Words from Councilman Joe Licht at 2009 Reorganization Meeting

I will start… by thanking God, for the many blessings he bestows upon us, including the blessing of being born an American. While this is a time to look ahead, it is also a time to look back, and be thankful… I thank our Fire and Rescue Squads, our Police Department and Court, our Administrator, Clerk, CFO, and the rest of our front-office staff, our Building and Construction staff, our Recreation department, and our Professionals (including our Engineer and Attorney, and our Planner who helped us tackle COAH)... No thanks would be complete without thanking our many volunteers, who work on our Boards and Commissions; they do a wonderful job and are vital to the operation of our town. I thank Police Chief Hess, for giving extra like attending Council meetings, for getting our Police force energized and out in our community, and for proving us right in selecting him for the job. I chaired the Public Works Committee in 2008. When we lost Albert DiGuiseppantonio, we made Daniel Laverde Public Works manager. We did not, in turn, replace Danny; so this department has run with one less member. Danny has done a magnificent job, as have all of our Public Works men. I thank them all, for chipping in and picking up the slack, while still providing the excellent service our residents are accustomed to. You can see in the Agenda that the Mayor selects Liaisons to the Standing and Special committees. I want to thank the Mayor for selecting me this year to the Board of Health and to the Buildings and Grounds committee. I firmly believe that broadening experience by trying new things makes for stronger leaders, and I look forward to these new endeavors. In thanking people, I must thank my family, especially my wife Kathy and my daughters Alexandra and Danielle. They sacrifice… by missing dinner together as a family, and by not getting enough help with Math homework. I could not be a Councilman without their support. I congratulate Councilwomen Carra and Councilman Laggini on their election victory. I do not know what the future holds; but I do know that this is a dedicated group of people, and I look forward to working with them this year. I designed and maintained our Borough website last year, and designed and edited our Borough Newsletter. I will continue volunteering my expertise in design and editing this year. Being a Councilman is often difficult work; but there are times when this work is rewarded, albeit from unexpected places. I had the privilege of giving a presentation on the workings of our local government to a 4th grade class at JFK Elementary. I estimated I would spend 10-15 minutes there. Well, 45 minutes later I was finished. These 4th graders, and my daughter was one of them, were incredibly attentive and inquisitive. I must tell you that Hope is alive, and our future is bright! I will continue to be an advocate for fiscal responsibility, and I will continue to fight for FAIRNESS. Our founding fathers wrote of the pursuit of happiness. I believe that if you treat people fairly, that you provide them with a path to happiness. I take to heart what President Franklin Roosevelt said, “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless America. Joe Licht