By Barbara A. Preston l Aug 3, 2018
Mark Conforti, affectionally known as "Mr. Montgomery" on account of his service to the community, resigned as mayor at the Montgomery Township Committee meeting on Thursday night.
"I'm sorry to drop this on you," he told township committee members, staff, and two people in the audience, "but if I can't do something 100 percent ... and if I can't live up to the standards I set, then I'm not going to do it."
"I've had changes on the homefront and I'm going to have to step down," he explained. "I'll be resigning immediately. And I'll be heading south, to Florida."
A Montgomery resident since 1997, he and his wife Janeen raised two children, Matthew and Samantha, in Montgomery and now enjoy spending time with granddaughter Adriana (picturedabove).
Matthew started a position at AltaReturn in Miami in July, according to LinkedIn. Matthew is the father of Adriana. He previously worked at Credit Suisse in New York City.
"My only regret," Conforti says," is that I won't be here in 2021 when we'll have a new town hall, a new library building, a triple-A credit rating, and the first zero (municipal) tax rate increase in decades."
Conforti had served on township committee from 2011 to 2012, filling in a vacated seat, and then was elected to serve a three-year term from January 2016 to December 2018. This year is his first term as mayor. He has also served on the Zoning Board, the Planning Board, and was a member of the Board of Education from 2006 to 2009.
Deputy Mayor Christine Madrid stepped in as "acting mayor" of Montgomery, effective immediately.
Because Conforti is Republican, the Montgomery Republican organization will now nominate three people to fill a seat on the township committee, and the committee will select one of the three. The Republicans have as long as 15 days to do so, or could vote as early as the next meeting on August 16.
Once the vacant committee seat is filled, the committee members will select a new mayor and deputy major from the five-member body.
In addition to potentially appointing a new mayor, the plans for the new Township Municipal Building complex will be presented at the next meeting.
Committeewoman Patricia Graham commended former mayor Conforti for his service to Montgomery, stating: "We will miss your wisdom, your knowledge, and your experience. I just want to thank you for working as hard as you have.
Acting Mayor Madrid concluded the meeting, stating that Conforti's news has been a big shock, but "we understand he is leaving to be with his family, and especially his little granddaughter. We are sad to see you go," she added. "You made Montgomery a better place."
