TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.— Council Vice President Michael Ullman resigned effective Oct. 13, saying he could no longer devote the time necessary to fulfill his responsibilities to residents. His departure leaves a vacancy in the five-member governing body and in a council majority that has frequently challenged Mayor Peter Calamari’s administration over municipal spending and development.
Ullman, an independent, was elected in 2023 alongside Council President Michael DeSena and Councilman Steven Cascio on a platform that included a pledge to reduce municipal spending by 10%.
Ullman told Pascack Press that his decision to step down crystallized during the Planning Board’s recent review of the township’s approximately 150-page master plan.
Although the public comment period had been extended, Ullman said he was unable to finish reviewing the document until the day of the meeting.
“This was unacceptable to me,” he said. “I would find it unacceptable if one of our professionals did it and feel I must hold myself to the same standards.”
Ullman said he did not expect his availability to improve in the short term. He added, “The residents deserve proper representation.”
He added that stepping down now would allow his successor to participate in the township’s full municipal budget process.
Ullman has long scrutinized municipal spending and capital projects. In 2019, during an earlier term on the council, he twice voted against a $6 million appropriation for the new firehouse and ambulance headquarters on Washington Avenue, citing concerns about costs, overlapping functions and opportunities for consolidation.
Although he said emergency workers deserved a new facility, he warned that additional expenses would emerge.
“It may not be the popular opinion but it’s my opinion and I wanted that on the record,” Ullman said after casting the lone dissenting vote in October 2019.
He later questioned the administration’s oversight of the building’s construction as residents raised concerns about workmanship and the structure’s height. Politicization of the criticism arguably cost him re-election the following cycle.
Voted back in, Ullman was unanimously selected as council vice president at the Jan. 5 reorganization meeting, succeeding Cascio. At that meeting, he raised questions about a farmland tax assessment on a 14-acre property slated for a 66-unit residential development on Van Emburgh Avenue.
His departure comes less than a year after DeSena unsuccessfully challenged Calamari for mayor in a three-way race. Calamari won a third consecutive term, while DeSena retained the council presidency.
The remaining council members are DeSena, Cascio, Tom Sears and Daisy Velez. The vacancy raises questions about the council’s political balance as members prepare for the next municipal budget cycle.
Because Ullman was elected as an independent, neither the Democratic nor Republican municipal committee will submit a slate of potential replacements. Under New Jersey’s Municipal Vacancy Law, the governing body has 30 days to appoint a successor without regard to political party.
Ullman said the council will identify interested candidates and vote on a replacement.
The township announced his resignation on social media, thanking him for his service and dedication to the community. Residents responding to the announcement praised his integrity and commitment to the township.
The council’s next scheduled meeting is Monday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 350 Hudson Ave.
Pascack Press plans a follow-up on Ullman’s service and the process of filling the vacancy.
Disclosure: The writer is a resident of the Township of Washington.