Griffin-Ussak selected as new council president
Wayne Mascola retained as council vice president
BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer
AnnMarie Griffin-Ussak is the new president of the Edison Township Council, replacing last year's council president, Robert Diehl. Wayne Mascola was appointed council vice president for the second year in a row.

Griffin-Ussak was modest but appreciative of her new position.

"Well, this is someplace I didn't think I'd be two years ago," Griffin-Ussak said before thanking Diehl for his guidance and support in the previous year.

Mascola also thanked Diehl, and then said he would work hard to improve Edison in 2009.

"I wish to continue to put my best foot forward to make Edison a better place to live. … We are well aware of the problems we face as a nation and as a state, and we must prepare to do more with less. Not an easy task," said Mascola.

The transition was approved during the Jan. 7 reorganization meeting, though not without some discussion over what was the proper protocol on the matter. At the close of the meeting, Councilwoman Antonia Ricigliano said that ordinarily, council members are notified at least 48 hours in advance of upcoming votes on ordinances, resolutions and appointments. With regard to the appointment of the council president and vice president, however, she said that this was not followed.

"I am more than a little offended that this council spent virtually the entire year last year talking about procedure and protocol, but it seems all of it was talk," said Ricigliano.

She said she had not been notified of the appointments until she walked into the council chambers that evening. Ricigliano expressed her disappointment because, she said, she saw this as a sign that the decision was made without caring to include her input or support. She also voiced suspicion that since Griffin-Ussak was out of the country in India for the past 12 days, the decision had been made before Christmas. She noted, too, that Diehl and Councilman Anthony Massaro had similarly not been informed.

"No one had the courtesy to call me. And I think up until today, two other council members who sit at this dais with you, who want to work with you, did not get the courtesy to say, 'We already talked and it's going to be these two, and can we have your support,' " said Ricigliano. This, she said, was why she abstained as opposed to voting "yes" on appointing Griffin-Ussak and

Mascola.

Griffin-Ussak said this was not the case at all, stating that she hadn't even been sure she wanted the position until recently. The new council president said that no one was conspiring to keep the details from the rest of the council and that the decision hadn't been made until very recently.

"I did not ask anyone to put in their support; I asked no one for their support. In fact, I wasn't even sure for a time if I

wanted to do it," said Griffin-Ussak.

She said she hadn't been aware that traditionally, council members inform one another 48 hours in advance for items such as the appointment to council president. Griffin-Ussak and council members Mascola, Melissa Perilstein and Dr. Sudhanshu Prasad will be entering their second year in township government in 2009, having been sworn in for the first time just last year. Once made aware of this particular piece of protocol, she contacted Diehl, Massaro and Ricigliano and apologized.

"It was a learning, growing year. … This year, I hope to learn even more," said Griffin Ussak.

Massaro confirmed that indeed, the new council president had apologized for her unknowing breach of protocol. The councilman said he felt the apology was in good faith.

"I share the sentiments that have been expressed. … I also need to say that you [Griffin-Ussak] did present yourself to me by the start of this meeting … and you did take ownership for any slight. You assured me it was unintended, and at the risk of being too diplomatic, I accept that," said

Massaro.

Diehl, too, accepted the council president's apology, and said that based on a conversation he'd had with her on the matter earlier in the day, he felt confident that she was going to make more of an effort to be inclusive and seek more consensus on council matters in the future.

"We did have a conversation today, and you assured me that that's not the way it was going to be, that it wasn't going to be 4- 3 [the count of the newest council members versus those who have been on council for a longer period of time], that we were going to be included. So, council President, I told you, I would vote to support you," said

Diehl.
Contact Chris Gaetano at
sentnorth@gmnews.com