By Sunayana Prabhu
HOLMDEL – The return of former mayor Gregory Buontempo, a winner in last year’s general election, to the township committee sent ripples through the swearing-in ceremonies during Holmdel’s annual reorganization Monday night – before erupting into full-blown political clashes over appointments, campaign ethics and development policy.
The township committee reorganized Jan. 5 with the installation of Rocco Impreveduto as mayor for 2026 and Brian Foster as deputy mayor through majority committee votes. New member Gary Vanderham was sworn in to fill the unexpired term of committee member DJ Luccarelli, who resigned in December, citing personal reasons. Vanderham’s term expires in December.
The 2025 election cycle brought significant turnover to the governing body. Buontempo, a Republican, reclaimed his seat and incumbent Foster was reelected. Kim LaMountain, who had served as deputy mayor, was defeated in the Republican primary earlier in the year, ending her bid for another term.
The five-member township committee now consists of Impreveduto, Foster, Vanderham, Buontempo and Jay Romano.
The meeting began with an invocation administered by Rev. Archimandrite Avgoustinos Psomas from Holmdel’s Kimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church, who pointed to “a room full of people who may have many opinions and who also love their own opinions,” and called upon the Holy Spirit to bless the new leaders with “grace, to disagree with love, to debate with humility, and to always remember that unity matters more than being right.”
But policy clashes on the dais peaked right after the oaths, at the very first meeting of the year.
Buontempo flagged two resolutions from the list of agenda items – one approving T&M Associates for township engineer and another awarding a professional service contract for the township’s cell tower consultancy to a firm owned by state Sen. Declan O’Scanlon (R-13).
“Unless the bids changed, the one we’re awarding was a higher bidder,” Buontempo said during discussion of the engineering contract. “At the end of the day, it’s taxpayer money.”
“I don’t believe when we’re dealing, especially with engineers, that it’s all about cost,” Foster said. “I mean, we’re talking about responsiveness and excellence of work.
“I’m very comfortable with the team that we’ve been using for the last several years,” he added.
“I would agree, no one knows the town better than they (T&M Associates) do,” Impreveduto said. “They’ve been in town for almost half a century.” He noted that T&M engineers oversaw the Crawfords Corner Road project and completed it within three months, which Impreveduto called an “extraordinary undertaking.”
Buontempo advocated considering alternatives such as Colliers, a firm with offices in Holmdel, but the majority countered that their experience with Colliers as a municipal engineer had been “unsteady” in the past. Township administrator Chris Cherbini confirmed Colliers did not apply for township engineer services.
Buontempo also raised concerns about the selection of O’Scanlon’s firm for the cell tower consultancy, noting apparent errors in the proposal, including references to a deceased attorney and to someone not serving as a municipal attorney for the cited town. “If a dead person is a reference, that’s a problem,” Buontempo said.
O’Scanlon, present at the meeting, apologized for the outdated references and defended his reputation. “If I have some stale references, I apologize,” he said. “There is nobody in the state of New Jersey who has a 10th the experience I have in wireless telecom infrastructure setting on public property. I’ve made many millions of dollars for my clients throughout New Jersey – Democrat (and) Republican.” O’Scanlon offered to provide more references and asserted his long tenure and results for municipalities.
While Buontempo argued for higher standards and pointed out that a more cost-effective alternative existed, the rest of the board maintained that they trusted the consultant’s expertise and service history.
Both resolutions passed on 4-1 votes, with Buontempo casting the lone dissent.
“If I’m not calling out, I’m not doing my job right of being up here,” Buontempo said.
The atmosphere grew more heated when the committee introduced a resolution pledging that elected officials would not accept campaign contributions from developers seeking to build in Holmdel – a move Impreveduto said was prompted by Buontempo’s past campaign activity.
“This rule is in place because of your actions,” Impreveduto said, alleging Buontempo had accepted money from a developer connected to the Holmdel Horn Antenna redevelopment.
Buontempo disputed the claim, noting that a check mailed to his campaign was promptly returned. “You need to check your facts,” he said. “You should really verify all your facts before you start making accusations.”
The exchange escalated when Buontempo referenced campaign donations involving Impreveduto’s father, drawing louder reactions in the room.
“Where is the Holy Spirit?” resident Jay Yanello called out, in an apparent attempt to defuse the moment.
Yanello also questioned why campaign pledges focused solely on developers, not other professionals such as engineering firms. “Why do we have to accept people that you’re going to choose as township engineer?” said Yanello.
“When you compare developers to any other professional, it’s apples and bowling balls,” Impreveduto replied.
“Developers have an ability to pollute a town, to change its complexion, to ruin its culture, and to line political coffers.”
Some residents used the heated forum to reiterate concerns over the proposed redevelopment of the former Vonage property, a project that has generated sustained opposition.
“You guys ultimately have the say on whether this project moves forward or not,” resident Peter Franco said, urging the committee to seek an independent review of environmental and water quality risks.
Despite the discord, the committee completed its reorganizational business, including routine appointments and the introduction of an ordinance to formalize the township’s Heritage Advisory Committee.
In his mayoral address, Impreveduto reflected on the accomplishments of the township committee over the past two years, including the acquisition of open space, such as the Holmdel Horn Antenna property, Potter’s Farm and more acres in the heart of the town, in addition to supporting the school district and dedicating millions of dollars for infrastructure upgrades, among other successes.
“In a world full of division, Holmdel can be an example of what happens when we set aside politics and special interests and focus laser sharp on what’s best for our town,” Impreveduto said. “It may not always be easy, but it really is that simple. When we adhere to our core values, we secure a prosperous future for all. Together, we’ll strive to do more. We’ll strive to do better, for our families and for our home.”
The article originally appeared in the January 8 – 14, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
