Office of the Mayor

Reed Gusciora (born March 27, 1960) was sworn in as the 49th mayor of the City of Trenton on July 1st, 2018. Prior to becoming Mayor, he served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996, representing the 15th Legislative District, which includes portions of Mercer and Hunterdon Counties. 

In the Assembly, Gusciora was Deputy Majority Leader and, over the course of his tenure, served as Chair of the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development, Environment and Solid Waste, and Regulatory Oversight and Federal Relations Committees. Some of his legislative achievements included the NJ Smoke-Free Act, banning smoking in bars and restaurants; allowing and sale and use of medical marijuana; the "Senior Gold Prescription Discount Act," which expanded the state’s prescription drug program for seniors; and the law to streamline disability services through the various government agencies; the expansion of the State’s recycling law to include electronic waste.

In 2014, representing the Capital District, Gusciora organized opposition to Governor Chris Christie’s cancelation of the $150 million project to build a new Trenton High School. Through the Assemblyman’s efforts, the Governor reversed course and put the project back on track. Gusciora also fought the State’s School’s Development Authority when it was discovered the MLK elementary school was being constructed over hazardous materials dumped by contractors

Gusciora was born in Passaic, New Jersey. His father, Walter, worked at the NJ Department of Health in Trenton, and the City was an integral part of Reed's childhood. As a teen attending Jamesburg public schools, he regularly worked with his family’s company, Aardvark Pest Control, and spent time visiting Trenton's museums and famous restaurants. 

Gusciora received a B.A. from The Catholic University of America in Politics and International Relations and was awarded a J.D. in 1988 from the Seton Hall University of Law. Previously, Gusciora worked as a congressional aide to the late Mike Synar (OK), a campaign aide to NJ gubernatorial candidate and Princeton mayor, Barbara Boggs Sigmund; and an attorney at Stark and Stark. Gusciora practiced personal injury, banking and labor law. In 2007, Gusciora was appointed Assistant Prosecutor for the City of Trenton. He then served as municipal prosecutor in Princeton, Lawrence Township and Hopewell Borough. He also became an adjunct professor in the Political Science Department at The College of New Jersey. He serves on the Board of Mercer ARC.

As Mayor, successfully negotiated with Governor Phil Murphy’s Administration for the return of Capital City Aid. He has overseen the revamping of the Trenton Water Works Department and navigating the utility from water quality violations assessed by the State’s Department of Environmental Protection. Gusciora has also consistently promoted economic development and advocates for new housing in the downtown. The mayor was recently accepted into the 2019-2020 Bloomberg Harvard Cities Leadership Initiative program along with 40 other mayors from around the world.