By Ally Lanasa, Staff Writer

(July 30, 2020) Ronald Bireley, 78, became the fifth candidate to join the 2020 Berlin mayoral race after filing for candidacy last Friday.

Bireley is running against incumbent Mayor Williams, Councilman Zackery Tyndall, The Globe General Manager William “Bill” Todd and Jennifer Allen.

This is one of the largest mayoral races Berlin has ever experienced.

Bireley is a former two-term mayor of Berlin from Nov. 1995 to July 1996 and 1988 to 1992, a former finance director of the town and was previously on the town council.

With the recent tax increases, Bireley said he was motivated to file for another term as mayor.

“When I was mayor previously, I came up with a lot of ideas that I thought were good and would help the people of Berlin,” Bireley said. “I did not get a chance to implement all of those, and I intend to go back and finish those now.”

As an example, Bireley said he will work to repave Harrison Avenue.

“Part of it has been paved,” he said. “There’s another section that for some inexplicable reason was not paved, and it’s got so many potholes. It’s ridiculous.

“I’m going to be looking at all the streets myself, and I will determine what has to be done,” Bireley continued.

He said he is also concerned with reducing the electric bill of the town’s citizens every month.

“Even my adversaries gave me credit for saving the electric department once before, and I intend to continue to improve that as long as I can do so and reduce the electric costs of people of Berlin,” he said. “I’m also going to be looking at water and sewer projects.”

Bireley was born and raised just outside of Berlin near the current location of Ocean Downs Casino. He moved to Berlin after completing his military service in the 1970s.

Now retired, Bireley dedicates his time as a courier at Atlantic General Hospital.

He said he will be creating a Facebook page for Berlin citizens to learn more about his campaign for the Oct. 6 election.