Steve Murphy's Summit Roots Run Deep

When Steve Murphy tells you he's lived in Summit for 46 years, you may not believe him considering he's 46 years old. But he's telling the truth.

Other than his years away at college and a short stint in Florida, Murphy has always lived at 36 Woodland Avenue. Before it was his and his wife Jane's home, it was the home Steve grew up in with his eight brothers and one sister.

Shortly after graduating from Villanova University, Murphy met his wife Jane, a graduate of Governor Livingston High School, and the couple decided there was no better place to raise a family than in Summit.

"I've always said this is the place to raise a family," he said. "I'll never sway from that I think. As people who just move in realize it's a special place."

Steve and Jane, the fourth owners of the 116 year old home, have done some renovations, none of which are made without approval of the original Murphy owners who now share their time between Florida and Lake Mohawk.

And 46 years in Summit offer a unique perspective on how the city has changed over four decades.

"The biggest changes are probably younger families having moved in and being able to afford the homes that I thought were only owned by the super wealthy and older, older folks in Summit," he said. "And that's a good thing. When you have turnover and families continue to move in it makes it ripe for success I think."

Part of the reason for this is Murphy says Summit has become much more of a destination for not just residential but for businesses moving out of Manhattan.

"Regardless of who's inhabiting the town they all get swept into what makes Summit great and I'll say that to my grave–the people are the true fabric of this community which is just awesome and it makes it that special place that it is," he said.

But Steve Murphy is no stranger to running for public office. Murphy lost to current councilwoman Ellen Dickson the first time he ran for council.

"I had said to my supporters five years ago that 'there will come a day when Steve Murphy will run again' I promised them. I said I didn't know when that day will come but it will be on my mind to serve the people of Summit."

And this past year there were several issues that quote-unquote put the fire back in his belly to run again.

One of which was parking.

"I felt very passionate about that issue," he said. "I felt that yeah it's one thing for Steve Murphy rally with some friends and neighbors of all across town and to get involved in the issues from the sidelines but it's another issue where you can represent people you're working with on a particular project. So that's what really kinda catapulted me back into the arena."

But Murphy also said concerns over the way Summit is being developed also contributed to his decision to run for council again.

"Yes I've been here for 46 years but I'll never say I know more than somebody who just moved into Summit or I have a bigger stake in Summit then the new family who's been here for a year. I'll never say that. To me we all have a stake in our community," he said. "but I've seen how our community is changing and the way it's being developed and some of it I agree with and some of it I don't agree with. If there are those who think with me and like me and I think like them, I thought council is a perfect spot to have these issues really addressed by me and other folks in town who can speak through me and to me."

That council campaign five years ago taught him many things he says, a lot of things about himself, about what it would mean for his family if he ran again, and what it would take to get elected.

"That experience of five years ago served me very well. And I would be remiss if i didn't say something about the people I worked with for this campaign," he said citing the support he received from Mayor Jordan Glatt, his campaign manager Phyllis Sank, Bill and Amy Coons, Democratic Party Chair Paul Dillon and even complete strangers. "It really was a collective outpouring and total teamwork to get this thing where we wanted to be come election day."

But the '09 campaign wasn't easy either. Murphy acknowledges he faced a formidable opponent in two-term councilman Andy Lark.

"As I've said time and time again Andy's contributions in Summit just can't be written in a sentence or two," he said.

And being the only Democrat on council is both an honor for Murphy and something he says is not a hindrance to his effectiveness on council.

"People do this job or any other volunteer job in Summit because they want to do what's best for the city, for this particular board, this particular project," he said. "So I think people on council, present and past, have always looked at that. Yes, it's historical when you have people like Michel Bitritto and Jordan Glatt and now Steve Murphy as Democrats who come on in typically Republican council. It's historic in nature."

And Murphy hopes to continue some of the work Summit's democratic mayor has already begun.

"What I really ran on and ran on hard is that I want to build on the partnership that Jordan has successfully begun in his six years so far as our mayor and ultimately two years as councilman. I want to build on the doors that Jordan has opened with our county because as you know... we didn't have that relationship before," he said. "Our relationship with the county is definitely a two-way street–they need Summit and Summit needs the county–and as long as we can meet and discuss projects, issue on a level playing field that gets me excited. That is something that hopefully we can really as a council really, really grow."

But being at the at-large councilman, a position he was slotted into when he decided to run for council two nights before the primary, Murphy said he does feel some pressure being that the position only carries a two-year term.

"There is a little fire under me and I don't think I'm going to stand around too long and watch the paint dry so to speak," he said. "There are things I campaigned on, there are things that we as a city believe in that I would love to see us move forward with."

Murphy will chair the Public Works committee and also sit on the Public Safety committee being chaired by Councilman Michael Vernotico.

But the biggest challenge facing the city in 2010: the budget.

"Our budget will be probably the toughest that council has ever faced," he said. "And that's through no fault of our own here internally in Summit. It's just when we have out state teetering, as the mayor said, on insolvency, or bankruptcy, continuing pressures on county government, rising healthcare and pension liabilities and so forth, we're staring down a barrel right now. But what I've seen time and time again in Summit, Summit always rises to the top. Always."

Murphy says he's confidant that with help from the public, Summit can find ways to get through this tough budget year. And while Murphy may sound like Summit's biggest cheerleader, it's partly because he was one. Murphy spent a year a cheerleader his senior year at Villanova University.

"The cream always rises to the top," he said. "I've seen it in my 46 years. Summit's been beaten but Summit's never been down and out. We've always bounced back and when we bounce back we're an envy to other communities."