New Mayor, Deputy Mayor Appointed In Lacey For 2023

LACEY, NJ — As of New Year's Day, Lacey Township has a new mayor and deputy mayor.

Mayor Timothy McDonald and Deputy Mayor Steven Kennis were sworn in at the reorganization meeting on Jan. 1.

Kennis, along with PeggySue Juliano and Peter Curatolo, were sworn in for their new terms as committee members as well.

Both men were unanimously nominated for their new roles in 2023.

They also thanked Committeeman Mark Dykoff for his work as mayor in the past year.

"Mark, you said this about me. You have the right man for the job," McDonald said, adding that it "wasn't easy" for him to step in after the death of Mayor Nick Juliano.

McDonald also took time to note the work that Juliano had done in joining the Township Committee after the death of her husband, Nick Juliano.

"It takes a little while to get up to speed because at any one point in time, we've done it," McDonald said. "We've spoken about chickens and nuclear power plants - all in the same meeting."

Juliano got emotional as she spoke, getting choked up as she thanked the committee and her family for helping her get through a difficult year.

She said that everyone should focus on being "thankful, grateful and blessed," and emphasized what a "wonderful town" Lacey is.

"We need to be thankful for what we have, because time is irreplaceable," Juliano said.