Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty steps down after 7 years in office

Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty has officially stepped down as mayor after seven years, three months and 10 days in office. 
The mayor will be taking a new position in Atlantic City as the executive director of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. Doherty said that he is very proud of his time in office and what he has done for the town.
“Belmar is the only town in the entire state of New Jersey…where we lowered taxes over the last eight years, no tax increases at all,” he says.
Doherty says that he is also proud of helping Belmar recover from Superstorm Sandy while continuing to create development downtown.
"Belmar has seen more private, economic investment in our downtown in the past eight years than the previous 30,” he says.
The mayor does say that he wishes that a desperately needed parking garage was constructed to relieve parking issues during the busy summer months. The project is currently in the works. He also says that he wishes he could have provided more housing for the middle-class families in town.
Doherty says that his time as mayor of Belmar will help him to revitalize Atlantic City.
“The role of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority is really economic development and tourism, which is pretty much what we've done very successfully here in Belmar,” he says.
Belmar Council President Brian Magovern will assume Mayoral duties beginning Wednesday. Council members will decide Saturday which one of them will continue as mayor until November's election.