BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer
Biddle The Long Branch City Council will vote tonight on the appointment of attorney Jackeline Biddle to fill the council seat vacated by the resignation of former Councilman John “Fazz” Zambrano.
The voting will take place at a special meeting at 6 p.m. in council chambers where council members will vote on resolution 273, appointing Biddle as a councilwoman.
Upon adoption of the resolution, Biddle, of Chelsea Avenue, will be sworn in to office at the meeting, according to a press release from the City Clerk’s Office.
Biddle, 40, who is in practice as J. Biddle Associates, Shrewsbury, confirmed Tuesday that she was selected by the current four-member council to fill the vacant council seat.
“I sought the position and interviewed like everybody else,” said Biddle in an interview Tuesday. “I have lived in Long Branch for 12 years and I am just someone who wants to work for the people of this city.
“As an African American and Hispanic woman, I feel I can bring something to Long Branch. I want to be a part of the system to help make decisions to make life better for citizens in Long Branch,” she said.
If appointed, Biddle, who
is also a registered nurse,
will serve on council until the Nov. 7 election, at which time she will have the opportunity to run for office in the municipal election to fill Zambrano’s unexpired term, which would run out in 2010.
Zambrano resigned his position on July 20 after pleading guilty to extortion charges brought by the U.S. attorney.
The council was responsible for finding a replacement to fill Zambrano’s seat until the next municipal election.
In an interview Tuesday, Mayor Adam Schneider said he and the council interviewed some 20 candidates for the position.
“We narrowed it down to a handful of people that we thought were qualified for the position,” Schneider said. “[Biddle] is a lawyer and a nurse, and she is active in a number of different organizations locally and in the county.”
Schneider added that Biddle’s involvement in Hispanic organizations will help the current administration broaden its horizons.
“It will help get people involved who may not already be involved,” he said.
Schneider added that he plans to keep the several other candidates interviewed for the council seat involved in the city.
“We met a lot of good people,” he said.
The question of whether council would have to fill another vacated seat was answered on Tuesday.
Word was circulating in the city earlier this week that Councilwoman Mary Jane Celli would also be resigning her council seat.
Celli Tuesday put those rumors to rest.
“I was elected for four years and I will serve for four years,” she said. “I am not a quitter. I love this city.”
Schneider said Tuesday that he too heard the rumors but added that he has not heard anything from Celli that would indicate she was resigning her position.
“I can’t image Mary Jane ever quitting anything,” he said.

