Ray Coles will once again be voted in as the mayor of Lakewood for the 2023 year, and Menashe Miller as Deputy Mayor, TLS has exclusively learned.
The decision was made moments ago following a meeting between Township officials.
This will be the seventh consecutive term for Ray Coles in the position of Mayor.
The appointment is an extraordinary statement of his performance on the job, especially considering the fact that the Lakewood Township Committee has a Republican majority.
Ray Coles, a democrat, joined the Township Committee in 2001, and in 2002 was voted in as Mayor. Since then, Coles served as Mayor in 2004, 2007, and 2008. This will be his 11th term as Mayor – more than half of his 21-year service to the Town.
The actual vote will take place during the Reorganization Meeting.
“I’m flattered by the support of the committee. I’m honored by all the support I received from the community, and I’m really looking forward to continuing the work we’ve been doing for the past several years,” Ray Coles told TLS.
The five-person Township Committee is comprised of three republicans and two democrats.
Menashe Miller, a republican, will also be serving for several years as Deputy Mayor.
“Menash and I are partners in almost every sense of the word, the way I view the mayorship is it’s part of a team,” Coles said.”Each member of the committee is as important as the mayor position, I have the honor to run the meetings and be the focal point, but everybody gives me input, none more so than Menashe who I talk to at least four or five times a day.”
As earlier reported, the Reorganization Meeting will be taking place virtually next Monday.
…And the township committee continues to do whatever it wants without a care in the world about how the citizens of Lakewood feel. Access to the process is cut back because of virtual meetings even when other boards and committees have started in person meetings. The committee members are voted back in, election after election, because the opposition hasn’t come up with a viable candidate in years. It doesn’t seem like Lakewood is led by a democratic process at all. When will the people of Lakewood wake up and smell the coffee and stop following the Vaad blindly?!?
Opposition? What opposition?
just please get rid of the current engineering company, and give us a company that cares about peoples businesses, and probably someone???? is invested in the current firm,???
With so many Yidden in Lakewood why don’t we have a Heimish mayor?
I’m sure with a Frum mayor we’d get the increased building of housing & schools we so desperately need.
@yep, Until we have the infrastructure to accommodate it, more housing is the last thing we need right now!!