Teaneck—At the July 1 reorganization meeting of the Teaneck Town Council, Mohammed Hameeduddin was elected mayor from among his fellow councilmembers. Hameeduddin, the first Muslim mayor in Bergen County, previously served as mayor from 2010 to 2014. Hameeduddin is considered to be pro-development, pro-business, pro-multicultural unity and is closely aligned with Councilman Mark Schwartz, who is also JLNJ’s co-publisher, as well as Deputy Mayors Elie Katz and Henry Pruitt. Hameeduddin was sworn in by Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop.
At the same meeting Hameeduddin, Schwartz and Pruitt were sworn in for the 4-year terms they won last May. Additionally, Councilwoman Gervonn Romney Rice was sworn in by Bergen County Executive James Tedesco after having been appointed to fill the seat created by the untimely death of Mayor Lizette Parker in April. Councilmen Jason Castle and Alan Sohn are the other two members of the seven-member council; They were elected to four year terms in 2014.
Hameeduddin, like Parker with whom he was closely aligned as well, is considered to be a uniter rather than a divider and has been a welcome and good-natured presence on the council since his election in 2008. His outreach to the Jewish and African American communities along with the Muslim community has helped bring the town together on a variety of issues. He even visited Israel in 2015. His tenure on the council has been marked by the success of various development projects such as the World of Wings rezoning to multi-family residential housing and the Glenpointe project, which will bring two dual-branded Hilton hotels to Teaneck.
Schwartz noted that “Mayor Hameeduddin has always and continues to be a strong advocate for Teaneck.
“Having served as a councilmember with Mohammed as mayor from 2012-2014, I look forward to another term with him at the helm,” said Schwartz. “He will continue to guide Teaneck towards a more stable financial future, one with new revenue streams and a continued focus on amenities for our residents.”
By Elizabeth Kratz
