PHILLIPSBURG, N.J. (WLVT) - Todd Tersigni says his door is always open. His office for now is a second-floor classroom at the old Freeman School. It’s a place he knows pretty well.
"I went to kindergarten here in 1966 and ‘67," he said in an interview with PBS39 Thursday. "Actually, my kindergarten teacher still lives in Phillipsburg, and she taught me downstairs."
Tersigni was sworn in Wednesday at the old Phillipsburg Middle School, where he said he was part of one of the first classes to study there. After eight years on the town council (including a term as council president) and a previous run for mayor after switching parties, he defeated incumbent Democrat Stephen Ellis in November’s election.
"It was a long journey, but we did it together, and it was fantastic," he said.
Tersigni said one of his biggest goals is cleaning up the town -- literally.
"We need to have property owners and landlords held responsible and accountable for the things that they do without any excuses," he said.
He also said the perception of Phillipsburg has to change. That includes uniting a town council that has clashed in the past.
"We're not always going to agree on everything, but there's a way to settle it and make things right by working together," he said, "and I believe we can do this and turn this town around."
Tersigni said redeveloping all parts of town will help, from dealing with what he calls "unfixable" buildings to encouraging businesses to come downtown.
It's welcome news to Bill Benz, who bought a four-story building on Main Street by the Free Bridge. As the owner and chief digital officer of a digital marketing company called Carnegie Agency, Benz said he'll set up the business on the first floor and create a community workspace on the second floor. He and his wife are moving from Hunterdon County to live on the top two floors of the building.
"Phillipsburg is exactly in the right place at the right time today," he said.
Benz said because Phillipsburg is a designated Opportunity Zone, the tax incentives are attracting investors to buy properties.
"This building, I believe, is one of the first properties purchased under that agreement, where you actually defer your capital gains with no limit," Benz explained. "So, after 10 years, they changed the step-up value of what you purchase it for, and you walk away without any capital gains. So, it's got an amazing potential."
Benz said the property owners near him are also working on transforming the area and taking advantage of what Phillipsburg already offers.
"I'm hoping to just to draw people who want to have time and enjoy this environment," he said. "We have the confluence of the Lehigh and the Delaware, combined with the Free Bridge. It's amazing."
The major project in town continues to take shape. The old Ingersoll-Rand plant off I-78 is turning into a warehouse complex. Tersigni said it took six years to clean up the site and get it ready to redevelop.
"It's the biggest commercial real estate development in the United States of America, bringing many jobs to our town bringing a better quality of life for not now, but generations to come and our surrounding neighbors," he said.
The mayor said he’ll work to figure out a permanent location for the town hall and police department. Mold issues at the municipal building forced the town offices to move out. Tersigni didn’t talk about what will happen to the building, but he said he’s pleased the school district has helped find temporary homes for police and government staff.
"I need to talk to my council, and I believe we will have a solution one way or the other, which will be beneficial to our police and our workers, but, most of all, our taxpayers, and that's what I'm here to do," he said.
Across the rivers, Easton mayor Sal Panto was sworn in to start his sixth term overall. The two met recently to talk about the partnership between Easton and Phillipsburg.
"We didn't look at it as Republican or Democrat. We look at it as working together," Tersigni said. "I know he truly loves Easton, and he knows that Mayor Tersigni loves the town of Phillipsburg. It's just two rivers dividing a town and working together, but our visions are basically the same."
Tersigni said he’s looking forward to working with all of the town’s departments and making himself available to residents. The next public meeting is Tuesday night.
"I love Phillipsburg," he said. "I love our residents, and it's time to move the town forward."