Attendees standing for the flag salute at Wednesday’s council session. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank’s 115-year-long “borough” government era came to a muted, low-key end Wednesday night with a council session free of the infighting that marked the last five.
Gracious words, in fact, were exchanged.
Councilmember Angela Mirandi highlighted her work in keeping a lid on taxes during her 16 months on the dais. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
With council members and bitter antagonists Ed Zipprich and Kate Triggiano absent, the governing body held its last regularly scheduled meeting before reforms approved by voters last November take effect July 1.
Departing members Michael Ballard, Jacqueline Sturdivant and Angela Mirandi summarized what they saw as their achievements on the dais. Those included small tax-increase budgets, the restoration of the Senior Center, and zoning limits for short-term rentals and cannabis businesses.
Naming both mayors and every council member with whom he served since being elected in 2017, Ballard also extended an olive branch.
“Whether you were friends to me, or frenemies, or straight-up political enemies, I learned something from each and every one of you that helped me do my job as a councilperson,” he said, via Zoom. “I thank each of you for being you.”
Mayor Billy Portman, who beat Ballard in the 2022 Democratic primary before winning office in the November general election, returned the courtesy to Ballard and the departing members, all fellow Democrats.
“While we often didn’t see eye-to-eye on particular subjects, I do not doubt for one second that you were all motivated to serve your community,” he said.
Portman and Triggiano were the only current members of the government to win re-election in the May 9 nonpartisan election that saw their all-Democrat slate run the board. Their seven-member team, which also includes Kristina Bonatakis, David Cassidy, Nancy Facey-Blackwood, Ben Forest and Laura Jannone, is to be sworn in at noon Saturday, outside borough hall, weather permitting.
But, contrary to earlier reporting by redbankgreen, the nuts-and-bolts of initiating the new council-manager” form of government will not occur Saturday, Portman said. While the elected officials will be inaugurated, the business of appointments, bylaws and such will be put off by several days, he said.
“With so many of us being sworn in, and with friends and family coming, we thought we would just take care of the ceremonial business on Saturday,” Portman told redbankgreen.
He said he would ask the new council, once established, to schedule a special meeting, possibly on July 6, to take care of reorganization business.
With a light agenda, Wednesday’s session was over in 32 minutes, followed by an executive session for personnel matters, with no official business afterward.
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