To the editor:
I had the privilege of serving on the Tenafly Borough Council from 2005 to 2007. Peter Rustin was the Mayor, and the Council consisted of three Democrats and three Republicans. It was a wonderful experience and despite the political differences, we all got along. The Mayor chaired the meetings using a business-first approach, but he never failed to mix in some humor in order to keep the atmosphere cordial yet focused.
Residents who attended the meetings were always treated fairly and were given the opportunity to be heard. The Mayor continually showed an unbelievable amount of patience and even when we had no choice but to say “no” to a request, it was done so in a manner that the resident could, if not accept the answer, at least understand the reason behind it. Thanks to the Mayor, residents who came before us left with not only a better understanding of the process, but with a new respect for how the Mayor and Council worked. It became apparent that this happened not only at meetings but also on a continual basis outside of the meetings, as Mayor Rustin was always meeting with residents, given them direction and often solving their problems.
I recently moved to Cresskill, but I feel the need to remind the residents of Tenafly how lucky they are to have a mayor like Peter Rustin. They would be doing Tenafly a disservice if they did not re-elect their Mayor, a true public servant, not a politician.
Robert Thompson
Cresskill
The writer is a former Tenafly Borough Council member.