Mayor James R. Kern III
Mayor Kern was first elected mayor in May 2011. He was sworn into office at 22 years of age, making him on the second youngest mayor in New Jersey state history.
Prior to his election to the office mayor, Kern was elected to Township Council at the age of 21. He defeated two incumbent councilmen while finishing his senior year at Rutgers University.
As mayor, Kern has promoted a transparent and fiscally responsible municipal government. One of Kern’s first acts as Mayor was developing a website advisory board which invited input from citizens in developing an official municipal website, which was nonexistent at that time. The mayor has also made all township council meetings video recorded so residents may view them at anytime.
In August 2012, Kern with Frank Becker, worked together to adopt an ordinance which would cap the amount Pohatcong could borrow at $400,000 and force approval of expenditures exceeding that amount to public referendum.
The mayor is also a strong advocate of shared services and strives to find ways to eliminate duplication in Muncipal government. He currently serves as the liaison to the Pohatcong Historic Preservation Commission
In November 2015, Mayor Kern was re-elected with 88% of the vote.
Mayor Kern received his Associates Degree in Liberal Arts from Warren County Community College and his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Rutgers University. He is active within the Pohatcong Recreation association and is an avid fan of the New Jersey Devils.
The Mayor can be reached by email at mayorjamesrkerniii@gmail.com or at 908-827-1881.