The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
The five newly elected Township Council members had a special guest swear them in at the January 3 Township Council reorganization meeting: Gov.-Elect Mikie Sherrill.
During the afternoon event, Sherrill was presented with two Franklin 250 challenge coins by Mayor Phil Kramer, and also shared her thoughts on public service.
“As somebody who’s served this country my entire life, you can imagine that public service means a lot to me,” she said. “And I don’t regard it as a job. I regard it as a calling.”
“And I know every single person who’s about to take that oath, and I see people shaking their heads who have taken the oath before, feel that exact same way,” she said.
Sherrill is a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, and served as the U.S. Congressional representative for the 11th District until she resigned after winning the state gubernatorial race.
“And here in New Jersey, at the dawn of the 250th anniversary of this great nation, to see so many people once again being willing to step up and fight hard for our families, for our kids, for the future of this great state and our country, to lay down a marker that here in New Jersey, we know exactly who we are and what we stand for, and we have a vision of how we’re going to fight hard for those values that have always meant so much to us as patriots in this country, and that we know that there is no better place in this nation to lay down that marker than the very place that just a couple weeks ago we celebrated the anniversary of the battle that changed the whole fate of our nation,” she said. “So I could not be more proud to be here.”
“There is no bigger honor than giving the oath to people who are stepping up to serve,” Sherrill said. “And I want to thank each and every one of you for coming out today to show your support for the future of our state.”
Also during the event, Township Councilman Alex Kharazi was selected by his colleagues to serve as Deputy mayor during 2026.
“I’m honored by the trust placed in me to serve as deputy mayor in Franklin Township,” he said. “I accept this responsibility with humility and dedication. This township is not just a place where I serve, it is my home.”
“I’m very proud of spending more than half my life in Franklin and it’s a town that I truly love,” said Kharazi, an Iranian native. “And I have witnessed this township to grow and become the second most diverse township in the state of New Jersey.”
“Like the Mayor and Council members, I care deeply about keeping our neighbors safe, our environment clean, making sure our tax dollars are used wisely, helping businesses grow, promoting unity and mutual respect among our diverse community and supporting programs to achieve and improve health equity and food security,” he said. “I pledge to listen, to lead with integrity and to make thoughtful and balanced decisions that reflect the needs of our entire community.”
The council members who were sworn in by the Governor-elect – who will be sworn in to her new position on January 20 – represent the five Township wards.
Ward 1 Council member Ed Potosnak said it was “really, truly, an inspiration to be sworn in” by Sherrill.
“And I know that this council, my work with her along with my colleagues, is just tremendous for our future,” he said.
Potosnak, who as wearing a lapel pin from the country’s 200th anniversary celebration in 1976, said that like during the Bicentennial, Americans once again have the chance to come together.
“I’m hopeful that the semi-quincentennial that we’re embarking on this year can do that once again for us, that we can look across political divisions and bring people together for why we were founded in our nation,” he said. “Lots of different ideas that were very radical, to stand up to tyranny and become an independent nation, to forge a future for ourselves.”
“We can, I think, in the 250th anniversary, with New Jersey being the crossroads of the revolution, find ways to weave ourselves back together again, even with what’s happening in Washington, with a particular individual who is trying to do everything they can to tear us apart, fight back in our own way by just sharing history, by sharing our past, and by talking about and getting to know one another, and I think that’s a huge opportunity,” he said.
“So I just implore you as we embark on this 2026 to use this as an opportunity to come together, forge a path forward that’s different but also protective for our kids and our grandkids, because that’s what our parents did for us, like my father and my mother, and that’s the legacy we can leave for our kids,” Potosnak said.
Ward 2 Council member Shepa Uddin promised to “remain the hard-working, effective, and honest leader you deserve, one who listens, one who shows up, and one who takes action.”
“Above all, I will always stand for one simple truth, this city belongs to all of us,” she said. “Everyone deserves to feel respected, valued, and welcomed here; and look around you, the amount of diversity in Franklin sets us apart among so many other communities.”
“The spirit of unity is what makes Franklin strong,” Uddin said. “In fact, it is what carries us through difficult times, and it is why together we will continue to build a township where opportunity is shared, voices are heard, and no one is left behind.”
“As your Councilwoman, I will keep fighting for safe neighborhoods,” she said. “I will continue to oppose warehouse expansions, support responsible development, work to stabilize taxes, keep Franklin affordable, protect our open space, and maintain our roads.”
“I look forward to bringing on some popular educational awareness workshops for our seniors and all folks, such as fraud and scam prevention program and health and financial seminars,” she said.
“When women rise, communities rise,” she said. “Ward 2, together we will continue writing the story of Franklin Township, a story of courage, inclusion, and unwavering community pride.”
Councilman Charles Onyejiaka, representing Ward 3, thanked his constituents “for the confidence they’ve placed on me to serve them as the councilman.”
“I stepped into this role as a Councilman, not for recognition, but in service to Franklin and humanity,” he said. “I understand the strength we have in Franklin, and that is our unity and diversity. So I want to promise you all, I will discharge my duty as I’ve been doing.”
“I’m promising you that I will do all I’ve been doing before, no change,” he said.
Ward 4 Councilman Carl Wright thanked his constituents and noted that he sits close to Township Clerk Ann Marie McCarthy, so he can ask her for help when needed.
“So whenever I don’t understand something, I have the person right there who knows,” he said.
James Vassanella, the Ward 5 Councilman, acknowledged the elected officials in attendance, and said the “one common denominator” at. the core of decisions they make “is treating everyone equal. That is what we do best in Franklin.”
“Treat each other with mutual respect and compassion, no matter what someone’s religion, education, ethnicity, financial status, and so on,” he said. “Everyone’s voices are heard, their opinions are respected, and their needs considered no less than anyone else’s.”
“The next few years will be a very busy time for Franklin,” Vassanella said. “Several million federal dollars are slated for revamping the Easton Avenue corridor and most of Hamilton Street in order to make these roadways safer.”
“We will be implementing Franklin’s newest affordable housing plan, which is the envy of many towns in New Jersey,” he said. “We will be constructing the long-awaited Catalpa Park in the southern part of town. To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, Franklin will be hosting several great events that highlight our town’s important role in our nation’s struggle for independence.”
“We will also be completing several underground and above-ground infrastructure projects and Franklin’s first micro-reforestation project,” he said. “We will continue to fight against unneeded and unhealthy development and to improve the quality of life for all residents.”
“It is a great day today in Franklin and it will be a great day tomorrow in Franklin,” Vassanella said.
Representatives from Boy Scout Troops 154 and 113, and Cub Scout Pack 195 presented the colors and led the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Franklin High School Madrigals sang the National Anthem, and Fr. Tom Lanza from St. Matthias Church gave the invocation.
“Public service is not merely a position of authority, but a sacred trust,” he said. “As Scripture reminds us, where there is no guidance, a people falls. But in an abundance of counselors, there is safety.”
“We give thanks for the willingness of these humble men and women to step forward as counselors,” he said.
“History teaches us that democracy is sustained not only by laws and institutions, but by character,” he said. “George Washington noted that the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty rests in the hands of those entrusted with responsibility. May that sacred fire burn brightly here, not as a flame that consumer, but as a light that illuminates, guide and enlights.”
“May our officials be rightly troubled by injustice, yet always guided by courage rooted in compassion,” he said. “Let their work be animated by hope, rather than fear, by truth rather than expediency.”
The Council appointed a number of public officials and made appointments to various boards and commissions.
Here are some scenes from the afternoon:
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