BY TOM CAIAZZA
Staff Writer
EDISON – Longtime Councilman Charles Tomaro was installed as the council President by unanimous vote on Jan. 8 at the annual reorganization meeting.
During the swearing-in ceremony held in council chambers, Tomaro and Mayor Jun Choi both urged greater civility and a desire to work together for Edison after what can be called a contentious year between the council and Choi’s new administration.
“I ask that we set a tone of civility this year,” Choi said during remarks made at the opening of the meeting, “professionalism and unity in our community and in our council discussions. We can agree but not be disagreeable in our course of debating how best to improve our community.”
Tomaro echoed the same sentiments after taking the oath of office.
“This year, let’s put our differences aside and let’s work together to make Edison a better place to live in,” Tomaro said.
Councilman Anthony Massaro, who was tapped to fill the council vice presidency, said that he hoped the council and the administration could look beyond ideological blinders and discuss issues based on the merits of individual arguments, not preconceived political or personal notions.
“When we approach issues in terms of problem solving there is no partisan way,” Massaro said. “There is no Republican way, there is no Democratic way, there is no wing of the party way to deal with property taxes, to deal with residential development, to deal with fixing potholes and improving intersections.”
Massaro said that taking this approach, blocking partisan or personal politics, can not fail.
“If we work in a problem solving way, then the mayor’s words earlier in the evening where we will have ‘agreeable disagreements’ are almost bound to come true,” Massaro said.
Tomaro took over for Councilman Robert Diehl and praised the council for some of the accomplishments they accrued over the previous years. Many of these included implementing checks on developers coming into the township and holding them accountable for how they affect Edison Township.
The most prevalent of which was the passing of a November ballot question limiting eminent domain which Tomaro said would “stop this council or any future council or mayors for using eminent domain for anyone’s private gain.”
Tomaro also mentioned an ordinance passed last year that required developers who choose not to install sidewalks, gutters and curbing in their projects in the town, to pay into a fund that would go toward improving infrastructure and township property.