new water tower, which has been in the midst of construction, should be operational in the fall barring any setbacks, which should put an end to lawn-watering restrictions that have been put in place annually.

Palmer also thanked his assistants, Jeanne Cribbin at his law office, and Margaret Camposano at town hall.

"These two ladies have kept my life organized, made it possible to work two demanding jobs, been two of my most trusted confidants and two of my best friends," he said, and thanked Donna Markulic, who had been the township's business administrator until earlier this year, and James Gant, the assistant business administrator.

"Of course, I have to thank my wife and children. They have always been encouraging and understanding each time I had to come home late, take a call or miss a family event," Palmer said. Anybody who serves in this job must either be single or have an incredible spouse (which I do)."

Palmer, 48, graduated from Tulane Law School in 1997 and served a judicial clerkship with the Superior Court Judge Donald F. Campbell in Ocean County for one year, then was an associate attorney for six years at the law firm of Finley & Buckley, PC in Atlanta, Georgia. Palmer returned to Ocean County in 2004 and opened his firm, Law Offices of Kenneth T Palmer, PC.

Palmer was elected mayor of Manchester's nonpartisan government in 2014, ousting Fressola, who had served four terms. Palmer won re-election in 2018.

New Jersey's deadline for non-partisan candidates to file nominating positions to be on the November ballot is Aug. 30.

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Manchester Patch on Facebook.