TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—Mayor Peter Calamari and their three council colleagues praised departing councilwomen council president Desserie Morgan and member Stacey DeMarco Feeney—at the 2023 council’s final regular meeting, Dec. 18, and presented both with bouquets of flowers and ample good wishes.
Morgan, along with DeMarco Feeney and newcomer George Toole, were defeated by three Independents, incumbent Steven Cascio, and former councilmen Michael DeSena and Michael Ullman. Cascio, a Republican, was not selected to run by the county committee, and ran as an Independent in the Nov. 7 election.
Calamari said, “On behalf of those who served with you on the dais, it is my honor and privilege to present to you with both a little token of our appreciation of your service up here by presenting you both with a lovely bouquet of flowers for the holiday season.”
The mayor said, “I want to express my thanks for your efforts in moving the town forward these past four years. A lot of your votes meant something in moving the town forward, and to me especially; the votes we made to acquire more properties to dedicate them to open space, I think that’s very key to our town, so I appreciate your service and your votes on those.”
Councilwoman Daisy Velez thanked Morgan and DeMarco Feeney “for your help, your guidance, and your passion that you bring to the dais, you will be missed.”
Vice President Steven Cascio said, “Sometimes we disagreed and didn’t see eye to eye but it was a pleasure working with you both, and I wish you continued success in the future.”
Added Councilman Tom Sears, “Your passion, your dedication to this town, it cannot be put in words. Everything you did is from the heart. Where their decisions, hard decisions, yes you did, and I thank you for that because without making hard decisions, this town would never be where it’s at, so thank you both.”
DeMarco Feeney, who was council president in 2021, and ran the council’s foray into Covid-era remote meetings over the NYNJA platform, said, “I just want to say it’s been a pleasure to serve the town, this is the town I grew up in, and for your votes in moving the town forward. I hope it continues, and I hope that things continue to get better here and we attract more and more families and it’s been an honor to be able to serve in this way.”
Morgan had prepared a brief statement for her last meeting. She said the last four years had gone in what “seems like the blink of an eye.” She said she took a seat on council in 2020 while never having been involved in any political role. “I remember feeling terrified that I did not have a strong enough understanding of the political landscape to be successful in this role,” she said.
She said she made sure she made it clear to all that she was “not a politician.” She said she hoped that statement would protect her if she made an error in judgment or upset her party line.
“I had so much to learn,” she said.
She said in her tenure on the council, they had shared significant moments, including the passing of residents, the loss of loved ones, and a colleague (councilman Arthur Cumming). She said the council “successfully navigated some really dark days” after the COVID-19 pandemic hit a few months after being sworn in. She said following COVID, the community has made “an incredible comeback.”
She said, “We, as council, along with the mayor, and all of the employees of this town never stopped. We didn’t shut down, we didn’t wait it out, we put our heads together, pivoted and made some adjustments to how we do things. But we got things done.”
She added, “through adversity, we became stronger and closer as a community.”
She said “All of us sitting on this dais have forever left a positive impact on this town.”
She noted completion of the Emergency Services Building, completion of the Pascack Road-Washington Avenue intersection, demolition of the “zombie houses” at the Pascack–Washington intersection after a decade, and securing a budget line for a code enforcement officer, to uphold property maintenance codes community-wide.
She cited recreational improvements, more programs for youngsters, construction of a bocce court, and securing the former swim club “for generations to enjoy endless recreational possibilities.”
She said securing grants to preserve open space and purchasing land that will never be overdeveloped. “We did that and for that I can leave her proud. I leave here tonight knowing I did what I set out to do. I left this community better than I found it.”
She thanked those residents who have phoned, emailed or texted her since the election loss.
She said her family motivated her to start her political journey to join the council, not either party or her circle of friends.
“I’m a mom and want my children raised in a community that I know is safe and healthy, one that I know I will see my home values mature and increase because the community is sought after. That is why I ran for council,” she said.
She urged residents to consider running for office.
Morgan thanked the mayor for believing in her “though there were many times we disagreed” and said they both shared a desire to move the town forward.
She thanked attorney Kenneth Poller “for all the patience you’ve shown me” and administrator Mark DiCarlo for “routinely updating residents with answers to their questions” in a timely manner.
She thanked clerk Sue Witkowski—“Where do I begin, thank you for it all”—and said to Sears she was “forever grateful.” She thanked Cascio for “endless help over these last four years.” She thanked Feeney and Velez for “pushing the needle forward for us ladies.”
And she thanked her family for their patience and support.
Morgan asked the new councilpersons “to let the voice of the residents be the loudest in the room and to listen more than you talk.”
Morgan, a registered nurse, manages a 24-bed psychiatric unit at St. Joseph’s Health in Paterson.
Born and raised in Bergen County, and a resident since 2006, on the campaign trail she said she and her husband, Jason, were drawn to the township for its high quality of life and excellent school system to raise their four daughters in.
She is a coordinator for the town’s recreational cheerleading program, where she is extremely dedicated to the growth of the program. In the years she has been overseeing the program, there has been new life and tremendous growth.
Morgan campaigned in 2019 as an active member of the Board of Health and Board of Recreation and as an ambassador for the Township Stigma Free Initiative, which is recognized countywide.
DeMarco Feeney, who works in accounting and finance, campaigned in 2019 as a longtime resident of the Township of Washington. A graduate of the township’s Immaculate Heart Academy and loyal Bergen County resident, in 2019 she had recently returned to reside in her hometown with her husband, Matthew, and daughter, Emma.
She noted on the campaign trail that in her career and personal life she had “developed the leadership skills and experience needed to drive meaningful results. As a Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award recipient, Stacey has shown her dedication to service and her community. Volunteerism is an everyday part of her life, which she also instills in her daughter.”