Divisions:Board of Commissioners, Infrastructure Management
Title:County Commissioner
Phone:(732) 745-4438
Chair of Infrastructure Management
Middlesex County Commissioner Charles E. Tomaro chairs the County's Infrastructure Management Committee. County Commissioner Tomaro's accomplishments reflect his history of dedication to the community and his ongoing goal to improve the quality of life for the residents of Middlesex County.
A long-time Middlesex County resident, County Commissioner Tomaro attended both Middlesex County College and Rutgers University. He is a businessman as well as a public servant, working for Clayton Block and Concrete Company in the Keasbey section of Woodbridge, New Jersey.
County Commissioner Tomaro’s experience in government dates back to his time as a Councilman of the Township of Edison (1996-2007 and 2010-2011), where he served as Council President (1999-2000, 2007 and 2010) and Council Vice President (1997-1998). As a member of the Council, he negotiated Edison’s purchase of 36 acres of farmland for open space, and the acquisition of the 11-acre Oakcrest Swim Club, including its pool, basketball and tennis courts and its ball fields. He worked with local residents to build a skatepark, so residents would have a safe place to skateboard; as a County Commissioner he would go on to lead efforts to renovate this park. He also initiated Edison’s “Dig This” campaign, which encourages property owners to apply for state grants to remove old underground fuel tanks on residential properties.
Since he first became a Middlesex County Commissioner in 2011, County Commissioner Tomaro has gone on to lead the Board of County Commissioners’ effort to develop a comprehensive Sustainable Energy Master Plan to drive down energy costs, protect the environment and increase the quality of life of our citizens.
County Commissioner Tomaro has also served the public as a member of the Edison Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors (1996-2004), as an active volunteer and member of the Board of Directors of the Hands of Hope Community Food Pantry in Edison and on the Commission of the Edison Memorial Tower. He has been a Committee member and merit badge counselor for Central Jersey Boy Scouts Troop 17 since 2001, where he assisted over 100 scouts in achieving Eagle Scout status.
Some of his accomplishments as a County Commissioner include:
Serving not only as Chair of the Infrastructure Management Committee but formerly as County Commissioner Deputy Director and Chair of County Administration. As Chair of Infrastructure Management, he prioritized new traffic signals around the County to improve safety and traffic flow. In his time as Chair of County Administration, new technologies have been infused throughout the County in areas such as our Geographic Information Systems (GIS) services which we provide to our residents and municipalities.
Serving as the County Liaison to the Middlesex County Improvement Authority, which is expanding their capacity and capabilities to serve as the Economic Development engine of the County
Serving as the County Liaison to the MCUA, which preserves and protects our environmental resources through responsible waste management, providing both wastewater and solid waste services to Middlesex County.
Being part of the County and local effort to rededicate the Edison Memorial Tower in 2015. After a three-year, $3.875 million restoration project using a combination of state and private grants, the Edison Memorial Tower on Christie Street was rededicated at an all-day public event, 77 years after it first opened (to which the County contributed $675,000).
Starting in 2016, County Commissioner Tomaro helped establish the complimentary admission at Plays-in-the-Park for veterans, active servicemen and women, and their families. This act of thanks started with a special “Veterans Night” performance of “South Pacific” in summer 2016, which was attended by veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf Wars and other conflicts. Since then, this salute to our veterans has extended to free tickets each summer season.
County Commissioner Tomaro also organizes the annual MCFOODS collection at Plays-in-the-Park. Each summer, patrons are invited to bring nutritious, nonperishable food items to the theater and place them in the MCFOODS collection bin. This effort is also assisted by Middlesex County Improvement Authority and Feeding Middlesex County.