Age is but a number in Monmouth County.
The county is home to one of the youngest and oldest elected officials in the country: 18-year-old school board member Liam Starkey and 99-year-old Tinton Falls Mayor Vito Perillo.
Perillo, who will celebrate his 100th birthday in September, is likely the oldest mayor in the country, and possibly the oldest mayor in American history. Perillo, a World War II veteran and great-grandfather, first ran for mayor in 2017, when he was elected at age 93. He won reelection in 2021 and will be 101 when his second term concludes.
Perillo, born on Sept. 22, 1924, about two months before Calvin Coolidge won the presidential election. Starkey was born during George W. Bush’s second term.
Starkey, who recently graduated from Manasquan High School, won a seat on the Brielle Board of Education last November as a write-in candidate at age 17. By the time he assumed the role, he had turned 18 and was eligible.
“Some people look at my youth as a disadvantage, but I see it as a benefit,” Starkey said. “I know what motivates and inspires the students because I am one.”
“I am proud to have Mayor Perillo and Mr. Starkey as elected officials in our county,” said Senate Majority Conference Leader Vin Gopal, whose district lies in Monmouth County. “They are living proof that age means nothing, a willingness to serve is all that matters.”