Mayor Neylan Takes the Reins

Joann Neylan took charge as mayor of Westfield last night during the workshop meeting of the Town Council.

No, Neylan did not lead a coup against Mayor Andy Skibitsky nor did anything else cause Skibitsky to leave office. In fact, the Neylan Administration is likely to be a short-lived footnote in town history than a new era. The second ward councilwoman presided over the council meeting due to Skibitsky's absence because of a business trip and Third Ward Councilman Mark Ciarrocca's family vacation. Neylan is the alternate acting mayor, which means she presides if Ciarrocca, the town's acting mayor, is unable to in the mayor's absence.

Last night was Neylan's first stint presiding over the council in the almost 18 months she has held the title of alternate acting mayor. The meeting was routine, in and out in just over 20 minutes with no official business conducted. History will record the Neylan era consisted of the acting chief executive presiding over a land use briefing, a discussion over public meetings and a brief discussion over routine finance issues. Neylan's administration also saw a rain storm which caused at least one youth baseball game at Tamaques Park to run for cover, the issue of a potentially humpbacked and limping raccoon occupying part of the Municipal Building parking lot and crowds packing the Rialto for a midnight showing of "Transformers."

While the most public part of Neylan's role as mayor was presiding over the council meeting, she also had the rest of Skibitsky's powers at her disposal. These include the right to veto pending legislation, declaring a state of emergency, quelling disturbances to the peace and performing weddings or civil unions. The acting mayor did not exercise any of these powers.

Neylan is in her second term as a councilwoman for the town's second ward. She serves as chairwoman of the public works committee and on the finance policy committee. Earlier in her career she was a prosecutor in Brooklyn. She said she enjoyed her brief stint at the helm of municipal government.

"This is the first time I presided at a council meeting and it was a lot of fun," Neylan said.