Thank you to

– mayor for support through transition process

council for welcoming Eric and I into the fold
pat drimones and lynn norton for their service to the community
my parents and my family for their endless support
my general counsel Anthony Modafferi
my personal friend and strategic advisor former NYPD Police Commissioner Mr. Bernard Kerik.
my campaign manager William Gan
and I would also like to thank
His honor, Judge Maurice Gallipoli, Assignment Judge of Hudson County for his presence here today.

During course of our campaign, Eric and I pledged to uphold virtues.

Fiscal responsibility
Property tax reform
Accountability and
Transparency in Government

I am re-affirming my commitment here and now to these promises.

The road ahead bears many challenges.

Councilman Petrone and I have been entrusted with these positions in one of the greatest economic crises in American
history.

Now more than ever do the people of our community need a limited government that allows the people to do what they do
best … to build their own wealth.

It is often said that our modern world is incapable of self-government.

However as Ronald Reagan once said “if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who
among us has the capacity to govern someone else?”

Now that the election season has ended, I am resolved to put partisan politics aside and find common ground.

The free electoral process is one of the things that outsiders envy most about this country.

The distinctly American two-party system is perpetuated through that process.

Among this council we will often find common ground and even a consensus.
On the other hand we will also disagree at times.

We should embrace the disagreement that echoes in this chamber because this is the forum that the founders of our great
country envisioned.

We should... no we are duty bound to enthusiastically avail ourselves it.

This discourse is not idle chatter, but rather it is an adversarial system.

It is a system that creates accountability in government.
It creates a free market of ideas.

I have the utmost respect for my colleagues on this council and will stand by its decisions because each of us sitting here
today is entrusted by the electorate to serve them in the highest fashion … with the greatest honor and without reservation.
I know that I speak on behalf of Councilman Petrone and myself when I say that we look forward to serving the great
people of Englewood Cliffs over the coming years.