New Township Committee Officer and Mayor Will Be Sworn In Tonight

The first public statements of new Township Committee member Carolyn Gaziano and the election of Mayor Scott Spitzer will be heard tonight at the Township Committee reorganization meeting at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Building on 1 Collyer Lane.

Gaziano and reelected Township Committee member John Malay will take the oath of office to start their three-year terms near the beginning of the meeting.

The pair campaigned as the Republican running mates for the two open Township Committee spots this past November. Gaziano received 40.93 percent of the votes and Malay won 37.42 percent, propelling the two into the open seats and defeating Democratic challenger Sonal Shah, who picked up 21.29 percent of ballots cast.

Afterward, a roll call will be given and nominations heard from the committee members for the 2010 mayor and deputy mayor.

As earlier reported in Basking Ridge Patch, the new mayor is expected to be Scott Spitzer and the new deputy mayor will be John Malay.

The newly elected mayor will then give his first public address in his new post. The mayor will speak on how the community has developed in light of the 250th anniversary of Bernards Township, and will also present some new proposals for the town.

After the address, the Township Committee will vote to approve the mayor's appointees for the different public roles in service to the town. The Township Committee liaison roles will also be assigned during that time.

About one hundred people are expected to attend the event, according to Spitzer, and refreshments will be provided immediately following the meeting at the Liberty Corner firehouse located at 95 Church St.

*This article was updated at 9:43 a.m.