The 12 members of the City Council filled their ranks, depleted by the April 30 resignation of four-term Councilor Peter J. Miller Jr., last night with the selection of Ann Callahan to complete Miller’s term.
The councilors voted four times, with shifting allegiances, before Callahan garnered the seven votes needed to win the ward seat.
Philip McEwan, a member of the Planning Board for the past 25 years, currently serving as its chairman, came close to taking the post in the third round when he had six votes to Callahan’s five votes. McEwan failed to gain the seventh vote needed when Ward 4 Councilor Mark O’Connell continued her support for another Planning Board member, Matt VanHeynigen.
The council rotates the roll call each week to avoid having the councilors at the beginning of the alphabet voting first. Under the rotating system each council member has a turn at voting first for the roll call at that particular meeting.
Thursday night O’Connell was voting last and cast the deciding vote for Callahan. O’Connell had voted in each of the first three rounds for VanHeynigen, then switched her vote on the fourth round to Callahan.
Councilors James R. Adams, Christopher Crean and John J. Beltrandi III cast their votes in every round for McEwan, while Councilor Patti Andras voted for Callahan in all four rounds.
Other council members had committed their vote to a candidate for the first round, but changed horses when no candidate was a clear favorite in the first round. McEwan, Callahan and Richard Emmings Jr. each garnered three votes in that round, VanHeynigen had two, while Junior Delgado and Kathleen Bastible each received one vote.
The round 2 vote saw Callahan’s support begin to solidify with five councilors voting for her, while McEwan’s support dropped to three votes. VanHeynigen again received two votes, Emmings dropped to one with Lynn Bannon also receiving a vote.
Voting in the third round coalesced around McEwan and Callahan 6-5, with VanHeynigen receiving one vote.
Callahan took the fourth and final round with the required seven votes, while McEwan received three, VanHeynigen and Bastible at one vote.
Andras supported Callahan throughout the voting. Both women served as the assistant to Mayor Richard K. Sullivan Jr. Andras had redefined what was historically a secretary’s post into a dynamic position with far more involvement in the operation of the office, and Callahan had continued to expand the duties of that position.
Callahan used that experience to secure here current position as property/office manager at Falcone Retail Properties, a limited liability partnership that controls a large inventory of commercial and residential properties, 14 of which Callahan manages.
Council President Christopher Keefe said this morning that Callahan will be sworn into office after the council votes to accept the minutes of last night’s meeting and the minutes are signed by Mayor Daniel M. Knapik.
Keefe said the next meeting of the council is slated for June 7, meaning that Callahan could take her seat that night, if Knapik is available to immediately sign the document. Keefe said that more likely Callahan will begin her new duties at the June 21 council meeting.
