Vic Marotta lost his bid for a second term as mayor in November 2015
VERNON -- Former Mayor Vic Marotta said he is running for a seat on the municipal council.
Marotta, who in March was ousted as Hopatcong's business administrator, told NJ Advance Media he is circulating nominating petitions for the Nov. 7 election.
Vic Marotta, in a photo from Vernon's website in 2012 The township is one of four Sussex County municipalities with non-partisan elections, meaning that political parties play no official role.
Marotta, a Republican, lost his bid for a second, four-year term as mayor in November 2015. He had a single, three-year term on the Sussex County freeholder board in the 1980s.
Two of the three council members up for re-election were aligned with Marotta during his mayoral term, while the third -- Councilwoman Jean Murphy -- was a frequent critic.
Council member Patrick Rizzuto said he had decided to form a re-election ticket with Councilman Richard Wetzel prior to Marotta entering the race.
Murphy, contacted Tuesday, said she is running with Patrick Bailey, currently the chief finance officer in Fredon.
Marotta said he will not be aligned with any candidates, though he offered praise for Rizzuto and Wetzel.
"I am not running as a team or endorsing anyone else. I'm running independently. Obviously, I have a working relationship with Pat and Dick and hold them in high regard," Marotta said.
Marotta took office in 2011 after Vernon voters changed the form of government to provide for a directly-elected mayor with full executive authority. His first term included repeated debates over whether his $30,000 salary should be raised.
Council members in Vernon are paid $3,000 annually, while the mayor's salary is unchanged.
Mayor Harry Shortway, who defeated Marotta, is not up for re-election in 2019.
The candidate filing deadline for council candidates is September 3.
Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook
