Berkeley Councilman To Run For Mayor

BERKELEY, NJ — Berkeley Township Councilman John Bacchione said that he plans to run for mayor this year.

The news comes after current Mayor Carmen Amato announced he would be running for the 9th District State Senate seat currently held by the retiring Sen. Christopher Connors. Read more: Berkeley Mayor Announces Bid For State Senate Seat

Bacchione told Patch that he will run for mayor as long as Amato moves up. But if he doesn't secure the nomination for the State Senate, then Bacchione will stay as a councilman, he said.

As mayor, Bacchione said that his goal is "if it's not broke, don't fix it."

"The town runs smoothly right now," Bacchione said, so he hopes to maintain the system as it currently is.

There are two big issues the township is keeping its eyes on, though.

The redevelopment of the "Town Center" is one of those. This is the site of Beachwood Plaza, something Berkeley has been dealing with for many years. The area is approved for retail, restaurants and warehouses.

The other issue is the potential de-annexation of South Seaside Park. After New Jersey Superior Court ruled that it was okay for the small portion of Berkeley to de-annex from the township, Berkeley officials quickly appealed the decision, which remains in court. Read more: South Seaside Park OK To Leave Berkeley, Court Says

"I want to make sure we don't lose sight of those," Bacchione said.

Bacchione has served on the Township Council since 2012. Before that, he served on the Berkeley Township Board of Education.

While it's still very early in the election season, Bacchione said he hopes to continue Amato's work in town if given the chance.

"I hope to be able to earn the trust of the residents of Berkeley Township and do a job as well as Carmen Amato did," Bacchione said.