Like father like son: North Jersey mayor swears in his son to the Borough Council

Marsha A. Stoltz, NorthJersey.com
Updated ·3 min read

SADDLE RIVER — Like father like son? Albert and Jon Kurpis would agree.

Mayor Albert Kurpis, 75, was sworn to his third term earlier this month, and in turn, he swore in his son Jon Kurpis to his first term on the Borough Council.

Jon, 46, previously served as head of the borough's landmark and environmental commissions and as a member of its Planning Board.

Albert, a dental implant specialist, said it's also like mother like son, as he attributes his son's interest in civic involvement to his wife's volunteer work with the disabled.

"She'd spend weekends volunteering at Camp Marcella for children and teens with blindness, visual impairments and special needs," Albert said. "I think that's where he got the 'give back' message."

Jon and Albert Kurpis were sworn in as councilman and mayor of Saddle River at their reorganization session Jan. 3. It is the first term for Jon, the third for Albert.
Jon and Albert Kurpis were sworn in as councilman and mayor of Saddle River at their reorganization session Jan. 3. It is the first term for Jon, the third for Albert.

Jon grew up in Saddle River, graduated from Ramsey High School and got a bachelor's degree from Rutgers. He did post-graduate work in history at Oxford University and now operates a tech company.

"I've always been the type of person with a strong connection to my community, helping people, giving back, like helping with the Centennial Fair back in 1994," Jon said. "In high school, I went to the Washington Workshops in D.C. to meet our elected representatives and find out how government works."

Borough Attorney David Lafferty said seeing relatives serving together on the same governing body is not common, but is not unheard of, especially in smaller towns, "where fielding candidates for elected office is not always easy." Alpine's council currently includes husband-and-wife members Arthur and Vicki Frankel. Sister and brother Maryalice and Tim Thomas previously served together on the Midland Park Board of Education from May 2011 to December 2018.

Jon Kurpis is sworn in as a Saddle River councilman by his father, Mayor Albert Kurpis.
Jon Kurpis is sworn in as a Saddle River councilman by his father, Mayor Albert Kurpis.

HARDWARE STORE DEMOLISHED Saddle River historic hardware store demolished to make way for wellness center

"There is no legal prohibition against members of the same family serving on the same council," Lafferty said. "Both were elected by the residents. Neither are paid employees or reside in the same household."

Shared goals

The father and son share enthusiasm for several upcoming projects with the common goal of preserving the borough's open space and rich history, including:

True Wellness Therapies, 70 E. Allendale Road, is building a facsimile of the circa-1840 Woodruff Packer Foundry, around which the borough developed to house its holistic pain clinic. The original building, which most recently served as a hardware store, was closed as unsafe in March 2022 and demolished in August 2023.

Saddle River acqusition of the 10-acre Grassy Forks Fisheries property on West Saddle River Road is expected to provide the borough with flood plain relief as well as farming opportunities.
Saddle River acqusition of the 10-acre Grassy Forks Fisheries property on West Saddle River Road is expected to provide the borough with flood plain relief as well as farming opportunities.

Grassy Forks Fisheries, 210 W. Saddle River Road, a 10-acre property, was recently acquired by the borough as a possible farming enterprise and flood plain backup.

153 E. Saddle River Road, a 2-acre property south of Borough Hall and east of Rindlaub Park, will be used for passive recreation.

Saddle River acquisition of 153 E. Saddle River Road south of its Borough Hall is expected to allow expansion of passive recreation space.
Saddle River acquisition of 153 E. Saddle River Road south of its Borough Hall is expected to allow expansion of passive recreation space.

Deer management. The borough suspended its seasonal deer-culling agreement with United Bow Hunters a year ago but is continuing to meet with area mayors and officials seeking lethal and non-lethal means of controlling the impact of deer on traffic and property.

Historic byways. A figure-eight roadway enhancement along the borough's historic sections is under consideration with reduced car speeds to encourage walkers and bikers.

Albert and Jon Kurpis said they are not in lockstep on all borough issues. Albert favored a return to in-person public meetings after the pandemic, while Jon favors reintroducing remote broadcasts to encourage resident participation. Jon said he also has a personal dislike of bulk "consent agenda" approvals and prefers items before the council to receive individual attention and votes.

But they share an interest in preserving the "bucolic nature of the town."

"This is not just about big houses on 2-acre lots," Jon said. "It's more about a sense of community pride."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Like father like son: North Jersey mayor swears in son to council