During Thursday night’s Mayor & Council meeting, Eugene Meola was appointed first ward councilman, filling the vacancy caused by the resignation of Larry Dinardo last month.
The appointment was officially recommended by Councilman-At-Large Carl Hokanson, the only Democrat on the dais. The protocol to fill a vacancy allows a member of the governing body of the same political party to make a recommendation. The appointment was voted on and unanimously approved by council.
Mr. Meola was accompanied by his wife, father, son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter as he was sworn in by Mayor Joseph Accardi. Councilman Meola then took his place on the dais and presided over the first of six (6) scheduled meetings before Mr. Dinardo’s unexpired term ends on December 31, 2011.
Councilman Meola is also the Democratic candidate for the first ward and will find out on November 8th whether he will remain councilman for the next three (3) years as he is running against Republican candidate Andrew Casais.