Saddle River People

Mayor Al Kurpis

Mayor Al Kurpis

The Current Mayor of Saddle River NJ

Long time resident and now mayor of the bucolic town of Saddle River.

Al Kurpis is an established dentist in the Bergen County and a long time resident of Saddle River. His 3 children all attended the local schools and he has served many years in the local government.

He has now reached the highest point of Saddle River government, now serving term as the current Mayor of Saddle River.

From Al Kurpis’ personal election website:

I believe that it is both an honor and a privilege to serve in town government. Being Mayor is a daunting task, and one that should not be entered into lightly.  My decision to run simply came down to this: I am the only candidate who has the experience that is necessary, who has reached out to all sides, and who has earned the trust of the people.

I am dentist who graduated in 1974 from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.  For over forty years, I have provided dental treatment to all people, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.  I treated all my patients equally, with dignity and respect, thereby forming the bond of trust which is the pillar of the successful doctor-patient relationship. That lesson of trust became the foundation of all the relationships I formed in my life; be it with my business partners, my family, my friends, and later, in my service in municipal government.  As a healthcare practitioner, you are held to the highest standard of morality and honor, not only by your patients, but by society.  These parameters permeate every aspect of your life.  

When I began to serve in Saddle River Government, I applied these lessons to working in my community. Because I really listen and treat all people respectfully, people have grown to trust me.  Whereas trust is the pillar of the doctor/patient relationship, it is also the pillar of the relationship of the townspeople to their elected officials.  

To be Mayor, you simply must have experience in municipal government.  You cannot learn from the top down.  In my opinion, to believe otherwise is to put your town at grave risk. This is not the time for ‘on the job training’.  You have to understand every nuance of the town’s structure.  You need to have been in the trenches to really understand what you are doing. I have served on the Planning Board, the Environmental Commission and was Chairman of the Landmarks Commission.  I am the Council Liaison to the Board of Health.  I am on the Public Safety Committee and the critically important Finance Committee.  I was the Fire Commissioner during the turbulent year when our Fire Department was completely dysfunctional.  Under my watch, and along with the work of the Public Safety Committee, and the new Fire Chief and his Assistant, that Department was completely revamped and was able to remain all voluntary.  I am presently the Police Liaison, and I am proud that our Police Department recently achieved accredited status.  I served on Town Council, and am currently the unanimously elected Council President.  And recently, because the safety of our children is of the utmost importance to me, I openly supported the Wandell HVAC referendum.

 A town is best served by a Mayor with the leadership style I possess: unending patience, great respect for others, even those with whom I may disagree, the capacity to listen and let others speak, the ability to remain open-minded, and the ability to be fair.  I am a positive person with very strong ethics and I will always do the right thing, even if it is not the popular thing. I am the Councilman who has a proven record of working with all sides, who reaches out to compromise, and who is working very hard to restore unity to our town. 

I can tell the people of Saddle River with certainty that they need never question my motives; they will never be self serving, or for profit, or for self-interest.  I have the skills and the temperament to unite this town, but most of all, I have the will and intention to do so.  I have experience you can trust.

Al Kurpis pointing at you
I’m talking to you

Source: www.kurpis4mayor.com

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