Buena makes historic pick for council

BUENA – The Borough Council chose school board member Matthew Walker Sr. on Monday night to join the six-seat governing body as a replacement for the recently retired Councilman Edward Cugini Sr.

After the meeting, Walker told The Daily Journal he'll wait a while to talk about his goals. "Reason I'm saying that is I'm getting my feet wet," he said.

"One thing that I said when I ran for re-election for school board … is you should come to the meetings," Walker added. "I said the meetings are not very long. Especially if you have children or grandchildren, you need to come."

"I think he'll be an asset to the borough," senior council member and President Rosalie Baker told The Daily Journal on Tuesday. "He comes with another perspective. We want him. Matt is a good family man."

Baker said Walker, a Navy veteran, also already has good relationships with two councilmen who had served with him on the Buena Regional Board of Education.

"His experience as a five-year member of the Buena Regional school board will immediately transition well to his duties as a councilman," Mayor David Zapariello said on Tuesday. "I have already made him chairman of the Recreation Commission as well as a member of the finance and the buildings/grounds/improvements committees."

Walker was one of three possible replacements nominated by the local Republican Club last week. Since Cugini is a Republican, state law gave his party the right to pick possible replacements.

The unanimous choice also was a historic one, as Walker became the borough's first black council member.

Walker, who works as an operating engineer with Local 825, will need to stand for election this November if he wants to retain the seat for the next term. The council and mayor here are all Republicans.

The other two replacement candidates were Jeffrey Johnston and Sharon Woshnak.

Walker, 47, is a member of the Buena Regional Board of Education in the second year of a three-year term. New Jersey law requires that he now resign that position, which he said probably will happen on Tuesday.

Walker originally is from Winslow Township but his wife is a Buena native. The couple has two children. Matthew Walker Jr. is a Buena police officer.

Cugini notified the borough he was resigning on Jan. 20 and the move took effect Jan. 25. He was in the last year of his seventh term.

Buena Vista honors longtime volunteer Roberta Corbitt

For 2016, newly elected Mayor David Zappariello shifted Cugini from chair of the Public Safety Committee to chair of the Recreation Committee. Zappariello had headed recreation while on council.

Joseph P. Smith; (856) 563-5252; jsmith@gannettnj.com