Arvin Amatorio | |
|---|---|
 Amatorio in 2024 | |
| Born | |
| Nationality | Filipino-American |
| Occupation(s) | Attorney, politician |
| Known for | Mayor of Bergenfield, New Jersey |
Arvin Amatorio is a Filipino-American attorney and politician, currently serving his second term as the mayor of Bergenfield, New Jersey. [1] A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a two-term councilman and council president. Amatorio is the second Filipino to serve as mayor of Bergenfield. [2]
Amatorio was born and raised in Baler, Aurora, Philippines, to public school teachers. [3] He earned a degree in economics from Colegio de San Juan de Letran and later obtained a Juris Doctor from San Sebastian College in Manila. [4] Amatorio immigrated to the United States in 2002. [3] He is pursuing a master of liberal arts in international relations at Harvard University. [5]
While still in the Philippines, Amatorio worked at the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in 1996. [4] He later worked at the defunct Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau under the Department of Finance before it was deactivated. [6]
After immigrating to the United States in 2002, he was admitted to practice law in New York in 2006. [4] He is also admitted to practice both in the US Southern District and the Eastern District Courts of New York.
From 2006, he practiced immigration law in New York, became a litigation lawyer, and later opened his immigration law office in Bergenfield, New Jersey. [4] [7]
His early career involved defending the Filipino nurses in the civil case, known as the “Sentosa Case," after they were sued by their recruitment agency and medical facilities in New York State court. Amatorio also represented the Republic of the Philippines through the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) during the forfeiture cases filed by the Philippines, in this case the US Southern District Court of New York, specifically concerning the claim on a piece of Claude Monet's Water Lily painting and other properties sold by former First Lady Imelda Marcos secretary Vilma Bautista. Except for Water Lily, the other claimants, including the Class (Human Rights victims) represented by Robert Swift, Golden Buddha Corporation, the company that substituted Rogelio Roxas, and the family of Vilma Bautista, reached a court settlement.
A member of the Democratic Party, [8] Amatorio was first elected to the Bergenfield Borough Council, serving two terms as councilman and council president in 2015 and 2018. [2] [9] He was considered as a replacement for former Assemblyman Joseph Lagana in New Jersey's 38th legislative district, but the position went to Chris Tully, Amatorio’s former colleague on the Bergenfield Council. [10]
In 2019, he was elected mayor of Bergenfield, the second mayor of Filipino descent, after Rober Rivas. [11] [12] He defeated two-time incumbent Republican Mayor Norman Schmelz in a fiercely contested race, prompting Amatorio to file a defamation lawsuit against Schmelz. [13]
Amatorio was re-elected mayor of Bergenfield in 2023, running unopposed. [8] Amatorio is also the Bergenfield Municipal Chairman of the Democratic Committee of Bergen County.
Following his 2019 election, Amatorio sparked controversy by choosing not to re-appoint a long-serving municipal judge, instead appointing Franklin Montero, Bergenfield's first-ever Latino judge [14] , who also became the only Hispanic Municipal judge in Bergen County that time. Bergenfield previously appointed Cathy Madalone, the first female Police Chief [15] , and later Mustafa Rabboh, the first Muslim Police Chief [16] in Bergen County, which Amatorio both supported as a council member.
In early 2022, despite opposition from critics citing cost, Amatorio pushed for the construction of the new Borough Hall, which had been debated for more than a decade. Amatorio was later sworn in at the new building in January 2024, marking his second term and the first official use of the new Borough Hall after overseeing its construction.
Amatorio advocated redevelopment and revitalization of the business district, a move that brought opposition fearing congestion and could increase population in the school district, a myth Amatorio dispelled. In 2023, Amatorio and the Bergenfield Council commenced construction on a multi-purpose field costing more than $4 million, utilizing the $2.6 million grant received for the project. This decision raised concerns about potential tax increases after Amatorio and the Borough Council spent over half a million dollars upgrading 12 parks in Bergenfield with new equipment.
Amatorio met his wife, IIya Evangelista Amatorio, while working at the DILG in the Philippines in 1996. [4] They have two children, Lance and Andrew.
He is a member of Lex Talionis Fraternitas, [8] and the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of the State of New York, Jose Rizal Lodge 1132. He is also a Chapter Commander of the Knights of Rizal, Bergenfield Chapter.
Bergenfield is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 28,321, an increase of 1,557 (+5.8%) from the 2010 census count of 26,764, which in turn reflected an increase of 517 (+2.0%) from the 26,247 counted in the 2000 census.
Bogota is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,778, an increase of 591 (+7.2%) from the 2010 census count of 8,187, which in turn reflected a decline of 62 (−0.8%) from the 8,249 counted in the 2000 census.
Dumont is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 17,863, an increase of 384 (+2.2%) from the 2010 census count of 17,479, which in turn reflected a decrease of 24 (−0.1%) from the 17,503 counted in the 2000 census.
Emerson is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, a suburb in the New York City metropolitan area. Emerson is the most southern municipality in an area of the county known as the Pascack Valley. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,290, a decrease of 111 (−1.5%) from the 2010 census count of 7,401, which in turn reflected an increase of 204 (+2.8%) from the 7,197 counted in the 2000 census.
Hasbrouck Heights is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 12,125, an increase of 283 (+2.4%) from the 2010 census count of 11,842, which in turn reflected an increase of 180 (+1.5%) from the 11,662 counted in the 2000 census. An inner-ring suburb of New York City, Hasbrouck Heights is located approximately 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Midtown Manhattan and 8 miles (13 km) west of Upper Manhattan.
Lodi is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 26,207, an increase of 2,070 (+8.6%) from the 2010 census count of 24,136, which in turn reflected an increase of 165 (+0.7%) from the 23,971 counted in the 2000 census.
Midland Park is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,014, a decrease of 114 (−1.6%) from the 2010 census count of 7,128, which in turn reflected an increase of 181 (+2.6%) from the 6,947 counted in the 2000 census.
Moonachie is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, in the Hackensack River watershed. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 3,133, an increase of 425 (+15.7%) from the 2010 census count of 2,708, which in turn reflected a decline of 46 (−1.7%) from the 2,754 counted in the 2000 census.
Palisades Park is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 20,292, an increase of 670 (+3.4%) from the 2010 census count of 19,622, which in turn reflected an increase of 2,549 (+14.9%) from the 17,073 counted in the 2000 census.
Saddle River is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of New York City, located just over 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Manhattan. The town is known for its natural fields, farmland, horse farms, forests, and rivers, and has a bucolic atmosphere, due in part to a minimum zoning requirement of 2 acres (0.81 ha) for homes. The borough contains both stately historic homes and estates, as well as newer mansions. It offers many spacious properties in a countryside-like setting, while also having proximity to New York City.
Waldwick is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 10,058, an increase of 433 (+4.5%) from the 2010 census count of 9,625, which in turn reflected an increase of three people (+0.0%) from the 9,622 counted in the 2000 census.
Carlstadt is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,372, an increase of 245 (+4.0%) from the 2010 census count of 6,127, which in turn reflected an increase of 210 (+3.5%) from the 5,917 counted in the 2000 census.
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located 7 miles (11 km) west of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 10,022, an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 2010 census count of 8,913, which in turn reflected an increase of 197 (+2.3%) from the 8,716 counted in the 2000 census.
Englewood Cliffs is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 5,342, an increase of 61 (+1.2%) from the 2010 census count of 5,281, which in turn reflected a decline of 41 (-0.8%) from the 5,322 counted in the 2000 census.
Fairview is a borough located in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. According to the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 15,025, an increase of 1,190 (+8.6%) from the 2010 census count of 13,835, which in turn reflected an increase of 580 (+4.4%) from the 13,255 counted in the 2000 census.
Teterboro is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 61, a decrease of 6 (−9.0%) from the 2010 census count of 67, which in turn reflected an increase of 49 (+272.2%) from the 18 counted in the 2000 census. After being ranked as the fourth-smallest municipality, by population, in New Jersey through the 2010 census, the borough is the third-smallest since the merger of Pine Valley into Pine Hill in 2022.
Upper Saddle River is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,353, an increase of 145 (+1.8%) from the 2010 census count of 8,208, which in turn reflected an increase of 467 (+6.0%) from the 7,741 counted in the 2000 census.
In the New York metropolitan area, Filipinos constitute one of the largest diasporas in the Western Hemisphere. By 2014 Census estimates, the New York City-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area was home to 262,375 Filipino Americans, 221,612 (84.5%) of them uniracial Filipinos.
Peter Christopher Tully, is an American Democratic Party politician who has represented the 38th Legislative District in the New Jersey Assembly since 2018. For the 2022-23 legislative session he serves as the Deputy Majority Leader.
The 2025 New Jersey gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 4, 2025, to elect the governor of New Jersey. Incumbent Democratic Governor Phil Murphy is term-limited and therefore ineligible to seek a third consecutive term. Primary elections will take place on June 10, 2025.
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