Lake Como Borough Council’s Longest-Serving Member Doug Witte Announces Retirement After 55 Years of Service

In a development at the recent Lake Como Borough Council meeting, Council President Douglas E. Witte announced his decision not to seek re-election after a distinguished 55-year career in community service. The council also approved a contract for road improvements and set a date for the Mayor’s Bash.

Douglas E. Witte, the longest-serving council member in Lake Como’s history, declared he will not run for re-election, ending a remarkable tenure spanning 55 years in public service. Witte, who served under seven mayors and alongside 30 council members, reflected on his extensive career, which began at age 16 with the South Belmar First Aid Squad. Over the years, he held numerous roles including fire chief, school board vice president, and council member. In his speech, Witte thanked the residents for their support and expressed his intent to complete his current term. The Mayor lauded Witte’s dedication, emphasizing his vital role in supporting the borough’s operations through various challenges like COVID-19 and infrastructure projects. Witte was also honored as Lake Como’s Citizen of the Year for 2025.

Further in the meeting, the council approved a contract with J’s Construction Company for $284,800 to improve Mar Avenue, reflecting ongoing efforts to enhance local infrastructure. The decision followed a competitive bidding process involving eight submissions.

Additionally, the council announced the Mayor’s Bash is scheduled for July 10th at Bar Anticipation, although the business person and business of the year remain undisclosed. Public comments highlighted the successful organization of a recent event, with praise for the public workers’ efforts in maintaining the town’s cleanliness.

Note: This meeting summary was generated by AI, which can occasionally misspell names, misattribute actions, and state inaccuracies. This summary is intended to be a starting point and you should review the meeting record linked above before acting on anything you read. If we got something wrong, let us know. We’re working every day to improve our process in pursuit of universal local government transparency.

Receive debriefs about local meetings in your inbox weekly:

Trending meetings
across the country: