DeAngelo will retire after 13 years as administrator Middlesex County Administrator Walter A. DeAngelo has announced he will retire, effective May 1. DeAngelo, 58, has served as the chief administrative officer, overseeing the management of county government, since 1994. The Board of Chosen Freeholders first appointed him to a three-year term, and later to two five-year terms. His current five-year appointment expired in November, but he will remain as a holdover in his position until his retirement takes effect. Freeholder Director David B. Crabiel said he, DeAngelo and county Counsel Thomas F. Kelso discussed the nature of the retirement for several months before the announcement was made. "Walter has done an outstanding job in this position and was a key contributor to the county's financial strength over the past 14 years," Crabiel said. "We wish him the best as he moves on to other challenges." Officials noted that the county has been given a AAA rating from Standard and Poor's, and that the amount to be raised in county taxes has been reduced in seven of the last 14 years. It has the second-lowest per-capita cost for counties in New Jersey. DeAngelo, who has a bachelor's degree in government from Seton Hall University and a law degree from Fordham University School of Law, served as Mercer County administrator for eight years, starting in 1980. He also served as executive director of the Mercer County Improvement Authority and of the South Jersey Transportation Authority before taking his position in Middlesex County.