HOBOKEN — At Wednesday night’s Hoboken City Council meeting, Councilwoman Theresa Castellano proposed a resolution, not advertised on the agenda, to amend the way council business is done. It will allow the new council majority to select a new council president. The council makeup shifted to 5-4 this past November against Mayor Dawn Zimmer after the election of Tim Occhpinti in the 4th Ward.
Normally the council president is chosen each year in the beginning of July.
Sources say the new majority hopes to choose Zimmer foe Councilwoman Beth Mason as council president.
The council first had to vote to declare the resolution an “emergency,” which they did by a 5-4 vote. Then, the council voted 9-0 to amend the rules.
“[This is] an important resolution that the public should have been aware of in advance,” Councilman Peter Cunningham said. “If it is the will of the majority, I’ll support it, but I don’t see it as an emergency.”
“This is a change in the legislative body because there has been a change by the voters,” Councilman Nino Giacchi said. “It’s only appropriate.”
Councilman Ravinder Bhalla also supported the resolution. “We have elections; elections have consequences,” he said.
The council must next pass a vote of “no confidence” in Council President Carol Marsh and Vice President Bhalla. A new president could take over in January.
For more on this story, see this weekend’s Hoboken Reporter.
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