By Sophia Wiener
SHREWSBURY – This past January, two members of the Shrewsbury Borough Council vacated their seats as members of the council after years of public service, according to the borough mayor.
On Jan. 1, council member Brendan Gilmartin had to resign when he and his family moved to Little Silver. Just a few weeks later, Jason Sena, an attorney, decided to leave his post due to scheduling conflicts.
Their replacements, Christopher McAvoy and Devon Morton, were sworn in during a council meeting Feb. 11.
Gilmartin, whose term expires Dec. 31, 2026, was a strong force behind building community camaraderie and pride, according to Shrewsbury Mayor Kimberly Eulner. Shrewsbury’s summer concert series that started in 2024, featuring local bands performing in Manson Park, was his idea. His council duties included chairing the borough’s fire department, working on its law and ordinance committee and special services committee and acting as council liaison to the recreation committee.
Sena, the other council member who resigned, brought a knowledge of law and a keen eye for finance and negotiations to the borough and its finance committee, Eulner explained. He helped to create money-saving shared service plans with nearby municipalities, such as the street sweeper Shrewsbury shares with Oceanport and Sea Bright. His term expires Dec. 31, 2025.
Morton, a purchasing manager and customer support representative, will fill Gilmartin’s seat. A Middletown native, Morton moved to Shrewsbury in 2012 with her husband and children. Part of the family’s motivation for moving was their attraction to the small and close-knit community, complete with a single K-8 school, that Gilmartin tried to strengthen.
Public service is a recurring theme in Morton’s family. Her husband is a volunteer firefighter, and all three of their children are currently training to perform the same duty. Morton herself participated in the PTA when she first came to Shrewsbury, but it was the town council that ultimately intrigued her. She attended meetings to petition for traffic safety measures in her neighborhood. “It was just really interesting to see how the town worked,” she said. “I stopped going to meetings after I got the resolution I needed, but I always kept in touch with the council through town and by reading the minutes and the agendas. I always thought it was great that the community has a platform to call attention to an issue we can work to fix or to highlight something great.”
Morton will serve as a council liaison to parks and recreation, the finance committee and the environmental commission, and take over organizational duties for Shrewsbury’s Memorial Day celebration. She will also continue to volunteer at the Women’s Auxiliary, a fundraising and support branch of the Shrewsbury Fire Department.
McAvoy, Sena’s replacement, is a Shrewsbury resident of over two decades. McAvoy first became active in the community when his son asked him to help lead Shrewsbury’s Boy Scout Troop 50 in 2006, a troop he still assists to this day. Curiosity and an enthusiasm for public service led him to join the borough’s land development board and Republican Committee. McAvoy has hoped for years to have the chance to serve on the council, and looks forward to working with local volunteers, he said. “Everybody (here) really does think about Shrewsbury in and of itself, and the betterment of Shrewsbury. They know the kids’ names, they know what’s going on. And just to see that is fantastic,” he said.
A facilities technician and lineman at Verizon, McAvoy said he brings a blue-collar perspective to the board, as well as extensive experience with utility companies. He will serve as council liaison to Shrewsbury First Aid Squad, fire department and land development committee.
When asked about the council’s selection of its new members, Eulner pointed to a diversity of background and life experience that the members try to cultivate. “It’s nice to have people with different careers, with kids of different ages and for us to have a variety of ages ourselves, because then you bring a different viewpoint.”
This year, the council’s plans include finishing the town’s 25-year road-paving project and further expanding municipal shared services. Eulner also hopes to continue supporting projects that strengthen community pride, such as the summer concert series, and to increase engagement with Shrewsbury’s 55+ community.
McAvoy said he plans to run for election to a full three-year term in November. Morton will be on the ballot in November to fill Gilmartin’s term that expires at the end of 2026, the mayor said.
The article originally appeared in the February 20 – 26, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
