MARLBORO — Republicans Juned Qazi and Antoinette Dinuzzo were elected to serve in the positions of president and vice president, respectively, of the Marlboro Township Council during the Jan. 5 reorganization meeting of the governing body.
There was no municipal election in Marlboro in November so there are no changes in the makeup of the council for 2023.
Republicans hold a 3-2 majority with Qazi, Dinuzzo and Michael Milman serving alongside Democrats Randi Marder and Michael Scalea.
This is Qazi and Dinuzzo’s second year on the council and their second year serving as president and vice president, respectively.
As the first order of business, attorney David Minchello, who was filling in for Township Attorney Louis Rainone, announced that nominations for council president were open.
Scalea nominated Qazi for the position of council president and all five members of the governing body voted “yes.”
Mayor Jonathan Hornik swore in Qazi to his second one-year term as president. The council president presides over meetings.
Scalea then nominated Marder for the position of vice president. A vote along political party lines followed with Dinuzzo, Milman and Qazi voting “no” and Marder and Scalea voting “yes.” The nomination failed in the 3-2 vote.
Milman then nominated Dinuzzo for re-election as vice president and another vote along political party lines followed with Dinuzzo, Milman and Qazi voting “yes” and Marder and Scalea voting “no.” The nomination passed in the 3-2 vote.
John Gibardi, who is the former Marlboro Republican chairman as well as a notary public and Dinuzzo’s brother, was chosen by Dinuzzo to swear her in as council vice president.
In other business, Dinuzzo nominated Milman to serve on the Planning Board and the nomination passed in a 5-0 vote.
During remarks by the council members in the first meeting of 2023, Scalea said, “It is good to see everyone again for the beginning of the year. This year I do not want to be blindsided coming into these meetings. I believe we need to address things before meetings so we are all in agreement.”
In her remarks, Marder announced that 2023 will be her final year on the council after almost two decades of public service.
“This is my last year on the council. It is my 16th year. This is going to be a productive year and I want to do things that make me proud, like we have done in the past,” she said.
“Last year was a very interesting year. Roads are always going to be bumpy, but I am looking forward to this year,” Milman said.
Regarding his re-election, Qazi said, “Thank you to the members of the council for their support and for believing in me. We will try to do the right thing in 2023, like we have done in the past year.”
In his remarks, Hornik said, “We do the reconstitution of the council every year as a way to start fresh. Political party does not matter when we are up here. It does not belong here. The citizens of Marlboro matter. Nothing should interfere with that.”
There will be a municipal election in Marlboro this year. The council seats held by Marder and Scalea will be on the ballot. A council term in Marlboro is for four years.
The four-year mayor’s term will also be on the ballot. Hornik is serving the final year of his fourth term. He ran unopposed in the 2019 election.
Hornik’s late father, Saul G. Hornik, served as Marlboro’s mayor from January 1980 through December 1991.