By Doug Carman, Staff Writer
HIGHTSTOWN — No-nonsense Councilwoman Isabel McGinty was elected the Borough Council president at the annual reorganization meeting Jan. 1, representing yet another major change for the new-look governing body.
Earlier this month, new Mayor Steve Kirson was sworn in, as well as two rookie councilwomen in Selena Bibens and Lynne Woods.
Ms. McGinty has been an outspoken member of the council and at times in the last few months publicly clashed with other members, questioned the process by which the unit operated, and demanded answers to critical questions when others did not. Ms. McGinty led the charge in establishing a standing update at all council meetings on borough codes, attempted to make those responsible for the collapse of East Windsor police outsourcing talks more accountable, and is currently the chair of the council subcommittee charged with overseeing police staffing.
At times in the last few months, she has not been popular with the rest of the council, nor the former mayor. But Ms. McGinty held the group to a high standard, urging colleagues to read documents more carefully, weigh decisions more thoughtfully, and act more professionally — all in service to borough residents.
Ms. McGinty, who is a lawyer by trade and served as an assistant counsel on the Senate Iran-Contra committee, vowed to keep a rotation on the council presidency. She said she would serve only one year in the position, as her predecessor, Larry Quattrone, did.
Ms. McGinty’s first term on council ends in December.
Mr. Quattrone relinquished the council presidency after serving a single year, saying he had personal matters that were taking up his time. He told the Herald he felt Ms. McGinty would “do just fine” in his old position.
“I just hope she has enough time to do it,” he said. “She can do the job … the job does have a lot of demand on it and unfortunately it leans on your regular work.”
Mr. Quattrone relinquished the council presidency after serving a single year. The last multi-term council president was former councilman Walter Sikorski, who recently left office.
“This is a tremendous responsibility and not one that I would have sought,” Ms. McGinty, a Democrat, told the council after her election at the annual reorganization meeting at Borough Hall. “We should have a rotation, and I think a rotation is a very, very good thing. I expect that this is my one-year challenge as council president, and I will not have this opportunity or this responsibility to the borough again.”
Ms. McGinty will lead a politically balanced council that consists of three Democrats and three Republicans. Mayor Kirson, who holds a tie-breaking vote on matters, is a Democrat. The council is also historic in that it includes four women: Ms. McGinty, and Republicans Skye Gilmartin, Ms. Bibens and Ms. Woods.
Borough Clerk Debra Sopronyi said, according to borough laws, the council president approves the council’s meeting agendas and runs meetings whenever the mayor is unable to attend. When the mayor is out of town or unable to serve for at least three days, the council president becomes the acting mayor.
Council presidents are elected by the rest of the council to one-year terms.
Mr. Quattrone, the most senior council member with over a decade of service, chose not to seek re-election as president. He made the motion to nominate Ms. McGinty, and she seconded it before abstaining from the subsequent 5-0 vote that appointed her.
No other council members were nominated.
Ms. McGinty praised Mr. Quattrone for his longevity on the council.
“We look to him with great respect in the coming year for his service,” she said, “and what he contributes to our body.”
Ms. McGinty said she wants to tackle borough finances, create greater accountability for overtime expenses, and iron out the “disconnect” between the council and the borough’s Planning Board, to which she was reappointed this month.
“I understand that there is this responsibility on the part of the borough to be accountable to the residents for how we spend our money — their monies,” Ms. McGinty said.
“As a council member and a council president, I intend to make that a priority.”
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