The spoils go to the winners, and in South River, the winners are enjoying their newfound control of the municipal governing body.
Earlier this month, the Republicans took over the mayor’s seat as well as control of the Borough Council for the first time inmany years. The GOP’s sweep at the polls in November brought an end to the longtime Democratic leadership ofMayor Robert Szegeti and nine-year council members David Sliker and Joanne Dembinski.
Szegeti’s team is to be thanked for their years of dedication to the people of South River. They oversaw many projects and initiatives and ran their town with pride and passion. But in recent years, the Democrats had less success at the polls, perhaps due to controversial proposals like the scrapped redevelopment plan.
Voters apparently saw fit to make some changes, and that they’ve done. Republican Raymond Eppinger, having served just a couple of years on the Borough Council, is the new mayor. And John Krenzel, at one time the only Republican on the governing body, and who once acknowledged he had little more power than the ability to ask questions, is now the council president.
Republicans Michael Trenga and Jim Hutchison began their first council terms Jan. 1, while their partymate John Trzeciak started just his second year on the council. And this week, the council appointed Republican Suzanne Buffalino to replace Eppinger, who resigned his council seat to become mayor.
In fact, the only Democrat left is Anthony Razzano, a relatively new councilman who won his term last year by a one-vote margin. Razzano may be greatly outnumbered on the dais, but he is a highly respected member of the governing body and his approach to serving is an admirable one.
Razzano brings a spirit of cooperation to the table, and likely in recognition of such qualities, Eppinger named him to the important role of serving on the finance committee, a move that a more politicallymindedmayormay have been unwilling to make.
In recent years, party politics have played too significant a role in the decisions made at Borough Hall. Many votes were made along party lines, and regardless of the stated reasons for their actions, officials on both sides should be voting more with their minds than their parties.
It’s a new year and a new era. With so many new faces running the show at Borough Hall, here’s to hoping that all sides can concentrate strictly on what’s best for the people of South River.