Anthony DellaPia, surrounded by his family, takes the oath of office from Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli on Jan. 3.
Anthony DellaPia is leading the charge as the new mayor of Washington Township.
He may be new to the role, but DellaPia’s face is familiar: He’s been a councilman since 2020 and has lived in the township for 26 years.
“I’m honored as well as humbled to be your mayor,” he told attendees at council’s reorganization meeting on Jan. 3. “This is your town. We are in this together. I want our residents to be involved. I’m going to be transparent. I will be accessible to anyone and everyone. I want our residents to know what we are doing, why we are doing it and when we are doing it.
“I will not let you down,” the new mayor added. “I will work tirelessly to make Washington Township the place you are proud to call home.”
DellaPia, with family by his side, was sworn in by Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli. He thanked his running mates, Councilmen Richard Bennett and Joseph Harris, for their hard work as they celebrated their victories together.
“I’m looking forward to working together with all of you in unison over the next few years,” DellaPia noted, adding he looks forward to also working with the municipal staff. “Together we will be extroadinary.”
As council reorganized, members called their peers on the dais “the dream team.”
Peter Del Borrello III was reelected council president and Donald Brown was elected vice president. Cittarelli also swore in Bennett and Harris to their new three-year terms; the former is beginning his second term and the latter his first.
“Twenty-twenty five looks so bright for Washington Township,” Del Borrello observed in his comments, emphasizing that he knew from the moment he met DellaPia, he knew he was a person who was going to make a difference. “Washington Township is a bunch of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, just an amazing group of people who really care.
“We are 52,000 people with a small-town feeling, which is pretty amazing.”
