EAST ORANGE, NJ — East Orange City Council ushered in a new wave of legislators on Wednesday, Jan. 1, including the youngest councilperson in the history of the city and a lifelong resident and career education administrator. Four current members of council were also sworn in before the standing-room-only crowd, and Christopher D. James was unanimously reelected as chairman of City Council.
East Orange Mayor Ted R. Green said, “I am looking forward to working with our new members of council, whom I know with the current members of council and Chairman Chris James will move our city forward with a focus on progress. I truly believe and am committed to us continuing to do great things together.”
The mayor also paused to thank Councilwomen Quilla E. Talmadge and Jacquelyn E. Johnson, who stepped down after nearly 50 years of combined service to the citizens of East Orange.
The two new members of City Council, Brittany D. Claybrooks and Vernon Pullins Jr., were joined by returning council members who were also sworn in — Councilwoman Amy Lewis of the 1st Ward, Councilman Casim L. Gomez and Councilwoman Tameika Garrett-Ward from the 4th Ward and Councilman Mustafa Al-M. Brent of the 5th Ward. With the exception of Garrett-Ward, who will complete the two-year term of former Councilwoman Tyshammie Cooper, these members of council begin a new four-year term..
“Thank you to my colleagues for reelecting me to serve as chairman of the council,” Chris James said. “We have accomplished a great deal of work; however, there remains work to be done. Our legislative agenda is focused and prioritized on serving the people of East Orange to the best of our ability and moving development, health and education forward.”
State and local elected officials, family members, friends, community organizers and activists attended the annual reorganization meeting, chaired by City Clerk Cynthia Brown. In attendance were former East Orange Mayor Lester Taylor, Essex County and East Orange Democratic Chairman LeRoy J. Jones Jr., Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin, Assemblywoman Britnee Timberlake, Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly, acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, Essex County Surrogate Alturrick Kenney and Director of Outreach for the Essex County Clerk’s Office. Councilman Christopher Awe, on behalf of the county clerk, presented the members of council with their certification certificates.
Giblin said, “I truly believe, with Mayor Green and Chairman James at the helm, the best days of East Orange are ahead of them. They have a recipe for success, as they start a new decade of service.”
Timberlake said, “The city of East Orange is in excellent hands with the mayor and the council.”
At the age of 28, Claybrooks was sworn in as the youngest member of the East Orange City Council in the city’s history. She was surrounded by her parents, families and friends, many of whom traveled from Detroit to witness her historic swearing in.
The councilwoman said, “Thank you to the mayor and Chairman Jones, who invited me into the room, where I can now have a seat at the table to be a part of positive change. There is so much in my life journey that has prepared me for this day.” She thanked outgoing Councilwoman Jacquelyn E. Johnson for her mentorship, guidance and friendship, as she helped in her transition to council. She added, “I look forward to serving the people of the 2nd Ward.” Johnson did not seek reelection and passed the torch to Claybrooks after serving nearly 20 years as a member of City Council representing the 2nd Ward.
Claybrooks is an urban planning project manager and worked on Capitol Hill. She received a master’s degree in urban planning and development from New York University. She also served in the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in the office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Claybrooks said, “Being a member of the City Council means having one of the many opportunities to add to the positive change we are already creating in our community. Being on the council means being one voice for the people who put us here. My ‘yay’ and ‘nay’ will carry the interest of the collective, and I don’t take that for granted.”
Pullins, who replaced Quilla E. Talmadge in the 3rd Ward, attended and graduated from East Orange public schools. Talmadge has served City Council for more than 20 years and served a stint in the Assembly as well. She did not seek reelection and chose to hand the baton to Pullins, who first sought a council seat more than 15 years ago. The councilman thanked the mayor for many years of friendship and support and Jones for his support as well. Pullins quoted Frederick Douglas in his remarks.
Pullins has a juris doctorate from Rutgers Law School in Newark and an undergraduate degree from Rutgers and serves as supervisor of guidance for Newark Public Schools. He is a career educator; he served as president of the East Orange Board of Education and as the head of precollege programs at Rutgers University.
Pullins said, “I am looking forward to a year of service and results, a year of positive collaboration with the mayor’s administration, my City Council colleagues and the great residents of the 3rd Ward, as we strive to continue to grow together as one city, one community with one goal and that goal is progress!” The councilman thanked Talmadge and, by name, his teachers, high school guidance counselors, coaches and others, who were in the audience to witness his swearing in, along with his mother, wife, children and other family members.
Both Claybrooks and Pullins began their terms immediately.
Lewis, on her swearing in, thanked the voters, the community and especially her family, the “backbone of any individual.”
Garrett-Ward said, “None of us is as smart as all of us. I look forward to working with everyone to move our city forward.” She encouraged everyone to keep up the faith in each other and in the community.
Gomez thanked his family and community for their support and said he was looking forward to moving the city forward together, particularly in the development space, which he serves as chairman of Business Development and Zoning.
Brent said, it has been “servant leadership” that has been his guiding force on the council and that he looks forward to continuing to serve the 5th Ward and East Orange.
Third ward Councilman Bergsson Leneus asked everyone to pause to recognize Jan. 1 as Haitian Independence Day, for respect for the country and the Haitian community of East Orange. He also said, “I look forward to working with my new colleague, Vernon Pullins, in moving the 3rd Ward forward.”
Awe quoted Nelson Mandela in speaking of bringing progress forward.
Finally, 5th Ward Councilwoman Alicia Holman, who now becomes the most senior member of council, said, “I look forward to working with our new colleagues, whom I know stand ready to join us to put our feet to the ground, our boots to work and to expand our collective presence as foot soldiers for our community.”
Also, on Wednesday, Jan. 1, the 2020 Council Committee chairpersons were elected. The following council members chair the following committees: Business Development, Gomez; Finance, Awe; Health and Education, Leneus; Housing, Licensing and Inspection, Holman; Law and Legislation, Pullins Jr.; Planning and Grants, Claybrooks; Public Safety, Lewis; Public Works, Al-M. Brent; and Recreation and Cultural Affairs, Garrett-Ward.
This story was submitted by Tracy Mumford.
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