A life long resident and committed public servant, Commissioner Gerald Lange has served the township of West New York alongside his colleagues on the Board of Commissioners since 1995.
Born and raised in West New York and a graduate of Memorial High School, Lange was always interested in politics. He first entered the political world at the age of 18 when he served as a committeeman for his voting district. In the years leading up to his position on the Board of Commissioners, Lange had made previous attempts to run for elected office. During this time he also graduated from Farleigh Dickenson University with a degree in political science in 1984. He had also begun his own business in pool management for condos and coops residential buildings in 1981. Lange also has a 13-year-old daughter, Chelsea.
Lange was elected to the Board of Commissioners in 1995 and served as the Commissioner of Public Works until 1999. Upon his reelection, Lange served as the Commissioner for the Department of Parks from 1999 until 2003, and since 2003 he continues to serves as the Commissioner of Revenue and Finance working diligently with the mayor to maintaining the town’s budget.
Looking back on his years of public service, Lange feels his greatest accomplishment has been being a part of a team helping people and bringing West New York into the future. Alongside Mayor Vega and his fellow board members Lange has helped to move forward the development of the waterfront, which has brought new people to West New York and new opportunities for employment.
“West New York is a melting pot that is vibrant and alive,” said Lange. “We have brought development, rehabilitated housing, and have great schools that make sure our families get an education that is second to none.”
Right now as the country and state faces financial crisis, Lange has been working alongside Mayor Vega to keep the town running efficiently under its own budget constraints. They continue to look for ways to reduce costs without taking away from municipal services and relieving burden of the tax payers.
“We understand the plight of the homeowners and the taxpayers of our town and we are trying to diligently seek new ways to cut costs, so residents can keep saving the way they should be,” said Lange.