Press Release

Tom Reilly

SOUTH AMBOY – As a lifelong resident of South Amboy, I feel a special commitment to serve our people and to give them a voice in City government and affairs.  I have done so for the past four years, and I will continue to do so if I am reelected.  

South Amboy is a special place to me.  I have lived here for six decades, raised my family here, go to church here, and have many lifelong friends here.  I feel this gives me special insight into understanding the aspirations and anxieties of the individuals and families who make up our City.  My first priority as a councilperson will always be the health and well-being of our City and its citizens, and I feel that my record as a Councilperson goes to the heart of what allows our city to function as a great community, a great place to live, and a great place to raise our families.  In concordance with those values, I have in my time as a Councilperson organized a number of programs and activities for our community, including: 

• starting a program to provide business discounts to first responders; 

• organizing and conducting a street fair to help businesses on Broadway; 

• providing business breakfasts to business owners to offer guidance and advice and to assist them with gaining assistance from local and state government; 

• creating the “hometown heroes” program to recognize South Amboy residents serving in the military; 

• adding to the city’s website to allow residents easier access to county assistance programs; 

• creating the Government Week program to educate the public on city government and services; 

• recognizing volunteers each April as part of “government week”; 

• establishing a co-op student program to allow high school seniors to work in various city departments.

For me, helping our citizens is not just a matter of politics.  Rather, it is a deeply personal endeavor that I constantly strive to achieve.  That is why I co-founded the Friends of South Amboy in 2012 to provide relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy.  Since that time, the Friends of South Amboy has provided aid to South Amboy residents ranging from those affected by COVID-19, to those in need of food and clothing, to children with cancer.  As the current president of Friends of South Amboy, I am proud to lead a group of dedicated volunteers who assist City residents experiencing hardships.  

As a councilperson, I am not beholden to business interests, or the interests of out-of-town developers looking to make a quick profit off of our City.  Rather, I am, as all elected officials should be, beholden to all of you – the voters who have entrusted me as the custodian of their best interests.  I carry your interests with me, and they are, and will always remain, my first priority.  That fact is reflected in my record as a Councilperson.  Over the last four years I have rejected an increase to sewer rates as unfair to residents; opposed large tax abatements to real estate developers that would inevitably be forced back onto individual tax payers; provided a tax calculator to allow citizens to better understand how their tax dollars are spent; spoken out against PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) programs that offer tax breaks for big developers that shifts the tax burden back onto our residents; voted against proposed City budgets that did not effectively prioritize individuals and families; introduced an ordinance that promotes “clean fill” whenever developers build on our land; and much more.

It has been a privilege to serve these last four years, and I have made it my utmost priority to ensure that the interests of our people come before all else.  If reelected, I will continue to do my best to ensure that I bring the voice of the people to the City Council.  

Tom Reilly Bio

• Born and raised City of South Amboy

Education

• B.S., Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ

Community Leadership

• Councilman, City of South Amboy – 2015-Present

• Co-Founder and President, Friends of South Amboy – 2012-Present

• Volunteer Fireman City of South Amboy – 1979-Present

• Board of Education City of South Amboy – 2006-2009

• Member of Ancient Order of Hibernians

• Member South Amboy Historical Society

• Volunteer at First Presbyterian Church food pantry

• Volunteer youth league coach South Amboy baseball and basketball.