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Gerald Tarantolo has been in the political limelight for
more than 40 years. And he’s still going strong!
“Gerry,’ as his family and friends call
him, is now trying to save Fort Monmouth from closing
and moving its multi-billion-dollar assets to
Aberdeen, Maryland.
This is not the first time Gerry has
jumped into the ring and taken on the “big guys” in
our federal government – and won! The
Goliath is now a political creature called BRAC
– the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.
Gerry, along with military brass and some
local officials, serve on the Fort Monmouth Economic
Revitalization Planning Authority, which is working on
a plan to replace Fort Monmouth with some academic,
technical, industrial and commercial services.
The 1,200-acre fort is based in Eatontown,
Oceanport and
Shrewsbury.
Some 5,000 people work there, generating revenue
around $6 billion in this popular Jersey Shore region.
Fort Monmouth is the core of the Army’s global
communications in the “War on Terrorism.” This is
hardly the right time to be moving an Army base from
one state to another.
The move was to have cost around a
half-billion-dollars. The actual cost will most likely
be $1.5 billion, or more. The federal government is
broke. In the real world, there is no money to make
this move successfully.
Gerry has his hands full in working on
this massive project and many other problems, such as
property taxes, school funding, and protecting
Eatontown’s environment from suburban “overkill.”
Gerry is currently serving his 9th
year as mayor.
I first met Gerry when I moved into
Woodmere in 1971, an upscale neighborhood in
Eatontown. At that time, he was actively involved in
the first “Save the Fort” Monmouth Committee.
Prior to being elected mayor, Gerry served
on the Eatontown Borough Council for 14 years, in
charge of Parks and Recreation. His accomplishments
included the planning and improvements of “80 Acres
Park,” the acquisition of property that now has become
Wampum Memorial Park, a “new” park, Husky Brook.
Gerry significantly increased Eatontown’s open space
inventory.
During his tenure as mayor and councilman,
Gerry served in varying capacities on the Eatontown
Planning Board for 18 years; the liaison to the
Environmental Commission (on which I served for two
years as a resident and The Star-Ledger’s
Environmental Editor/Columnist), the Shade Tree
Commission, the Community Center Advisory Committee,
and the Recreation Advisory Committee.
“Mister Mayor” also conceived the annual
Eatontown 5K Run/Walk event to support unfunded
recreation programs. Gerry currently serves on the New
Jersey Conference of Mayors Board of Directors and the
New Jersey League of Municipalities COAH (housing)
Committee. He is also the chairman of the Two River
Council of Mayors, an organization comprised of 14
eastern
Monmouth
County
mayors.
Last, but clearly not least, Gerry also
sits on the Spring House Executive Board, where he has
been a member of this “homeless facility for single
mothers with children” for 17 years.
Prior to serving in local government,
Gerry served on the Eatontown Board of Education for
10 years, three of which were as Board President. He
is a retired electrical engineer, having worked for
Bell Laboratories, Bellcore and Telcordia Technologies
for a combined total of 37 years. He was also
“Honorably” discharged from the U.S. Air Force.
Gerry has resided in Eatontown for more
than 42 years. He and his wife Patricia have two
children, Tricia and Gerry Jr., and three
grandchildren, Courtney, Kendall and Luke.
May “The Force” stay with you, Mayor! |
