East Newark, New Jersey, was incorporated on July 3, 1895. It is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The governing body consists of a mayor and a borough council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by East Newark, the most common system used in the state, is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.
Mayors
The individuals who have served as the borough's mayor are: Terms began January 1 and end December 31.
| # | Mayor | Birth and death | Term start | Term end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edward Kenny | July 3, 1895 | 1906 | Edward Kenny was the first mayor of East Newark, New Jersey. | |
| 2 | Cornelius Augustine McGlennon | (1878-1931) | 1907 | 1919 | Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey's 8th congressional district from 1919 to 1921. |
| 3 | Thomas Keenan | 1920 | 1921 | ||
| 4 | Patrick Henry Quirk | (1862-1935) | 1922 | 1923 | He was born in 1862 in Troy, New York. He died on April 4, 1935, at the home of his daughter, in Harrison, New Jersey. |
| 5 | Thomas Keenan | 1924 | 1925 | Second (non-consecutive) term | |
| 6 | Thomas Walsh | 1926 | 1927 | ||
| 7 | Owen Coogan | 1928 | 1929 | ||
| 8 | John Reynolds | 1930 | 1945 | Served 16 consecutive terms. Died soon after re-election in 1945. | |
| 9 | William Seeds | 1946 | 1947 | ||
| 10 | Harry Lawson | 1948 | 1951 | ||
| 11 | Harold (Harry) Francis Lawson | (1887-1968) | 1952 | 1963 | He was born on August 4, 1887, and he married Katherine Brennen. He worked as an insurance broker and lived at 545 North Third Street and also served on the East Newark town council. He died on June 23, 1968, in West Hudson Hospital in Kearny, New Jersey, at age 80. |
| 12 | Wilbert Hotaling | 1964 | 1976 | Resigned from office in February 1976 | |
| 13 | Raymond Graham Sr. | (d. 2018) | 1977 | 1987 | Known as "Cookie", served for over 10 years. Originally assumed office in 1976 after being appointed. |
| 14 | Joseph R. Smith | 1987 | 2020 | Held position for 8 terms, 32 years Ran unopposed in 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015. Eight years on the borough council; lost 1983 Democratic mayoral primary; became Republican in 1987 won mayoral by 61 votes, and then switched back. One of the longest-serving mayors in the United States. | |
| 15 | Dina M. Grilo | 2020 | First woman elected as mayor in the borough. |
References
- "NEW JERSEY LOCAL GOVERNMENT DESKBOOK 2019" (PDF). www.lawcatalog. 2018. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- 2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 142.
- Cerra, Michael F. "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask" Archived 2014-09-24 at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey State League of Municipalities. Accessed November 30, 2014.
- "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 6. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 3, 2015.
- History, Borough of East Newark. Accessed March 9, 2017.
- "East Newark Biographies". www.losthistory.net.
- "History of the Borough of East Newark 1895-1995". Retrieved 2011-09-29.
- "Judge M'Glennon Dead in Newark. Member of Highest Court of New Jersey Succumbs at Age of 51. Had Served in Congress. Was Elected Mayor of East Newark Six Times. An Educator for Many Years". New York Times. June 14, 1931.
- "Patrick Quirk". New York Times. April 5, 1935.
- "JOHN A. REYNOLDS; Mayor of East Newark for 16 Consecutive Terms Dies" (PDF).
- "Harry Lawson". New York Times. June 25, 1968.
- "Metropolitan Briefs; Nadjari Upheld on His Jurisdiction Jersey Mayor Quits After 13 Years Flu Advisory Issued Here Thief Offers Part Reimbursement Court Order on Arculeo Obtained From the Police Blotter". timesmachine.nytimes.com.
- "Raymond Graham Sr. Obituary (2018) The Star-Ledger". Legacy.com.
- "Clipping from The Record". Newspapers.com. 2019-11-24. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
- "In East Newark, eight-term mayor faces first opponent in 16 years". 7 May 2019.
- Journal, Ron Zeitlinger | The Jersey (November 4, 2015). "Smith elected to 8th term as East Newark mayor". nj.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - "County unites in East Newark to swear in Grilo as first new mayor in 32 years". 3 January 2020.