Incoming Hawthorne mayor has strong drive to serve his hometown, earn its trust
HAWTHORNE — You can say it was John Lane's destiny to be mayor, and you probably wouldn't be wrong.
His résumé reads like a how-to manual for giving back to the community.
He has conquered just about every other civic duty that there is: EMT, firefighter, youth sports sponsor, member of the Board of Education, member of the Borough Council, et cetera.
And he is already enshrined in the state's Elected Officials Hall of Fame, chalking up that honor three years ago.
"I want to be able to serve the people of my hometown," said Lane, poised to become the 18th mayor in borough history. He will be sworn in by Municipal Court Judge John Meola at noon on New Year's Day.
"I want them to have trust in me, and faith in me, that I can do the job that they elected me to do," Lane added.
Lane, vice president of the seven-member council, is set to take over for Mayor Richard Goldberg, who will step down at the end of the year. He did not run for a fourth four-year term.
"I've had a chance to see John up close," said the outgoing mayor. "And I thought there was no question that he was the choice to succeed me. He pretty much embodies what we look for in Hawthorne people."
Goldberg, a Republican, said he has "mixed emotions" about departing the role he held for more than 13 years.
"But I feel like I'm leaving the borough in a better place than I found it," he said. "And I have confidence that Mayor Lane will continue to serve the people wisely and justly."
Lane, also a Republican, is a third-generation resident of the borough who grew up on Lincoln Avenue. He graduated from Hawthorne High School in 1967 and met his future wife, Margo, there. They have two children and two grandchildren.
Lane got his first taste of partisan politics in 1989 after a seven-year stint on the school board. He emerged victorious in a very significant election in which the field included 22 contenders for the council. The borough had changed its form of government that year, and three rival slates put up candidates for the openings.
"I like Hawthorne and what has happened here in the past," Lane told a reporter before that pivotal race. "I think that I can help the borough remain the same."
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Lane was unsuccessful in a primary challenge against the late Mayor Frederick Criscitelli in 2001. His term expired that year, and he was out of politics until he was appointed to fill an at-large vacancy on the council in 2010.
In November, Lane defeated Councilman Joseph Wojtecki — a Democrat who serves the 1st Ward — by 705 votes in the mayoral election: 3,459 to 2,754.
This month, Lane retired as the assistant construction code enforcer for the township of Mahwah. He worked in various positions for the municipality — Bergen County's largest in area — for 33 years.
"Before I retired," Lane said, "I guess that you could have called me a workaholic."
Lane is a self-declared stickler for concerns of property maintenance, and he said he will take a hard line on those issues as mayor.
He said the borough will face multiple big-ticket expenses over the next two years. They include upgrades to athletic fields, new radios for police and improvements to the water utility's treatment system.
Under the local form of government, the mayor is the chief executive and supervises all departments. Lane will oversee roughly 90 employees and a municipal budget of $23.2 million.
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: devencentis@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Hawthorne NJ: New mayor John Lane will demand the best
