With Ward F Councilwoman Diane Coleman slated to resign by Dec. 31 because she won election as County Register, Mayor Steven Fulop wants to know who the community wants him to appoint as a replacement. Fulop announced last week that the city has set up an email application process for those who might be interested in filling the post.
The temporary replacement would fill Coleman’s unexpired term until next November’s election, when voters will pick a new Ward F council person.
“Strong leadership and a strong partner in Ward F is vital to continuing the progress we are making to bring investment, jobs and services to the area.” – Steven Fulop.
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Interested individuals can send a resume and cover letter for consideration. Community members and leaders have also been asked to submit recommendations, which will weigh heavily in the final selection.
“Strong leadership and a strong partner in Ward F is vital to continuing the progress we are making to bring investment, jobs and services to the area,” said Mayor Fulop. “We know that the Ward F community understands their community best, which is why we want to hear directly from them on their recommendations on who should serve on the council as we will be strongly weighing community support as we make this appointment.”
Interested candidates should send a cover letter and their resume to: wardfcouncil@jcnj.org by Dec. 15, following which interviews will be held with prospective candidates. The city is also asking Ward F community members and leaders to submit recommendations for qualified council candidates via the email address as community input will be heavily weighted.
Fulop said this will be a “clear and transparent process” that follows the one put in place following the recent vacancy in Ward B, which included an email submission and interviews.
Earlier this year, Councilman Khemraj “Chico” Ramchal resigned his post as Ward B councilman, and was replaced by John Hallanan, who lost in a special election in November to Chris Gadsden.
A lot accomplished in Ward F
The Ward F appointment would be on an interim basis until the next municipal election is held next November for a new four-year term. To be eligible for the seat, one must be a registered voter in Ward F and must have lived in the ward for at least one year prior to the appointment.
Fulop boasted that investing in Ward F and bringing much-needed city services to the ward has been a focus of his administration, and the council appointment is critical to continuing that.
Fulop said the city has brought more cops onto the beat, including implementing foot patrols and community policing in Ward F. Ground was also broken on the construction of the City Hall Annex building on MLK Drive as an economic stimulus to the area. In this vein, Fulop said, the city encouraged the opening of an Investors Bank in the same area.
This year, the Jackson Hill Redevelopment Plan was presented by the administration and adopted by the City Council. The new Redevelopment Plan, developed with comprehensive community input, lays out a roadmap for attracting residential and commercial development along the 2.4-mile long commercial corridor connecting McGinley Square to Greenville, including Monticello Avenue and MLK Drive, Fulop said.
Coleman was key to Fulop’s early success
Coleman was elected to Ward F in a special election in 2012, beating Michele Massey. She later beat Jermaine Robinson in the regular election in 2013 in a very close vote.
While Massey appears not to be seeking the seat, Robinson may be considered as a possible replacement. Others possibly interested in the seat may be former Councillwoman Viola Richardson, who has been a very vocal critic of Coleman’s over the last few years.
Coleman’s victory in 2012 allowed then Councilman Fulop to obtain a majority vote on the city council, and is seen as paving the way to his election as mayor in 2013.
But a lot has changed behind the scenes since 2012, when two key people, Eugene McKnight and Tom Bertoli, helped Coleman win. McKnight appears to be supporting Robinson for the post. Bertoli has also defected, and was reportedly partly responsible for Gadsden’s upset victory in the special election against Hallanan.
Big fights expected ahead
Replacing Coleman is also seen as politically necessary for building a new council slate to run with Fulop next November.
Gadsden’s victory in the special election on Nov. 8 slightly shifted the balance of power on the city council, leaving Wards B, C, D in the hands of Fulop’s political opponents. Coleman’s exit leaves one less council person from his original ticket in 2013. Ward A Councilman Frank Gajewski is expected not to seek reelection next year. This means that it might be possible next November for Fulop to lose the controlling vote on the council – especially when the election is expected to generate a number of full tickets.
To date, three mayoral candidates have announced: Fulop, former City Counsel Bill Matsikoudis, and former Assemblyman Charles Mainor. Rumored to be considering a run is teacher’s union president, Ron Greco and others.
As when Coleman ran in 2012, her replacement could be the first step in rebuilding Fulop’s council slate.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.