Cindy Burnham recites the oath of office as Red Bank council member as her daughters Emily, Samantha and Kate look on. Below, Tommy Welsh was greeted by Councilman Mike DuPont after being sworn as fire chief for the second time. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Cindy Burnham officially ended the four-year lock by Democrat’s on the town’s governing body when she was sworn in as councilwoman Wednesday.

Burnham, 58, becomes the first non-Democrat to serve on the governing body since the departure of Grace Cangemi and interim Councilman Jim Giannell at the end of 2008.

The event attracted some GOP power hitters to borough, but the atmosphere at the borough government reorganization was collegial.

“My hope is that we can all work together to tackle the problems that are plaguing the people of Red Bank,” Burnham said in brief remarks after being sworn in by state Senator and former councilmember Jen Beck.

Mayor Pasquale Menna echoed the sentiment, noting that Burnham was deputy campaign manager of his first, and unsucessful, run for council nearly three decades ago.

Also sworn into office were Councilwoman Kathy Horgan, returning for a third three-year term, and Tommy Welsh, who became chief of the all-volunteer fire department for the second time. He previously served in 1996.

The council also approved the appointment of Eugenia Poulos as the town chief financial officer, replacing Colleen Lapp, who resigned to take the CFO job in Middletown.

Poulos, 53, was most recently CFO in Seaside Park, where she’s worked since 2008. Prior to that, she worked for Freehold Township in the finance department for eight years.

A holder of an MBA from Monmouth University, the Point Pleasant resident said she spent 15 years with the former Shadow Lawn Savings, now Santander, and was familiar with Red Bank from that experience, she told redbankgreen.