Ducey Named Council President

John Ducey will serve as Brick Township Council President following a vote on New Years Day.

Ducey was sworn into office Sunday along with his running mates, Bob Moore, Jim Fozman and Susan Lydecker. The foursome, all Democrats, handily defeated GOP incumbents Brian DeLuca, Ruthanne Scaturro, Michael Thulen and John Catalano in the November council election.

After the candidates were sworn into office, Ducey was voted in as president of the council and Moore was voted vice president. The council president presides over meetings of the governing body and carries out other duties such as forming committees.

Ducey pledged things would be different under his tenure as president, most significantly, the treatment of members of the public.

"It seems like there was not a lot of input that was well received," said Ducey, of the former council. "At best, some things were ignored, at worst, some people were shouted at, and things of that nature."

Ducey was sworn in by Superior Court Judge James P. Courtney.

Moore was sworn in by attorney Charles Starkey; Fozman by Point Pleasant Borough Mayor William Schroeder; and Lydecker by state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex).

"This is her first venture into public life, and I think she found out very quickly how rough and tumble political campaigns can be," Buono said of Lydecker.

The senator told all of the new council members that it is "time to put political labels aside" and focus on governing.

"We are up here, but we are up here as your representatives," said Ducey, after taking his seat on the council. He promised that residents will "have a part in their government again" under the new council majority.