Prospect Park council fills empty seat after resignation of longtime member
PROSPECT PARK — Elizabeth Rodríguez, a mother of four who won a contested primary election for Borough Council last week, was appointed Monday to fill a vacancy on the governing body.
Rodríguez, 31, a Democrat, was accompanied by her family as she was sworn in at a public meeting by Mayor Mohamed Khairullah. She will finish the remaining six months of a three-year seat held by longtime Councilwoman Esther Pérez, who resigned.
The retired teacher stepped down, she said, because the mayor would not allow her to freely express an opinion — not without some act of reprisal.
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Rodríguez placed second in a three-way contest on June 4, securing one of two nominations to represent her party in a race for council terms this fall.
She and her ticket mate, Board of Education trustee Niaz Nadim, will be challenged in the general election on Nov. 5 by Republicans Maria Emma Anderson, of East Main Street, and William Willemsen, of North 11th Street.
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: devencentis@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Prospect Park council fills vacancy after longtime member resigns
