November 16, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 3 Mahwah Voters select new mayor, reject mall proposal by Frank J. McMahon William C. Laforet, the mayor-elect of the Township of Mahwah, expressed humility at having been chosen to fill the unexpired term of former Mayor Richard J. Martel. The voters elected the local businessman in last week’s general election by 2,371 ballots -- 533 votes over current Mayor John DaPuzzo, who finished second in the voting; and 658 votes over Councilwoman Lisa DiGiulio, who was third in the vote tally. Laforet will be sworn in at a special meeting of the township council on Nov. 21 after the election results are certified by the Bergen County Board of Elections, but he will have to seek reelection next November to a full four-year term because Martel’s term expires at the end of 2012. “We are humbled by the voice of the community and appreciative of the fact that they have chosen me,” Laforet said adding, “We’ll serve them well.” Laforet emphasized that there was a “huge” turnout in the election and he thinks his campaign has enlightened a lot of people and “they got engaged” in the election. He considers the vote margin of his election to be a mandate that there not be business as usual in the township. The non-binding referendum on whether the Crossroads property should be rezoned primarily for a retail mall received 2,955 “no” votes and 2,723 “yes” votes. Commenting on the mall vote, Laforet said the issue is a complicated one that involves several lawsuits and it is now in the hands of a Superior Court judge. He added that he understands the frustration that some people feel over this issue because it is an arduous process to sort out the legal issues involved. “It is solely in the hands of the judge now and the judge will make a determination and based on that we will move forward,” Laforet said. The voters also elected Charles J Jandris to the council to fill the unexpired council term of DaPuzzo, who was appointed mayor after the death of Richard Martel in March. Jandris’ term will expire on Jan. 31, 2014. Jandris defeated his opponent Steven Sbarra with 2,482 votes, while Sbarra received 1,293 votes. Jandris said, “I am thrilled and honored to be able to continue to serve the Township of Mahwah on the council. We have our work cut out for us, with the Crossroads literally at a crossroads although the people have spoken, flooding issues in town, and the budget in need of tweaking so that we can all continue to survive together, but I’m optimistic and looking forward to the challenge. “Thank you to everyone for the support this evening. I will continue to listen and act accordingly in the best interests of all the residents in town.” Michael Richards, one of the principal members of the Stop the Mall Committee, which forced the council to request a referendum on the issue by collecting over 2,000 signatures on a petition, emphasized that the result of the referendum clearly shows that the majority of the township does not want a retail mall. “I’m very happy with the results of the referendum,” Richards said, “and I’m also happy that a lot of voters came out to vote.” The election drew 41.6 percent of the township’s 15,365 registered voters to the polls. DiGiulio congratulated Laforet, although she expressed disappointment that her opponents ran what she called a “nasty” campaign. “The campaign could have been a lot classier,” she said. “Knocking each other is not my way. I ran a different type of campaign. I guess I’d rather lose and be clean than win and throw mud.” She said she gave it her best shot, but thinks her absence from the campaign for six weeks due to illness hurt her. Nevertheless, she said, “The people have spoken and, you know me, I listen to what the people say and he’s our new mayor and that will be it.” DaPuzzo has spent the last decade in community and (continued on page 23)