Bloomfield Town Council Chooses Tabares To Replace Gamble

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield will soon have its first Latina member of the town council: Monica Charris Tabares.

Earlier this week, the Bloomfield Town Council unanimously voted for Tabares to fill the vacant at-large seat previously occupied by the town’s new mayor, Ted Gamble.

Tabares is scheduled to be sworn-in on Feb. 22. She will serve in the position until November, when an election will be held for the remaining year left on Gamble’s unexpired term. A special primary election will be held in June for political parties to nominate candidates for the seat.

Township officials provided the following background information on Tabares:

“Charris Tabares was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, and immigrated to the United States with her parents and sister when she was 2-years-old. Graduating from Kean University with a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature and Master’s Degrees in Bilingual Education and Educational Leadership, Charris Tabares joins the council as a lifelong educator. She is currently the Director of the North Hudson Community Action Corporation Head Start Program, where she monitors program quality and serves as a resource to all members of the Head Start department. She has been recognized as the North Hudson County Educator of the Year and the Orange School District Teacher of the Year, and is currently pursuing her doctorate while holding teaching licenses in P-3, K-5, Bilingual, Education Supervision, and Principal CE.”

Tabares currently lives in Bloomfield with her husband and two children.

“I’m eager to bring a new perspective to the council informed by my personal and professional experiences, and am committed to working with my fellow members to continue to provide our residents with the outstanding quality of life that they rightly deserve,” Tabares enthused.

The council member-to-be got a strong endorsement from Gamble, who said she has “proven her dedication to our community” by serving on the board of education.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what she brings to the council and working with her in the future,” Gamble said.

MUSICAL CHAIRS IN BLOOMFIELD

Gamble was recently appointed as mayor after Michael Venezia captured a seat in the New Jersey Assembly. He will serve in the position until November, when an election will be held for the remaining year left on Venezia’s term. A special primary election will be held in June for political parties to nominate candidates for the position. Read More: Gamble Appointed Bloomfield Mayor Over Mundell; Future Showdown Looms

In January, the search for a replacement for Gamble kicked off, with the Bloomfield Democratic Committee holding a meeting to pick nominees to recommend to the town council – which had the final say on the matter.

Gamble previously alleged that the committee meeting to choose nominees for the mayor seat was fraught with unprecedented and “deceptive” maneuvering, such as a controversial “straw poll” that placed another council member – Jenny Mundell – at the top of the list of nominees.

The Bloomfield Town Council ultimately chose to go against the committee’s suggestion and appoint Gamble as mayor instead.

Mundell, who will continue her quest for the mayor’s seat in the upcoming Democratic Primary election, will be doing it with the help of Tabares, who has joined her electoral slate.

“Monica is an exceptionally qualified community servant, and I congratulate and thank her for stepping up and filling this important role,” Mundell said.

“I’m excited not just to serve with Councilwoman Charris Tabares, but to run alongside her in the Democratic Primary Election, where we will have the opportunity to share our vision with the community,” Mundell added.

The Mundell-Tabares slate got a thumbs-up from Assemblyman Venezia, who represents Bloomfield and other towns in the 34th Legislative District.

“Together, Monica Charris Tabares and Jenny Mundell represent a new generation of leadership that will continue to move Bloomfield forward,” Venezia said.

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