One of 18 children becomes first Black woman mayor of Neptune; here's what she will do

NEPTUNE - Rev. Tassie York, 63, is familiar with being first. She is one of 18 children but was the first in her family to earn a double master's degree, and she is now the first Black woman to be mayor of Neptune Township, picked by her fellow Township Committee members to lead this year.

"I am grateful to my colleagues for having that trust in me, having the confidence to know what I am all about," York said. "I am in this for the people, not for the fame or fortune. I don't need my name in lights, I just want to make sure I am doing what is right for the town."

And now as mayor she plans to take on several challenges, including the redevelopment of Ocean Grove's North End and dealing with its perpetual parking problems, and getting police more involved with the community.

York has called Neptune home all her life and considers herself an activist for her community. And being one of 18 children is not unusual for her; big families run in her family. She has seven children on her own and 12 grandchildren.

"My grandmother had 22 children (that survived). My father and my uncle were the first two to move here," York said. "Now my uncle had like 11 kids and you had all of us, so imagine how many people were in the house, and then the other sister and brothers that continued to move here."

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She added that having such a huge family "was always a beautiful thing" and that her uncle and aunts "treated us as if we were their own."

But York wasn't a leader yet because she was "in the second set of nine."

"There was no leadership role for me until I got older," she said. "It wasn't really good for Black people in Neptune then. You think it's bad (now), you should see when I grew up."

Dyslexia to double master's degrees

York grew up with dyslexia and said at that time "they didn't really know what that was."

"So you were either an A-student or you were a double-D-student, because they did not diagnose me at that time for what I had. So I wasn't in that category, to be like the best of the best," York said.

York was hairdresser for over 20 years in Seaview Square mall before going back to school. She earned a pair of master's degrees from Kean University, in special education in 2010 and social work in 2014. She currently works as a family specialist for the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency.

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"The driving force was my concern for my community. It didn't seem like we had a voice or the people who represented us really weren't representing us," York said. "I got into politics because of that because I wanted to make sure that my people had a voice."

She clarified "my people is my community, not just the Black people.

"The street I live on is the same street I grew up on. I could live anywhere, but I like this neighborhood because I love my community. There were Blacks, whites, Mexicans, everybody, but we were family," York said.

York has been active in Neptune politics since 2000 and was first appointed to the committee after a resignation before being elected to serve the one-year unexpired term in 2021.

She was re-elected for a full term last year. She and her four fellow committee members are all Democrats. Robert Lane, her running mate in 2021, is now deputy mayor.

York's faith means more to her than anything, and she feels that God chose her for this moment. She became a reverend in 2004 through Salem Baptist Church and is still active at United Fellowship on Third Avenue in Asbury Park.

"And I can't even believe that God chose me to do it. So, I can stand here and say that I stand on the shoulders of some great people, and I do. I cannot take that away from them, but I have to give honor where honor is due," York said.

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'Sew us back together'

She added that listening to the community is vital because the community put the Township Committee in their positions.

"We always tell them that they come first, but lately the community hasn't felt like that, so my goal really is to sew us back together, to put the pieces back together so that we can function as a town, as a community that cares for one another. Not one section over here and one section over there," York said.

"Right now, the biggest issue that they are talking about is the North End redevelopment," York said.

The Ocean Grove North End Development (OGNED) plan dates back to 2018, when then-Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association President Michael Badger said the organization reached a development deal with a group of investors to bring a new 40-room hotel, 39 condominiums, 10 single-family homes, along with new retail space to the area.

The portion of land on the north end of Ocean Grove on Spray Avenue has sat undeveloped since 1978, when the North End Hotel was demolished due to "spiraling maintenance costs and declining patronage," according to Asbury Park Press archives.

Since putting off a decision at a November meeting, the Township Committee has been reviewing all of the additional plans prepared by the redevelopment attorneys and other professionals in response to the many resident questions about the proposed development, according to township officials.

"I think the community should have input on what is happening in their town and where they live. Developers are just that, developers, they come in and do whatever and they are gone. People are stuck with the decisions they made," York said.

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'I am only one person'

She spent a lot of 2023 working on a residential parking pilot program for Ocean Grove, serving on the Township Parking Subcommittee. That pilot program, according to the subcommittee, aims to make it easier for Ocean Grove's roughly 3,000 year-round residents to park closer to their homes during the busy summer tourist season. Many tourists take advantage of Ocean Grove's free parking and walk to neighboring Asbury Park.

A timed parking space proposal came after a plan to issue residential parking permits failed to win the support of Township Committee during the committee's Feb. 27 workshop meeting, meaning the committee did not introduce a formal ordinance to implement the plan.

The results of an informal vote were 3 to 1 against, with York being the only Township Committee member in favor of the parking program. The other members were concerned it lacked details and might lead to other problems.

"I would love to see (the parking pilot program) go through, but as you know I am only one person. So I have to talk to the latest committee person, I have to speak to the other committeemen," York said. "Three of them were against it from the beginning, so I don't know. I am hoping eventually they will see the community is in need."

York said there are more changes coming to the police department.

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"(Police Chief Anthony Gualario) was saying how he would love to see the police officers back in the schools, and we want to be transparent with the community so they're not thinking this is a danger zone. We want the kids to feel safe, we want the parents to feel safe," York said.

Gualario was appointed as the new police chief when Chief Larry Fisher retired in August 2023. Fisher, the first Black police chief of Neptune, had a community-based vision for the Neptune Township Police Department, which included increasing communication between officers and residents.

"They're also discussing coming back on bicycles, how they used to come through our community," York said. "When I was a kid we used to have police that walked our communities. We don't see that anymore. That is what Gualario would like to see, the communities having a partnership with the police department.

"If we get to know who is in our community, we will understand them, and maybe we can gain a rapport with the people and do the right thing for the people," she said.

Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. @CharlesDayeAPP Contact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Neptune chooses first Black woman mayor; focus on Ocean Grove, police