Deputy Mayor Thomas Russo Stepping Down From Howell Council

HOWELL, NJ —Deputy Mayor Thomas Russo announced that he will be stepping down from his role in the Howell Township Council.

His last day will be on Saturday, Russo announced on social media.

"I wanna share with you that my personal circumstances are about to change significantly," he said. "The local law firm that I worked at for over five years is entering a growth phase and I've been asked to take part in that process."

In addition to that Russo said he will also be pursuing his "lifelong dream" of joining the US Navy Reserve as an intelligence officer. His application for Direct Commission was filed in August.

"While it was certainly possible for me to remain in office for my last year, doing so would break my promise," Russo said. "When I was a candidate for council I made a promise to you that I would give this job my all and nothing less. Looking back the past three years — all the challenges and all the hard work — I can honestly say I lived up to that promise."

Russo listed some of the council's accomplishments in the past few years: being on track to preserve 53 acres of open space, growing the police department, working on the park improvement plan and lowering the tax rate without impacting services.

"Lastly and most importantly, we took rapid and decisive action to respond to the many challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

Russo first took office in 2009 and was named deputy mayor in January of this year, taking over the position previously held by Councilwoman Evelyn O'Donnell.

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