Belleville Councilwoman Dies Before Term Ends; Town Needs Replacement

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Who will replace recently departed Marie Strumolo-Burke on the Belleville Town Council? That remains to be seen, but the township will find out in May when the 2024 municipal election takes place – or possibly even before then.

Belleville continues to mourn for Strumolo-Burke, who died peacefully at home on March 8 at the age of 82, according to her obituary.

Strumolo-Burke – who represented the town’s First Ward for two decades – also served as local Democratic chairwoman and was the founder of the Silver Lake Civic Association. In private life, she was known for her annual block parties and “New Years in November” events, and was a “devoted mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend to so many.”

• See Related: Councilwoman Marie Strumolo-Burke Dies, Town Mourns (Updated)

Strumolo-Burke previously announced that she didn’t plan to run again this year. Her seat on the council will now become one of several up for grabs in the non-partisan municipal election on Tuesday, May 14.

Two candidates filed petitions to run in the First Ward: Tracy Juanita Williams and Patricia Inaugurato.

• Read More: Belleville 2024 Election: See List Of Town Council Candidates

The possibility still exists that the Belleville Town Council will appoint a temporary replacement before the election, Mayor Michael Melham told Patch on Thursday.

“I believe the council has 30 days from the time the position was vacated to appoint a replacement,” Melham said. “If not, the position will be filled during the next municipal election. In this case, there is an active campaign/election for ward council seats, which includes Mrs. Strumolo-Burke’s seat.”

The winners of the election – including Strumolo-Burke’s replacement – will be sworn in and take office on July 1, Melham noted.

In the meanwhile, the town will continue to mourn for its recently departed councilwoman.

“If you look beyond the myriad honors and awards, you’ll see that it all stemmed from her love of Belleville and her love of her neighbors,” Melham previously said.

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