Councilman Serves as Mayor Until Special Election in November

Councilman Stephen Dalina has been appointed as mayor of Monroe Township.

Dalina and his family have been active members of the Monroe Township community for more than two decades. He was elected councilman at-large in 2011 and served as council president from 2017 through 2019.

A special election will be held in November to elect the candidate who will fill the unexpired term of the late Mayor Gerald W. Tamburro, who passed away on December 30.
The Monroe Township Democratic Committee submitted three candidates and the Township Council selected Dalina.

Dalina took the oath of office during the council’s January 20 meeting, pledging to continue to fulfill the objectives that Tamburro established when he was re-elected in November 2019.

In his remarks, Dalina expressed appreciation to his family for their support, as well as offered a special acknowledgment to his late father, Stephen “Pete” Dalina, who served on the county freeholder board for 19 years and was director in 2009. “My dad is always in my heart and I carry his guidance and wisdom with me every day of my life,” said the mayor, noting his brother, Rick, and his nephew, Kevin, have also been inspired to serve the public in elected office in Middlesex County.

The new mayor expressed his appreciation to the municipal staff, as well as the township’s emergency responders and volunteers, who continue to assist residents during the lingering pandemic. As state, county and local officials focus on vaccinations, Dalina said, a main objective of his office is to ensure Monroe residents are aware of all local opportunities to receive these vital inoculations.

“My initial goal will be to fight to get increased quantities of the coronavirus vaccine to Monroe as soon as possible,” Dalina said. “Right now, I’m very concerned about the limited number of vaccines coming from the federal and state stores. I take this very, very seriously and I will make sure our voice is heard.”
Dalina said another top priority will be to reach out to various constituents in the township, from leaders of boards and commissions, to department heads, to the Board of Education to state officials who represent and serve Monroe. “I want to engage in these important conversations and foster inclusivity, as we all work toward a common goal,” the mayor said.

The new mayor has been heavily involved in volunteer service for Monroe. He formerly served as chairman of both the Monroe Township Zoning Board of Adjustment and the Recreation Advisory Board. He is a past member of the Monroe Township Baseball Association Executive Board, serving as League president in 2007 and 2008, the former president of the Rutgers Club from 2005 to 2010, and previously served as secretary, treasurer and president of the Northern New Jersey Chapter of the Association of Records Managers and Administrators.

As a Council liaison, Dalina currently sits on the Monroe Township Library Board, the Citizens Review Board as chairman, the Affordable Housing Commission as chairman and the Recreation Advisory Board.

Dalina, a Woodbridge native, moved to the third ward with his wife, Susan, and two children in 1998. He is the director for Rutgers University’s Business and Administrative Services, as well as served as a part-time lecturer in the School of Communication at Rutgers. He earned his bachelor of arts degree from Rider University and has a master of library science degree from Rutgers.