City Council unanimously appointed Al Parker to the vacant 1st Ward seat until a special election this fall for the remaining two years of the unexpired term.

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The governing body passed a resolution (AR-187-22) during its regular monthly meeting on Monday night by a vote of 7-0,  with two members absent (2nd Ward Michael Cox and 6th Ward Councilman Joe Gibilisco). Parker, 82, is a former auxiliary chief of police, joining the Rahway police auxiliary in 1984 until he retired in 2020.

Rodney Farrar resigned, effective Aug. 31, because he and his family moved out of Rahway. Parker was among three nominees, along with Eric Miles and James Pellettiere, submitted to City Council last week by the Rahway Democratic Committee. Since the 1st Ward seat was held by a Democrat — as all nine seats on the governing body are — the party had to submit nominees for City Council to select.

The remaining two years on Farrar’s original four-year term will be up for election in the Nov. 8 General Election. That’s also the regular four-year cycle for the mayor’s seat and three At-Large City Council members – Jeff Brooks, Joanna Miles and Jeremy Mojica. Brooks was appointed in January to the remaining year of James Baker’s term while Miles and Mojica are incumbents, along with Mayor Ray Giacobbe, Jr.

The borders of the 1st Ward run from about Whittier Street east to the Linden border, up to about downtown, and as far south as East Milton Avenue. The city is split up into six wards in addition to three At-Large City Council seats. Ward borders are changed with each Census with a commission aimed at keeping the population relatively similar per ward.

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