Doug Tindall was appointed mayor for 2005 at the Washington Township Committee’s reorganization meeting last week.
By: Lauren Burgoon
WASHINGTON It was the end of a 146-year era in Washington last week as the township’s governing body reorganized as a township committee for the last time.
The Township Committee’s Jan. 6 reorganization meeting was a quiet affair attended by a handful of residents and area politicians.
The committeemen will serve only seven months more until a new mayor and council, who will be elected in nonpartisan May elections, assume their seats for the first time in July. Voters approved the new form of government as part of a referendum in November.
The committeemen spoke about creating a smooth transition to the new government several times during the reorganization. But their eyes also were on the business at hand, which included swearing in a new committeeman, Republican Steve McPhillips, and choosing a mayor. Mr. McPhillips took the seat previously held by Vince Calcagno, who served as mayor last year but failed to win re-election in November.
Doug Tindall, who was deputy mayor last year, got the nod for mayor, although not unanimously. Committeeman Dave Fried, who was at odds with Mayor Tindall on many township matters last year, voted no. Mr. Tindall last served as mayor in 2003.
Mayor Tindall’s term started off with a warning to the public about behavior at meetings. Several meetings last year dissolved into shouting matches, episodes that Mayor Tindall warned he doesn’t want repeated under his watch.
"Of course our committee is always open to public participation. This government serves our residents and this committee has no desire to stifle participation at meetings," he said. "However, along with freedom comes responsible citizenship. Those wishing to talk should be respectful of our elected officials and our community. We are allowed to set a level of decorum at meetings and we will do that."
One of the committee’s first acts was to decry the removal of Washington Township’s 4th District congressman, Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), as the head of The House Committee on Veterans Affairs. Mr. Smith was ousted from his position as chairman last week and replaced by Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) in a move that many suspect was punishment for Mr. Smith’s failure to always toe the party line.
The Township Committee approved a resolution that will be sent to Congress. During his tenure as a congressman, Mr. Smith is credited with increasing veterans’ health benefits and supporting full pension payments to veterans’ widows.
"He has brought millions of dollars into this state for veterans and other projects," Mr. McPhillips, a Vietnam War veteran, said. "We are a losing a tremendous advocate for New Jersey."
The committee also approved several township appointments, effective until July 1, at the reorganization meeting. The town’s new attorney is Andrew Bayer of the firm Gluck Walrath. Bill Antonides again will be the auditor, David Frank will be the open space attorney and Paul Pogorzelski will be the engineer. Peter Sheridan, who asked not to be reappointed as the attorney in 2005, will stay on as special counsel for projects that began under his watch.
Mayor Tindall’s appointments to the Planning Board were himself, Steve McPhillips, Rich Kasper, Janet Van Nest, Nancy Tindall and Richard Young. The committee as a whole appointed Mark Tobias as a third governing body representative to the board.
The Environmental Commission appointees are Susan Scibilia, Rich Kasper, Eugenio Giraldo, Henry MacAdam, Kim Keenan, Thomas Blakely and Kevin McMahon.
The committee’s appointments to the Open Space and Farmland Committee included Mayor Tindall, Susan Scibilia, Edwin Diefenbach and Nancy Tindall.
The committee also appointed Christine Ciaccio, William Perhacs and Kristin Kiefer to the zoning board.

