Deptford council’s annual reorganization meeting on Jan. 2 saw the swearing in of three council members.
Mayor Paul Medany and Deputy Mayor Tom Hufnell took the oath for four-year terms, as did newcomer Brandi Leidy. The three won their races in the November election.
“I cannot thank everyone enough for being so welcoming and so helpful,” said Leidy. “There are so many people in this room, as well as up here (in this council), that have been welcoming to a new person.
“I love living in this town,” she added. “I love volunteering in this town. If you are looking for me to volunteer, there are plenty of opportunities out there, so feel free to reach out to me and I can point you in some directions.”
Leidy takes the place of former councilwoman Mackenzie Belling, whose term ended at the end of last year. The meeting was the first for new Township Clerk Michelle Hack; she replaced Dina Zawadski, who retired on Dec. 31.
Medany was sworn in twice – first as a councilman and then as mayor – by former state senate president and gubernatorial candidate Stephen Sweeney, who also swore in Leidy. Hufnell was sworn in twice as well, first as a councilman by Assemblyman William Spearman and then as deputy mayor by state Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez.
“Tommy (Hufnell) is a 20-to-30-year volunteer in the township,” noted Councilman Bill Lamb. “Not only was he serving with the midget football, but then he became the president for 15 years. He’s a true gentleman – and congratulations.”
“I am honored to be on this council,” Lamb added. “I am honored to have Paul Medany as my mayor. He’s also a volunteer, 20 to 30-plus years. We’re all volunteers, and the mayor was with me in Deptford Little League for 20 some years, and he’s put on the roofs of VFWs. Congratulations … I am honored to have you as mayor.”
Medany thanked township employees and volunteers for their work. Major events in 2023 were also reflected on at the session, as well as the importance of public service at the local level.
“We had a very challenging year, and we said goodbye to some great friends this year,” Medany explained. “We said goodbye to Mackenzie and Dina. We also lost one of our officers, Bob Shisler, this past year. We’ll never forget his sacrifice and what he did for us.
“One thing we all have to think about is public service and promoting public service.” the mayor added. “For our democracy to remain strong, it has to be about public service, it has to be about volunteerism, it has to be about recruiting good folks to run for elected office.
“Because when we don’t recruit good folks to run for elected office, you see nationally what we get.”
