Galloway Township Council to Appoint New Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Councilman Tonight

The Galloway Township Council will appoint a new mayor, a new deputy mayor and a new councilman at its meeting tonight, Wednesday, Nov. 9, according to the agenda posted on the township's website.

One day after municipal elections that saw Republican Tony Coppola and Democrat Jim Gorman re-elected to council, and Republican Brian Tyrrell elected to council for the first time, the council will do a massive reconfiguration ahead of the official reorganization meeting in January.

The council needs to reorganize early because former Mayor Keith Hartman was removed from his seat by state statute for missing four consecutive bi-weekly council meetings over an eight-week span. Hartman claims he missed the meetings due to threats against himself and his family. Superior Court Judge Nelson Johnson upheld the statute on Oct. 26.

A new councilman must be appointed to replace Hartman. Three names are to be submitted by the Galloway Township Republican League, and from those three names, council will select one new representative.

A new mayor must be appointed to fill that position's vacancy left when Hartman was removed. Deputy Mayor Don Purdy has been serving in the mayor's place during Hartman's absence, and an agenda item calling for the appointment of a new deputy mayor suggests Purdy will be nominated to the position of mayor.

Each appointment will be made on an interim basis. Including tonight's meeting, there are only three meetings left in the calendar year. Tyrrell will be officially sworn in at the council's reorganization meeting in January.

Galloway Patch will be on hand for tonight's council meeting, and will update as each appointment is made.