From an outsider’s view, the December 16th regular meeting of Mayor and Council was no different than the other 21 that took place in 2010. Aside from eight resolutions and the approval of municipal bills, the agenda for Borough business was fairly light. However, the 7 o’clock call to order marked the beginning of the end of a chapter in Roselle Park Borough history. This, the 22nd regular meeting of the Mayor and Council for 2010, would be the last where outgoing Mayor Joseph DeIorio would preside.
DeIorio’s public service career started in 1989. At just age 28, he would go on to win the 1994 Mayoral Election. Unknown at the time, Joe’s win in November of 1994 began an era is Roselle Park that would span over the next 16 years, making him the longest serving Mayor in the 109 year history of the Borough of Roselle Park. As midnight strikes on January 1, 2011 Joesph DeIorio will, for the first time in 21 years, cease being a public figure and resume his role as a private citizen of the Borough.
Near the conclusion of the December 16th meeting, Mayor DeIorio noted that in his 21 years as an elected official he attended over 500 regularly scheduled meetings.
Hours after the call to order Mayor DeIorio’s gavel came down for the final time, adjourning his last regular meeting with the governing body. His final and farewell address to the public will be on the night of the Borough’s 2011 reorganization; set for January 6, 2011 at 7 PM.