Longtime city resident and community advocate Dan Sciannameo today announced his candidacy for Mayor of Asbury Park in the upcoming November election.

“The people of Asbury Park want change,” he said. “They want a mayor who is unafraid to stand up for them and fight for a fair and better deal for all Asbury Park residents. They are tired of having their problems ignored and being told by city leaders that nothing can be done.

“Have you opened your tax bill? Taxes are through the roof and people have had it,” Sciannameo added. "Since 2013, the total property tax levy has skyrocketed. While developers line their pockets, get big tax breaks, we foot the bill, and the boardwalk buildings they own crumble to the ground.  And they want more. Enough. Only the wealthy can afford to live here anymore and we’re driving everybody else out. It’s unsustainable. We have to make living in Asbury Park more affordable. We the taxpayers of Asbury Park are tired of basically working for the developers. We need to send a message this November that business as usual has to end."

Sciannameo has served on the Asbury Park Planning Board since 2022 and is a professional real estate appraiser whose work has primarily been focused in New York City. His experience in real estate, planning, and development has informed his long-standing concerns about the city’s direction.

He said he has demonstrated that he is willing and unafraid to speak his mind and stand up for redevelopment that respects the history and culture of the community and benefits all residents. He has been a prominent voice in the effort to address the deterioration of the city’s iconic Boardwalk buildings, including Convention Hall and the Casino. Sciannameo has been outspoken in his criticism of city leaders who, he says, have allowed conditions to worsen while failing to act on viable solutions.

“As I’ve been campaigning around the city, I’ve listened to people’s frustration with the direction of Asbury Park. They are tired of out-of-town and out-of-state developers having a stranglehold on our city, tired of watching our historic Boardwalk buildings crumble, and tired of high taxes and a city government that seems afraid to fight for their interests.

Sciannameo emphasized that his campaign is about ensuring that progress benefits everyone in Asbury Park, not just a few.  “Asbury Park doesn’t end at the boardwalk, or at the railroad tracks. It is clear that many residents, including those on the city’s West Side, feel that their voices are falling on deaf ears,” he said.

“We are one Asbury Park, no matter what neighborhood we’re talking about,” he added. “Any progress we make must lift all boats and improve the lives of everyone who lives here. That will be my focus as mayor.”