{"id":4777,"date":"2020-05-13T19:17:22","date_gmt":"2020-05-13T19:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teanecktoday.com\/blog\/?p=4777"},"modified":"2020-05-18T07:03:32","modified_gmt":"2020-05-18T07:03:32","slug":"a-new-council","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teanecktoday.com\/blog\/teaneck\/a-new-council\/","title":{"rendered":"A New Council"},"content":{"rendered":"

Unofficial Results, pending certification for the May, 12, 2020 municipal election:<\/span><\/h4>\n

Congratulations\u00a0 to everyone that ran and I look forward to working with the new council on July 1st.<\/p>\n

Pagan 5,115
\nSchwartz 5,089
\nOrgen 5,076
\nBelcher 4,750
\nGerzsberg 4,657
\nWalser 4,618<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Who will be on Council?<\/h4>\n

Teaneck\u2019s municipal government operated under the Council-Manager form of the Faulkner Act.<\/p>\n

We (residents) elect seven members to a council and they choose a manager who is tasked with the day-to-day operation of the Municipality.<\/p>\n

Since 1988, Teaneck residents go to the polls in staggered council elections in even numbered years to choose members who serve 4-year terms.<\/p>\n

This week, 3 of the 7 council seats were up, and in two years, the remaining 4 will be voted on by residents.<\/p>\n

After each election, the newly constituted group will meet on July 1st at a “Re-Organization Meeting” to determine a Mayor and other positions.<\/p>\n

Each of the 7 members of council represent everyone in the municipality.<\/p>\n[As one of your representatives, I will do my best to respond with information to any inquiries received]\n

Click here for contact Info for current council-members<\/a><\/p>\n

Who will be Mayor\/Deputy Mayor?\u00a0 Does it go to the person with the highest vote tally?<\/h4>\n

Not necessarily. The Council will meet on July 1, 2020 at a reorganization meeting.\u00a0 The 7 duly elected members of council will choose from among themselves as to who shall be Mayor and Deputy Mayors (Council will also choose a Manager, municipal attorney, prosecutor and several other positions).<\/p>\n

If you want to read about the issue of “highest vote getter becoming mayor”, I’ve written out the history below so it can be easily referenced.<\/span><\/p>\n

A note on turnout<\/span><\/h4>\n

We just had a council election – but while the majority or residents are registered voters, most did not come out to vote.<\/p>\n

This is NOT<\/strong><\/span> a new phenomenon.\u00a0 But I think it warrants review and discussion. Reports show higher than average turnout for recent elections. I think it can be much higher<\/p>\n

Some historical data and information on Teaneck voter turnout:<\/span><\/p>\n

In Mayor Feldman’s May, 1966 reorganization speech, he lamented the lack of turnout in elections.\u00a0 He noted that in the 1960\u2019s turnout dipped below 50% of registered voters<\/strong> and wondered what could be done to help halt the trend.<\/p>\n

Mechanisms were suggested, including staggering elections (we currently have staggered elections every other year for 3 or 4 seats respectively. At the time, all council-members were elected at once, for 4 year terms which was changed in 1988 via referendum), but ultimately, the trend of people not voting, has continued.
\nIt is not clear why people choose to not vote.<\/p>\n

In future posts, I will make some recommendations about what may help to increase turnout.\u00a0 I welcome suggestions.<\/p>\n

\n

Addressing commonly held misconception that the individual elected with the “highest number of votes” should become mayor.<\/span><\/p>\n

While it does have brief and passing references, there is very little support for this concept in law or history.<\/p>\n

1930 to 1988<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

From 1930 when our Town adopted the Council-Manager form of government to 1988 (when we switched to the current\u00a0Faulkner act<\/a>), we elected 5 members of council, every 4 years [Ed note: the number of council members switched to seven in 1962<\/a>, when our population grew to greater than 40,000 – requiring an additional two seats], to serve for four year terms.<\/p>\n

This is how the law worked back then:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u00a0All members were elected in a single election.<\/li>\n
  2. The council would try electing a Mayor from among themselves.<\/li>\n
  3. If they couldn\u2019t choose a mayor, the highest vote recipient would be chosen as mayor.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n