Politics & Government

New Hillsdale Councilman to Be Picked at Special Meeting

The Hillsdale Council needs to pick a new member before the end of the month to replace former Council President Michael Giancarlo, who resigned last month.

A new councilman may be selected for Hillsdale next week, after officials conduct a round of closed-door interviews.

The Hillsdale Council scheduled a special meeting to interview the candidates and possibly pick a new member January 24 at 6 p.m.

Officials have three candidates to choose from for the position, including local business owner Frank D'Amico and former Councilmen Anthony DeRosa and Frank Pizzella. All three candidates will be interviewed in closed session at the special meeting.

Find out what's happening in Westwood-Hillsdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The special meeting was necessary because the council needed to give "Rice notices" to the three candidates, formally informing them that their potential appointment would be discussed, according to Borough Attorney Eric Bernstein.

The candidates were selected by the Bergen County Republican Organization earlier this month as potential replacements for former Hillsdale Council President Michael Giancarlo, who resigned as of December 31 due to scheduling conflicts with a large number of commitments. Giancarlo previously told Patch he wanted to wait until the end of the year so the new council would be able to pick the new member.

Find out what's happening in Westwood-Hillsdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The available term is for the remainder of the year.

Mayor Max Arnowitz previously said he believed any of the candidates would be a good choice.

"I think they're all outstanding," Arnowitz said. "I just hope that whoever takes the seat has the time and is willing to devote the time to being a councilperson."

The special meeting will take place January 24 at 6 p.m. in Borough Hall. The Hillsdale Council's next regular meeting will be February 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Jim Leggate at Jim.Leggate@patch.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here