SADDLE RIVER — Like father like son? Albert and Jon Kurpis would agree.
Mayor Albert Kurpis, 75, was sworn to his third term earlier this month, and in turn, swore in his son Jon Kurpis to his first term as councilman.
Jon, 46, had previously served as head of the borough’s landmark and environmental commissions, and as a member of its Planning Board.
Albert, a dentist implant specialist, said it’s also like mother like son, as he attributes his son’s interest in civic involvement to his wife’s volunteer work with the disabled.
“She’d spend weekends volunteering at Camp Marcella for children and teens with blindness, visual impairments and special needs,” Albert said. “I think that’s where he got the ‘give back’ message.”
Jon grew up in Saddle River, graduated from Ramsey High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers. He did post-graduate work in history at Oxford University and now operates a tech company.
“I’ve always been the type of person with a strong connection to my community, helping people, giving back, like helping with the Centennial Fair back in 1994,” Jon said. “In high school, I went to the Washington Workshops in D.C. to meet our elected representatives and find out how government works.”
Borough attorney David Lafferty said that relatives serving together on the same governing body are not common, but not unheard of, especially in smaller towns “where fielding candidates for elected office is not always easy.” Alpine’s council currently includes husband and wife members Arthur and Vicki Frankel. Sister and brother Maryalice and Tim Thomas previously served together on the Midland Park Board of Education from May 2011 to December 2018.
HARDWARE STORE DEMOLISHEDSaddle River historic hardware store demolished to make way for wellness center
“There is no legal prohibition against members of the same family serving on the same council,” Lafferty said. “Both were elected by the residents. Neither are paid employees or reside in the same household.”
Shared goals
The father and son share enthusiasm for several upcoming projects with the common goal of preserving the borough’s open space and rich history, as well as the following projects:
True Wellness Therapies, 70 E. Allendale Road, is building a facsimile of the circa 1840 Woodruff Packer Foundry around which the borough developed to house its holistic pain clinic. The original building most recently served as a hardware store, was closed as unsafe in March 2022, and demolished in August 2023.
Grassy Forks Fisheries, 210 W. Saddle River Road, a 10-acre property was recently acquired by the borough as a possible farming enterprise and floodplain backup.
153 E. Saddle River Road, a 2-acre property south of Borough Hall and east of Rindlaub Park, will be used for passive recreation.
Deer management. The borough suspended its seasonal deer-culling agreement with United Bow Hunters a year ago, but is continuing to meet with area mayors and officials seeking lethal and non-lethal means of controlling deer impact on traffic and property.
Historic byways. A figure-eight roadway enhancement along the borough’s historic sections is under consideration with reduced car speeds to encourage walkers and bikers.
Albert and Jon said they are not is lockstep on all borough issues. Albert favored a return to in-person public meetings after the pandemic, while Jon favors reintroducing remote broadcasts to encourage resident participation. Jon said he also has a personal dislike of bulk “consent agenda” approvals and prefers items before the council to receive individual attention and votes.
But both agree they share an interest in preserving the “bucolic nature of the town.”
“This is not just about big houses on 2-acre lots,” Jon said. “It’s more about a sense of community pride.”