Cirulli Appointed Mayor at Annual Reorganization Meeting

The Barnegat Township Committee gathered for its annual reorganization meeting Sunday, where committeemen voted unanimously to appoint Alfonso Cirulli mayor and Albert Bille deputy mayor. 

Committeement Leonard Morano and Martin Lisella, who both in November, were sworn into their new terms. Morano's granddaughters looked on as New Jersey Sen. Christopher Connors swore him into his 16th term on the committee, while Lisella's son Tino, a Department of Justice attorney in Washington, D.C., oversaw his swearing-in.

Cirulli's and Bille's family members were also on hands as they started their appointed leadership terms.

After thanking residents and the township's employees and volunteers, Cirulli said Barnegat could look forward to big strides in some areas of major concern in the near future. He pledged to resolve outstanding lawsuits over property issues in the Mirage development, help the township balance out its uneven property tax reassessments and get the Lower Shore Road fields, still undergoing improvements, up to speed.

"In order to do this, we will need the support of all our residents," Cirulli said. At the same time, he said, the committee would do its part to keep residents informed. 

Bille and Cirulli also thanked outgoing mayor Jeffrey Melchiondo, who maintains his seat on the committee. 

"He has taken all the heat for every decision we all made together," Cirulli said. 

Melchiondo also offered his thanks. "It's been a very rewarding four years," he said. "I'm very happy that I had the opportunity and proud that the residents of Barnegat Township have afforded me the opportunity to serve them."

The yearly reorganization meeting also marks the appointment – and reappointment – of a number of contractors who do business with the township throughout the year. Check back with Barnegat Patch in the coming days for more details on the 2012 appointments.