Frank E. Matthews, AIA

Council President Frank E. Matthews, was born and raised in Hawthorne. He and his wife Susan, have been married for 32 years and have two children, Megan & Timothy. He attended the Hawthorne School system and went on to receive a Bachelor of Architecture from the New York Institute of Technology. He received his Architectural License in 1991 and is currently the Director of Architectural Services at Architectural Design Associates in Clifton, and licensed to practice Architecture in multiple states. He’s a member of the American Institute of Architects, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, and the International Code Council.

Growing up in the Borough, Frank learned at an early age about the importance of community service. His father served three terms on the Hawthorne Board of Education and instilled the importance of being involved in the community and shaping the direction of our Borough. He has a strong background in Budgeting, Project Management, and Building Management. When the opportunity arose, Frank eagerly took the challange to run for the Borough Council. He is currently serving in his fifth term (20 years) and is looking to continue representing the Citizens of the Borough.

When he was initially elected, he was known as a Financial Conservative and within his second year was appointed to the Finance Committee and has been on it ever since. His goal was to be fiscally responsible and make sure any tax increases were kept to a minimum. During his time on the Council, Hawthorne has seen some of the lowest tax increases in recent history and has seen its Bond Rating rise and become the highest in the County.

During his early years on the Council, Frank was instrumental in eliminating Health Benefits for Elected or Appointed Officials, saving a significant amount of money for our residents. Zero based budgeting was initiated and it required Department heads to create budgets for each years expenses. Keeping a lid on taxes is a high priority so our Seniors and families just starting out can afford to stay in Hawthorne.

He and the Council have maintained programs for Senior Citizens and provided free pool badges for them and our Veterans. Numerous field improvement projects were initiated and more are underway. Our street repaving programs have increased each year and significant infrastructure items are being addressed, at the same time decreasing our debt level to keep spending in line. He was a driving force in the creation of the Borough Bandshell with numerous grants to help fund it. Numerous quality of life issues have been addressed such as lowering of speed limits on problematic streets, installation of stop signs & flashing Pedestrian Cross Walk devices, the creation of new traffic patterns around the schools, the restriction of truck traffic through residential neighborhood, and revising our Garbage & Recycling system.

After Superstorm Sandy, Frank helped work on restoring power to the Borough and evaluating all essential services and the creation of a plan to make sure we are prepared for any similar future emergencies. He was the Chairman of the Ambulance Corp Building Committee for the construction of the new home of the Ambulance Corp., and most recently he was involved in the re-design of the changes made at the Municipal Building and at the Library. He was also instrumental in the total re-writing of the Borough Zoning Code. Changes in Zone designations will make it easier for our residents to make modifications to their homes with less obstacles to work through.

Frank has been the President or Vice President for 16 of the 20 years on The Borough Council. He has also been on the Planning Board for 21 years, as well as the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce for 23 years. He’s also been the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Fishing Derby for 16 years. He has been a Coach / Manager with the Hawthorne Baseball / Softball Association, and a member of the Roosevelt, LMS, & HHS PTO and the HHS Booster Club.

He has served on the following Council Committees: Finance, Ordinance, Insurance, Technology, Cable TV/Social Media, Personnel, Commuter Parking, the Wagaraw Road Redevelopment Committees. Frank is also the Liaison to the Planning Board, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Local Emergency Planning Committee.

Within The Republican Organization, he has been a County Committee member for 22 years, the Treasurer for the Hawthorne Republican County Committee, the Campaign Treasure for Mayor Goldberg & Mayor Lane for 15 years, and a Vice President of the Hawthorne Republican Organization.