Livingston Swears In New Mayor, Deputy Mayor For 2026 (WATCH)

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Shawn Klein was sworn in as Livingston mayor and Ketan Bhuptani as deputy mayor during the town council’s annual reorganization meeting on Sunday.

Klein takes the reins from former mayor Edward Meinhardt.

A swearing-in ceremony took place at the Livingston Senior/Community Center (watch video footage here, or view it below).

The next meeting of the Livingston Township Council is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 12.

The town’s newly sworn-in mayor offered a glimpse at the road ahead in a speech at last weekend’s meeting. Livingston officials shared a transcript from the speech; view it below:

“I want to start off by thanking my wife Cindy and my sons, Jack and Leo, who have sworn me in today. Our lives, like most of yours, are generally busy, but being mayor is an extra commitment that cannot be done without your family’s love and understanding and maybe even some enthusiasm. Thank you, Cindy, for letting me do this. I say this knowing it is not easy. Thanks to my mom and dad, Barbara and Warren, who have always supported me however they can. I also thank Commissioner Pat Sebold, as she pushed hard to get me started in government. Pat is recovering at home - she never misses this meeting - and we wish her the best. There are lots of other people to thank and I know that Ed will thank them in a heartfelt way on behalf of all of us.

“Many people know my story by now… I was born in Livingston, raised here, and I graduated from Livingston High School. My parents still live here, my sister’s family is here, and so are many of my close high school friends. I care deeply about this town and I am so proud to serve as mayor once again - and what an exciting year to do it — the 250th anniversary of this country. Livingston will be celebrating!

“I know that some view government through the prism of cynicism. Questioning leaders is crucial, but when you are cynical you are doubting if intentions are good. Let me say, we can all be proud that everyone on this dais, even when we disagree with each other, makes choices only on the basis of what’s best for this town. This council always puts Livingston’s best interests first.

“And we have been effective. For nearly every year that I have been on this Council, the rate of any tax increase has been lower than inflation. This means that in real dollars, our government has become smaller and more efficient. Many of you have perhaps heard me say this before, but we have new tangible evidence of this town’s economic strength. Our bond rating was just increased by Moody’s Rating Agency to Aa1.

“Excellent fiscal stewardship is one thing but we have also produced results for our residents:

• With our license plate reader program and the great work of Chief Marshuetz and our Livingston Police Department, some classes of crime, including car thefts and home break-ins, have dropped by over 80%. As antisemitism has grown as an issue nationally, we have already seen our police protect this community. This council will ensure that they have the resources to continue to do so in the future.
• We have effectively dealt with our state-mandated affordable housing requirements - we were the only town in the state, with thanks to Jarrid Kantor, Barry Lewis and our other professionals, able to negotiate carrying credits forward from the 3rd round obligation into the 4th round. On top of that, we were notified this past week that we have successfully defended our Fourth Round agreement against four further developer objections which sought to add an additional 681 multi-family units.
• For the first time in a long time, we have real reason to be optimistic and excited about the future of the Livingston Mall as the council works tirelessly to address an important but complicated legal situation with so many interests owning certain parcels. Our charrette process was a huge success with hundreds of residents giving the town feedback on what they would like to see at a re-imagined site.
• We are working on new green initiatives as well, including potential bulk purchases of energy at lower costs for our neediest residents, and putting our newly purchased open spaces to use which may hopefully include even re-wilding the top part of the Licari Horse Farm. Also, we have a healthy balance in our town tree fund. If you want a tree planted in front of your house, please reach out!

“We have a big Livingston community which includes many cultural and religious groups. An important job for this council is to not only make sure that all feel welcome, but that all are integrated and participate. It is with that in mind we proudly welcome Livingston’s first Indian-American Deputy Mayor, Ketan Bhuptani. It will be my pleasure to serve with you, Ketan. You have already shown yourself to be a strong voice on the council, bringing a businessman’s perspective and looking to make the town safer for all of our pedestrians and cyclists.

“Ed, our out-going mayor, it is has been great to work with you. Our friendship has only grown over the years especially as we tend to navigate tough problems in similar fashions. Al, I hope your throat feels better soon so we can continue not only working together but sharing a sensibility and all of our good laughs. Michael, you have been a true-blue partner with a continued generosity and energy for this town which is unsurpassed. As mayor, I am very much looking forward to working with our professionals, Barry, Carolyn, Adam, Russ and Jarrid.

“It’s almost shamefully easy to brag about this town. But as our new mayor, it is my prerogative and pleasure to do it.

“People who live here understand what makes Livingston special.

“People don’t come to Livingston for the train to commute. We come here for the excellent schools, fantastic neighborhoods, wonderful parks and vibrant businesses. We come here for the sense of community. We come here for the traditions - the Camuso exhibit, the Memorial Day Parade and 4th of July, all of our military observances. This is a town which is not only named after our first governor but has produced governors. Livingston is a place where volunteerism is a core value. We have incredible charitable organizations run by people who genuinely inspire. We see constant and incredible academic and athletic achievements by our children. We are national leaders in chess, and we dominate academic contests in science, geography, and business. We win on the fields, courts and rinks. We are the current state champions in girls soccer.

“Our kids often go on to top colleges and have prestigious careers and then, when it’s time to have a family of their own, they think about what they would want for their own children and so many of them return home to Livingston. Livingston is the place people come back to. Our job up here on this dais, is to, even under challenging circumstances, help Livingston stay the special place that we all know it is.”

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