By Matthew Sockol
Staff Writer
MILLSTONE – A long-serving member of the Township Committee in Millstone Township will serve as mayor of the municipality for the first time in 2017.
The committee held its annual reorganization meeting on Jan. 4.
Republican Committeeman Bob Kinsey, the winning candidate in the Nov. 8 election, was sworn in by Monmouth County Freeholder Tom Arnone to serve a new three-year term on the governing body. Kinsey joined the committee in 2005.
After he was sworn in, Kinsey, who served as mayor from 2014-16, nominated Republican Committeeman Michael Kuczinski to the position for 2017. Kuczinski, who joined the governing body in 2008, served as deputy mayor from 2011-16.
Speaking to Kuczinski, Kinsey said, “You have been a great fallback position when I needed you. You have always been there. I think it is your time to step up into the mayor’s spot.”
Kinsey, Committeewoman Nancy Grbelja, Committeeman Gary Dorfman and Committeeman Fiore Masci voted in favor of Kuczinski serving as mayor for 2017.
“Even though this seat is the big chair, we all have equal say up here,” Kuczinski said. “That is never going to change. There are five us, so we each get a 20 percent say on everything that goes on. Every decision that is made in town is all done open, articulated between us and reasoned out.
“Some of us do not decide in the same direction as everybody else and that is part of a democracy. That is what makes it work. So it doesn’t matter which chair you are sitting in, all of the decisions are made equally and (with a) consolidated effort.
“Anybody on this dais is capable of handling the mayor’s slot,” Kuczinski said. “It does entail a little bit more responsibility and more time, but the bottom line is that everyone up here has the capability of picking up the baton and running with it.”
Following his election as mayor, Kuczinski nominated Masci to serve as deputy mayor for 2017. Masci, who joined the governing body in 2009, was unanimously elected to the position by his colleagues.
“(Masci) never ceases to amaze me in the way he comes up with really great ideas and cost-efficient (solutions),” Kuczinski said. “He is a hands-on guy who gets in there and does the right thing. He has been my running mate for two terms, going on three, and I have grown to love him, trust him and respect him as a brother. I could not be happier than to nominate Fiore Masci for deputy mayor.”
“A long time ago, I heard that you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with,” Masci said. “Tonight is certainly an example of that. When you surround yourself with good people, good things happen. And conversely, when you surround yourself with bad people, negative things sometimes happen.
“But I will tell you it has certainly been a honor working for the residents of Millstone. We are not too big and we are a municipality where we have this machine oiled pretty well. That is not to say we don’t have kinks every now and then because every place does, but I could not imagine being anywhere else than this town,” he said.
This will be Kuczinski’s first year as mayor and Masci’s first year as deputy mayor.
And, committee members appointed the following professionals for 2017: Robert Munoz, township attorney; Matt Shaffai, of Leon S. Avakian Inc., township engineer; Robert Allison, township auditor; Fred Heyer, township planner; Richard Kelly, municipal prosecutor; and Raymond Raya, municipal public defender.
