Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre is stepping down to take a job in the Christie Administration as head of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, a unit of the Attorney General’s office, the Asbury Park Press reported Wednesday afternoon.
From the Press:
Halfacre confirmed the announcement on his Facebook page Wednesday, saying he had accepted the directorship and will be closing his law office and stepping down as mayor.“I will make a formal announcement at Monday’s council meeting to the public and my last day as mayor will be Feb. 3,” Halfacre said in a phone interview. “It’s a very big change … and I’m very excited for the opportunity.”
Halfacre could not be reached for immediate comment by redbankgreen.
The ABC regulates the sale of alcohol by bars, restaurants and package stores, and has been headed for 11 years by Jerry Fisher.
Halfacre, a private practice attorney in Little Silver, also serves as the municipal prosecutor in Little Silver and Rumson, posts he will have to give up along with his mayoralty, the Press reports.
Halfacre, a lifetime borough resident in his second term as mayor, ran a failed bid for the Republican nomination to oppose Congressman Rush Holt in 2010.
The Fair Haven GOP will nominate a replacement for Halfacre as mayor.