By John Burton
FAIR HAVEN – The Borough Council has a new member.
With the departure of Democratic Councilwoman Aimee Humphreys from the six-member governing body, the council has selected Christopher Rodriguez to fill her seat.
Humphreys, a 40-year borough resident and the council’s lone Democrat, stepped down from the council in the third year of her three-year term because she and her family are moving to neighboring Red Bank.
Rodriguez was sworn in at the Feb. 27 council meeting.
By state statute, the political party of the vacating elected official has 45 days following the resignation to submit three names to the governing body which then fills the vacancy by way of a majority vote.
Rodriguez, 44, works in the financial services industry and made his first run for office last November as he vied unsuccessfully for the borough council.
Christopher Rodriguez, left, takes the oath of office as the newest member of the Fair Haven Borough Council. Holding the Bible for Rodriguez is former Monmouth County freeholder and Fair Haven resident Amy Mallet. Borough attorney Salvatore Alfieri administered the oath. Photo courtesy of C. Rodriguez
Rodriguez had previously served on the borough Shade Tree Commission and been involved with the borough recreation soccer program. Rodriguez has been assigned to serve on the council’s planning and zoning committee as well as the facilities committee.
“I’m coming up to speed,” in learning about what the job requires, Rodriguez said recently, nearly a month into the position.
“It’s about what I thought it would be,” he said, adding, “It’s both rewarding and challenging and a lot of work, which is great because somebody’s got to do the work.”
Rodriguez will serve out the remaining year of Humphreys’ term and intends to run for the full three-year term in this November’s election.
According to the Fair Haven Municipal Democratic Committee, Humphreys’ 2014 election victory marked the first Democrat win for a seat on the exclusively Republican council in 25 years.
