Municipal Manager

The Municipal Manager Form of Government (NJSA 40-39-1 et seq.)

 
The Borough of Lodi operates under the Municipal Manager Form of Government. This form is the early predecessor to the Faulkner Act’s Council-Manager form and is reflective of the progressive effort to bring a more businesslike, professional approach to local government. In effect, this form separated policy making (council) from policy implementation (manager). By law, a municipality can adopt through a referendum, a three, five or seven-member council, elected at large in nonpartisan elections. The mayor is selected from the council but the duties associated with the title are essentially limited to presiding over and voting with the council and a handful of appointments. The manager serves as the chief executive of the municipality. The manager operates the municipality in a businesslike manner. The manager prepares the budget for the council, oversees the negotiation and implementation of contracts and handles most personnel matters.

Municipal Manager Caruso's Bio:

Municipal Manager Caruso holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Liberty University and a Master's Degree in Government/Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Additionally, he is a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA and a Certified Public Manager.

Manager Caruso started his career with the Lodi Police Department in August 1987 and steadily ascended through the ranks of the department, ultimately becoming Chief of Police in 2003 where he served 12 years as Chief Executive of the department before retiring from the Lodi Police Department in 2014 after 27 years of service.

After retirement he continued his employment career with the Durst Organization as a Security Manager for the then under construction One World Trade Center in lower Manhattan where he eventually assisted in the opening of the largest commercial office tower building in the Western Hemisphere. Caruso worked closely with NYPD, Port Authority PD, Secret Service and US Customs and Border Protection in developing and deployment many of the security initiatives in place at the office building today. Manager Caruso was then recruited by Allied Universal Security Services to take a position of Security Director at Newport Centre Mall in Jersey City, NJ where he managed security for a 1.2 million square foot retail shopping mall located just outside the Holland Tunnel.

Manager Caruso has held public office as a Lodi Board of Education Trustee from 2006 to 2014 and was Board of Education President from 2008 to 2010. He additionally was a Lodi Housing Authority Commissioner from 2006 to 2016 and Chairman in 2008. Mr. Caruso was the President of the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association in 2013 and remains active within the County and State Chiefs Associations as well as the FBI National Academy Associates New Jersey Chapter.

Manager Caruso has had teaching engagements in the field of Internal Affairs, Labor Law and ethics with engagements at the FBI National Academy, Bergen County Police Academy and as an Adjunct Professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Mr. Caruso is married and has four boys and remains active as a volunteer coach of baseball and basketball.