JACKSON, NJ – The Jackson Township Council has voted to appoint Council President Jennifer Kuhn to serve as mayor to fill the unexpired term of former Mayor Michael Reina. Reina retired from his position last week, after 18 years in public office.
After being sworn into office by her father, Mayor Kuhn said she will immediately get to work tackling many of the issues facing Jackson Township from the administrative side of the municipal government.
Kuhn becomes the first woman to serve as mayor since the township changed its form of government from a committee to a mayor-council form of government roughly twenty years ago.
In the shift, Council Vice-President Mordy Burnstein was elected to serve as Council President, and Councilman Giusseppe Palmeri was elected to serve as Council Vice President through the end of 2025.
The council will fill the now-vacant council seat left by Kuhn at a later meeting. Burnstein said the township will soon be accepting resumes from the public.
Mayor Kuhn said she will immediately hit the ground running in her new role.
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“I assure you that our residents will see real and positive progress and that the ordinances passed by this council will now be enforced,” Mayor Kuhn said. “Together, we will ensure that Jackson is moving forward. For far too long, well over a decade many issues in this town have gone unaddressed. That ends now.”
Kuhn said Jackson residents will immediately start seeing their new mayor attend township council meetings and being more engaged with the employees of the township and the residents.
“I intend to tackle these challenges head-on and deliver the results our residents deserve,” she added. “I’m looking forward to making Jackson Township a place where every resident feels heard, safe and proud of our community. Together, we will strengthen our neighborhoods, support our local businesses, and invest in the services and infrastructure that make our town thrive.”
Council President Burnstein congratulated Mayor Kuhn, saying he voted for her because he sees every day, her dedication to the township and the hours she puts in each and every day to make the township a better place to live for everyone.
“We’re looking forward to having an open door at the mayor’s office,” Burnstein said of the council. “We know that we can always walk across the hallway.”
“It’s a new dawn and a new beginning in Jackson Township and sometimes new is worrisome,” said Council Vice President Giuseppe Palmeri. “I’m looking forward to working with all of Jackson Township and that is what I pledge to everyone here and listening from home. I would like to also congratulate Mayor Kuhn congratulate our new president president Bernstein.”
Palmeri thanked his family for supporting him during his fight for Jackson Township.
Councilmen Nino Borrrelli and Ken Bressi each congratulated Mayor Kun and said they look forward to working with her and the administration in the future.
Bressi, a decorated Vietnam veteran and former mayor, declined the nomination to serve as mayor earlier in the meeting.