James R. Kern III
James R. Kern III is a Freeholder of Warren County, New Jersey and former Mayor of Pohatcong Township, New Jersey, United States. Kern, a Republican, was elected mayor in non-partisan elections in May 2011 for a four-year term with 63% of the vote. Kern was elected at 22 years of age, making him the youngest elected mayor in New Jersey. Education. Kern received his associate degree in Liberal Arts from Warren County Community College and his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Rutgers University. Town council. Prior to his election to the office  of mayor, Kern was elected to the Township Council at the age of 21. He defeated two incumbent councilmen while finishing his senior year at Rutgers University. Mayorship. As mayor, Kern had promoted a transparent and fiscally responsible municipal government. One of Kern’s first acts as mayor was developing a website advisory board which invited input from citizens in developing an official municipal website, which was nonexistent at that time. In August 2012, Kern proposed an ordinance which would cap the amount Pohatcong could borrow at $400,000 and force approval of expenditures exceeding that amount to public referendum . The council narrowly passed the legislation at the following meeting. In 2014, Kern was an outspoken opponent of New Jersey's red light camera program which was later discontinued. Freeholder. In February 2018, Kern announced that he would be running for a seat on Warren County's board of chosen freeholders shortly after the incumbent Ed Smith declared he would not seek reelection. Kern defeated his Democratic opponent, John Massaro, with 63% of the vote and took office January 1, 2019.