Council’s lone GOP member bids farewell Melillo wraps up second and final term on Borough Council BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer “I want people to start believing in the Republican Party in town.” — John Melillo SAYREVILLE — Six years of service to the borough will officially come to an end for John Melillo when the Borough Council reorganizes Monday. Melillo, who for the past year has been the council’s only Republican member, attended his last meeting on the dais Dec. 18. Melillo, who did not seek re-election this year, will be replaced by newcomer Kathy Makowski, whose presence will make the six-member council entirely Democratic. Mayor Kennedy O’Brien, who is a Republican, described Melillo as one of the finest councilmen the borough has seen. “He took the job very seriously and he served with great character, honor and ethics,” O’Brien said. “He took his oath of office to heart and he put a tremendous amount of time in his role as councilman for the benefit of Sayreville. I will miss him.” Melillo was initially expected to run with Ronald Green on the GOP ticket this year, but later announced that he would not seek a third term because of family and work-related obligations. “What it came down to was if I couldn’t do this 100 percent, then there is no reason to do it at all,” he told the Suburban. “I tried to balance everything and it was just not working out.” Marion Marks ran in Melillo’s place, but Democratic candidates Makowski and incumbent Councilman Stanley Drwal, a Republican-turned-Democrat, won the two seats in November. Considering he’ll be working with an all-Democrat council starting next week, O’Brien shared his hopes for the coming year. “I hope that we all remember our oath of office,” O’Brien said, “and serve the people of Sayreville, without self-interest, for the benefit of the town and residents.” Melillo raised concerns about the Democrats’ willingness to work with O’Brien. “I want the council to work with the mayor,” he said. “Saying no for the sake of saying no by the majority on the council is not going to allow for a productive year for this governing body. I’d be surprised to find more than one or two non-landslide votes by the council.” Council President Thomas Pollando told the Suburban that the Democrats have been as bipartisan as can be, adding that he made written requests for the Republicans’ desired committee appointments both this year and last, but he has not received a list. “I extended an olive branch, and there was no reciprocation from the Republicans,” Pollando said. “We will do whatever we can to be as bipartisan as we can, but most of all, we will keep the residents in mind.” Pollando said that any councilman who serves for six years should be commended for the time and effort he has devoted to serving the community. “We did not always see eye to eye, but [Melillo] cared about the residents and the children, and that is how I am going to remember him,” Pollando said. “I wish him the best.” Melillo does not expect to run for political office again. “If I had the time to participate, I would have made that time this year,” Melillo said. “I don’t have time. I don’t see that happening in the future. My party will find two qualified candidates, as they did this year and in previous years. I will continue to campaign hard for those candidates.” Melillo said he will remain active in the Republican Party. He plans to campaign for the GOP again next year, adding that 2007 will be an important one for the party since O’Brien’s seat will be up for grabs. “I will continue to work hard and be involved with the party,” Melillo said. “I will work closely with the mayoral and council candidates for 2007, and I want people to start believing in the Republican Party in town.” Looking back, Melillo recalls with pride that during the early months of his first term in 2001, the council approved an ordinance that closes borough bars at 2 a.m. instead of 3 a.m. “We didn’t want Sayreville to be the last call,” Melillo said. “Most towns’ bars and taverns were closing earlier, so everyone was coming to Sayreville to hang out. We wanted to be on par with the rest of the towns and keep potentially drunk drivers out.” Another highlight Melillo noted he was proud of was the group he assembled to discuss design ideas for the skate park in Kennedy Park in 2002. He said he assembled a group of pre-teens along with a Sayreville Middle School teacher, a borough police detective and one of the owners of N.J. Skate Shop on Washington Road to share their input on the project. “It is still an area in town where kids can go and participate in activities and they just enjoy the facility,” Melillo said. “It is a world class facility.”