BELVIDERE, N.J. (Warren County) — Warren County Commissioner Lori Ciesla was named director for 2026 and Commissioner Jason J. Sarnoski was sworn in for a sixth term as the Board of County Commissioners held its annual reorganization meeting Thursday at the county courthouse.
Commissioner James R. Kern III was named deputy director, and Warren County Sheriff James McDonald Sr. was sworn in to a fourth three-year term.
Ciesla, a former Lopatcong Township council member entering her sixth year on the board, was sworn in as director by U.S. Rep. Thomas Kean Jr., while her husband, Jim, held the Bible.
“I want to give special thanks to my colleagues, Commissioners Kern and Sarnoski, for putting their faith in me to lead the board this year,” Ciesla said. “As always, I am grateful for their support and teamwork.”
Sarnoski took the oath of office for a record-tying sixth term, administered by Warren County Surrogate Michael J. Doherty, with his wife, Tammi, at his side. He and former Freeholder Richard D. Gardner are the only commissioners elected to six three-year terms since the county adopted an at-large board structure in 1917.
“I am honored by the trust and confidence you have placed in me, and I pledge to continue working tirelessly to uphold the values and priorities that make Warren County such an exceptional place to live, work, and raise a family,” Sarnoski said.
The meeting opened with an invocation by state Sen. Douglas J. Steinhardt, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, a ceremonial proclamation from Town Crier William Joseph, and musical selections by Dani Finken of Phillipsburg. County Clerk Holly Mackey read the certifications of election for Sheriff McDonald and Sarnoski.
Reflecting on the past year, Ciesla said the board adopted a fiscally responsible budget, preserved farmland, addressed storm-damaged roads, advocated for state funding for the 911 Communications Center and paid off the county’s remaining debt.
“Locally, 2025 was a great year,” Ciesla said. “And of course, we spent a year celebrating the 200th birthday of our wonderful Warren County. Thank you to all our wonderful county staff and volunteers for making all that happen.”
Ciesla said the county now turns its focus to the nation’s semiquincentennial, calling it “a celebration of 250 years of freedom in the best country in the world,” and encouraged residents to find their own ways to mark the occasion.
Looking ahead, Ciesla outlined priorities that include upgrading emergency management communications, supporting local businesses through tourism, and improving public communication. “We will do all of this with an eye on the bottom line, of course,” she said. “We understand that our revenue is really your hard-earned money.”
Sarnoski highlighted the county’s debt-free status as a major accomplishment. “This is not merely a financial statistic,” he said. “It is a powerful statement about prudent governance and fiscal responsibility.”
Kern said his priorities include public safety, preservation and smart growth. “Public safety comes first because it is the underpinning of everything else,” Kern said, citing the need for strong coordination among law enforcement agencies. He also emphasized farmland and open-space preservation and proposed establishing an improvement authority to help municipalities finance capital projects.
The commissioners also adopted a 2026 meeting schedule, with regular meetings set for the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 6 p.m. in the Wayne Dumont Jr. Administration Building in White Township. Three traveling meetings are planned for April 21 in Lopatcong Township, June 10 in Blairstown, and Oct. 28 in Hackettstown.
