Can Wayne Politics Become Civil? Council Members Have Hope

WAYNE, NJ — As Wayne Township Council members made remarks at Wednesday's meeting, they shared similar messages: congratulating the incumbents getting re-elected, welcoming Jason DeStefano before his future appointment to council and thanking the Democratic challengers for running.

They also each presented hope that with election season over, the community could come together to show greater civility.

Ward 6 Council Member Jonathan Ettman specifically brought up Wayne Township Board of Education meetings.

The school board has had a series of contentious meetings in recent months, culminating in five of nine members not showing up to the public portion of Oct. 28's meeting, resulting in its cancelation. Board President Cathy Kazan and Vice President Suzanne Pudup cited safety concerns as their main reason for not showing up. Read more: Safety Issues, Illness Factored Into Wayne Board Of Ed. No-Shows

"I look at the individuals who serve on the Board of Ed," Ettman said. "They’re all volunteers. They don’t get paid. They’re neighbors, trying to do a good job. You may not agree with what they’re doing. You may not agree with their decisions. But when you come into a forum and you act that way, it’s embarrassing."

Although other council members didn't directly refer to the board of education meetings, many said they hoped Wayne could move forward with greater unity and lower tensions.

"There’s always that silly season that intervenes," Ward 5 Council Member Francine Ritter said of election season. "And now thankfully, we’re done with that."

Mayor Christopher P. Vergano, Council-at-Large Members Jill Sasso and David Varano won their elections Tuesday. Challengers Michael Fattal, Haralampos Prassakos and Iveta Wentink led the voting in the Board of Education race.

Thanks for reading. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip? Email josh.bakan@patch.com. Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter and follow the Wayne Patch Facebook Page.