Title
Dept/ Agency: Offices of Municipal Council/City Clerk
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Ceremonial Street Designation
Honoree: Honorable Armando Fontoura
Date(s): Friday, June 6, 2025
Official Street Name(s): McWhorter Street and Green Street
Ceremonial Intersection Name: “Sheriff Armando Fontoura Way”
Sponsor: Council Member Michael J. Silva
Additional Information:
Ceremonial Street Dedication will be held 11:00 A.M. Friday, June 6, 2025, at the corner of McWhorter Street and Green Street.
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WHEREAS, Ordinance 6PSF-f, adopted on May 20, 2015, authorizes the designation of an intersection, etc., for honorary and ceremonial purposes; and
WHEREAS, longtime Newark resident and a proud immigrant from Portugal, the Honorable Armando Fontoura, achieved tremendous success during his many years in law enforcement with the City of Newark and later as a political figure in the County of Essex; and
WHEREAS, after emigrating from Portugal and settling in Newark’s Ironbound in 1964, Sheriff Fontoura began his remarkable career in law enforcement with the Newark Police Department in 1967, rising through the ranks to become a Captain and Chief Assistant to the Police Director before retiring in 1986. After retirement, he began his political career, serving five years as Essex County Undersheriff, before being appointed in 1990 as Sheriff filling the position vacated by then Sheriff Thomas D’Allessio, who became Essex County Executive; and
WHEREAS, Sheriff Fontoura, who throughout his professional and political career was extremely personable and energetic, won his first County-wide election in 1991 and was re-elected an unprecedented ten times-many times by landslides-until his ultimate retirement in 2024; and
WHEREAS, Sheriff Fontoura, was a fixture with deep familial ties in Newark’s Ironbound community, and his many contributions and well-deserved awards and accolades are a testament for this notable recognition.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Municipal Council does hereby authorize the honorary and ceremonial renaming of the intersection of McWhorter Street and Green Street as “Sheriff Armando Fontoura Way”.
2. The official name of said streets shall remain as McWhorter Street and Green Street in its entirety.
STATEMENT
This Resolution authorizes the naming of the intersection of McWhorter Street and Green Street as “Sheriff Armando Fontoura Way”, for honorary and ceremonial purposes.