Mayor Rothman - Introduction/Summary

After prevailing in the Englewood Democratic Municipal Committee’s April 1982 Mayoral Nominating Convention, as well as the June 1982 Englewood Democratic Mayoral Primary, Steve Rothman was the Democratic candidate for the 1982 Englewood General Election for Mayor. He was endorsed by the Englewood Black Clergy Council and the Englewood Patrolman’s Benevolent Association. This was the first time these two organizations endorsed the same candidate for Mayor. After winning the November 1982 General Elections, Steve was sworn in as Mayor in January 1983 at the age of 30 and remains the youngest Mayor in Englewood’s history.

Mayor Rothman served two terms from 1983 to 1989 and effected change that led to Englewood’s renaissance.

Steve Rothman & Eddie Hadden For Englewood Mayor & Councilman, 1982

Steve Rothman & Eddie Hadden For Englewood Mayor & Councilman, 1982

Campaign “palmcard” for the reelection of Mayor Rothman and Election of Mack Cauthen, 1985

Mayor Rothman with Englewood Police Sergeant, 1984

During Steve Rothman’s tenure, Englewood’s crime rate was reduced, the tax rate was lowered and the city was taken from bankruptcy to a $5 million surplus. Mayor Rothman fought for realizing change in the municipal aid formula from Bergen County, resulting in more than $400,000 in additional county funds for Englewood. By the end of his second term, the city’s bond rating rose to the highest level in Bergen County and the highest achieved for Englewood since 1938.

In 1988, Mayor Rothman announced that he would not seek a third term so that he could devote more time to family and his private law practice. Read the brochure for Englewood residents on the progress made during his tenure. Read the brochure here.

For further reading on Steve Rothman’s initiatives as Mayor of Englewood, see the Press Archive.