Mayor: French's Landfill, Trader's Cove Projects Highlights of Term

Outgoing elected officials honored at Brick Township Council included Mayor Stephen Acropolis, who said he hopes his six years as mayor is defined by projects such as the closure of French's Landfill and the acquisition and rebuilding of Trader's Cove, as well as the response to Hurricane Sandy.

Acropolis has served as an elected official, first as a councilman, council president and then as mayor, for the last 18 years, but chose not to seek re-election. Dec. 31 will be his last day as mayor. Democrat John Ducey will be sworn in as mayor Jan. 1.

His public service is defined by projects such as shuttering the landfill and building a solar array; buying Trader's Cove, saving it from condominium construction there and turning it into a marina park; and studying and somewhat improving traffic on Route 70, Acropolis said.

But it was Hurricane Sandy, "the worst disaster Brick has ever seen," Acropolis said, that ruled the last year of his term as mayor.

Acropolis said the reason for his not seeking re-election was that he wanted to avoid Hurricane Sandy rebuilding becoming a "political football," and for the most part, it did not, said the mayor.

In his closing comments in "Focus on Brick," the outgoing mayor thanked his administration, calling town hall and the police force a "fantastic team" who rose to the occasion during the natural disaster.
"I truly believe Brick Township led the way for the recovery effort."

Acropolis offered up the comments in his final "Focus on Brick Township" segment on Brick TV municipal television channel, the YouTube video is attached.

In it, Acropolis said he wasn't going anywhere, that he will remain a proud Brick resident, and that residents will definitely be seeing him around town. "Say hello," Acropolis said. "I will always be involved in some way."

His first service to Brick was serving in an appointment on the Board of Adjustment, as a voting member of the board.  In 1993, Mayor Acropolis was elected to the Township Council.  He lost a re-election bid but successfully ran again in 2000 and returned to the council.  He was re-elected in 2003 as a councilman. 

During those term he served two-years as Council President. He cited his council service's accomplishments: the creation of an Ethics Information Committee, the passage of legislation that protects children from sexual predators and creating a more transparent government through the televising and web-broadcasting of Council meetings.

Acropolis ran once for mayor and narrowly lost, and then was elected to the Mayor’s seat in 2007.  He was reelected to another term in 2009.