As expected, attorney Ramon de la Cruz was appointed last Thursday to the Guttenberg Township Council, completing the unfinished term of Carlos Garcia, who resigned last month amid allegations of improper advances on his part-time salary.
De la Cruz, who ran for mayor last June against current Mayor David Delle Donna in the Democratic primary and finished third behind Delle Donna and Thomas Rizzi, said that he was always interested in serving on the Town Council and was planning to run in this year’s primary.
“I just saw this as a chance to start making a difference right away,” said de la Cruz, who was unanimously selected by the Township Council [Councilman John Schwartz was absent from the voting]. “Instead of waiting for June and seeing if I could get elected, this was a great opportunity to go in and show the people of Guttenberg that I can serve the community well, that last year’s election wasn’t a fluke and that I’m committed to serve the people.”
De la Cruz said that he didn’t think his opposition last year as a candidate would be an obstacle in serving as a councilman now, nor did the participation in the election have anything to do with his selection as a councilman.
“A council member had to step down,” de la Cruz said. “If it weren’t for that situation, who knows what would have happened. I know I wouldn’t be in the seat. It all happened so suddenly. But I’m willing to work for the town and the people of Guttenberg. I always felt capable and I always felt like I could make a difference. There are a lot of issues and problems in the town. I feel that I can only improve the situation.”
Delle Donna feels that de la Cruz will do a fine job as a council member.
“I’m very confident that Ramon will work very well with us,” Delle Donna said. “He’s a hard worker and this is just putting another piece in the puzzle in getting complete unity with the people of the town. We’re a small community and we all have to work together in the same direction. The addition of Ramon will help that. With his experience and expertise, it’s a win-win for Guttenberg.”
De la Cruz is a former Hudson County assistant prosecutor who went into private practice a few years ago, opening his office in Ridgefield. He is also the founder of the Guttenberg on the Hudson Civic Association and served on the transition committee of Gov. Jim McGreevey.
“I think every member of the council brings something different to the table,” de la Cruz said. “My legal expertise has to help, as do my ties to the community. I think we have to find answers to the problems in the town. I think I can do that.”
De la Cruz vowed that his association with the current administration will do nothing to the status of his civic group.
“At this point, it would be very disappointing if I stopped doing what I’ve always been doing,” de la Cruz said. “I might be perceived as a phony or as a fake, that I was in it only for myself. That’s not the case. The civic association is an important part of the community. I’ve gotten people involved and brought them to a higher level of participation. We’ve done a lot to help people in need and we will continue to do so.”
De la Cruz knows that he can’t do it alone.
“I don’t think any of us can right every wrong and solve every issue,” de la Cruz said. “We all have to work as a team. There a lot of decisions to be made in a democratic way. That’s what I look forward to seeing happening.”