Susan Cohen to Serve Second Term as Manalapan Mayor

Susan Cohen was named the Mayor of Manalapan Township for the second year in a row at the Township Committee Reorganization meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 2.

Township Committeeman Ryan Green, who was sworn in to the municipal government last night for another 3-year term by District 12 Assemblyman Rob Clifton, nominated Cohen.

“As we all know, 2012 was an eventful year for our state as we faced the extraordinary challenges brought on by Hurricane Sandy,” Green said. “Susan Cohen stepped up to those challenges in an extraordinary way as mayor which is why the Township Committee has decided she should have another go at it.”

The Township Committee unanimously approved the motion to appoint Cohen as mayor of Manalapan for 2013. Cohen was sworn into office by Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden.

Additionally, Jordan Maskowitz was sworn in as Deputy Mayor for 2013 by Golden. Maskowitz was nominated to the position by Committeeman Don Holland, who served as Deputy Mayor in 2012, and he was unanimously voted in by the Township Committee.

“Susan Cohen certainly came up as a true leader and I am proud to serve as your Deputy Mayor and look forward to it,” Maskowitz said, also thanking the Township Committee for their confidence in him.

Cohen also thanked the Township Committee for choosing her once again to serve as mayor.

“Although we are the same Township Committee as last year, we are prepared for the new challenges that 2013 will bring,” Cohen said. “As always, we are here to serve our residents in the best way that we can . . . As the new year begins we have a lot of hard work ahead of us, we will continue to find ways to keep taxes as low as possible while doing our utmost to keep services that you are accustomed to.”

While it is rare for a Manalapan mayor to serve two years in a row, it has happened before, most recently when Andrew Lucas served as mayor in 2010 and 2011, according to Township Administrator Tara Lovrich.