First Chester Rep Official on Regional Board

Three re-elected Washington Township members and the first-ever Chester Borough representative were sworn in to their official positions at the annual West Morris Regional Board of Education reorganization meeting Monday night.

Don Storms, a write-in candidate who garnered enough votes to secure a three-year term during the November election, took his position on the board along with returning members Tom Richar, Joe Galayda and John Meyer–all of Washington Township.

Three of Washington Township’s four representative seats were up for grabs in the election, but none were contested. The fourth seat is currently occupied by Lisa Woodring, who was appointed in 2012.

With a reapportionment by the Morris County Executive Superintendent in December 2011, Washington Township lost a seat on the board that paved the way for the first-ever Chester Borough seat.

Johnston, Galayda Lead 2013

Along with swearing in new and returning members, the board voted on who it believed should be president and vice president of the group for 2013.

There were two nominations cast by members for the seat of president; one for Chester Township representative Marcia Asdal, and the other for Jim Johnston, who served in that position for the second half of 2012 after Cristen Forrester resigned.

The nine-member body voted down the nomination of Asdal 3-6, and approved Johnston by a margin of 7-2. Storms voted ‘yes’ on both counts.

Following the vote, nominations were made for the seat of vice president. Mendham Township representative James Button nominated the recently-sworn in Storms, while Mendham Borough representative Jacke Schram nominated Galayda.

Storms was voted down 3-6, and Galayda was approved 7-2.

Prior to the swearing in of officials, board secretary and district business administrator Doug Pechanec said the election, which was moved from April to November after a vote in January 2012, saved the district approximately $15,000.

Pechanec also made note of the amount of votes received by each candidate on the ballot and how much higher that total was than April elections due to the relatively larger turnout.

The next meeting of the West Morris Regional Board of Education is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 28 at West Morris Central High School.