Bloomfield Swears In Mayor, New Town Council Members (WATCH)

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield held a swearing-in ceremony for the town’s mayor and four council members on Monday evening.

The Bloomfield Town Council welcomed Rosalee Gonzalez, Monica Charris Tabares, Jill Fischman, and Tracy Toler-Phillips to the dais. Each emerged victorious last November in the 2025 general election, along with Bloomfield mayor Jenny Mundell.

Watch video footage from the ceremony below, or view it online here.

MAYOR SWORN IN

Meanwhile, Mundell was sworn in for her first full, four-year term. The mayor’s prepared remarks follow below:

"Standing here tonight, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

"Thank you to the residents of Bloomfield, our neighbors, our friends, our families.

"Your trust is not something I take lightly. Your support over the past year has been the fuel that drives our progress, and I am honored to continue this journey with you.

"When I look back at the past year, I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together.

"It has been a year of laying a modern, stable, and fiscally responsible foundation for Bloomfield’s future: Together, we adopted a new award-winning Master Plan that reflects the values of our residents and will serve as a roadmap for our future, one that balances sustainable growth while preserving open space and history, and drives economic development and opportunity in a positive direction.

"Through our Roadway Improvement Program, we’ve revitalized miles of streets and continued our aggressive work on lead service line replacements to ensure the health of our families. We are fixing potholes and improving neighborhoods. Bloomfield continues to lead in environmental stewardship with our Sustainable Jersey Silver Certification.

"From the renovation of our historic Children’s Library to the demolition of ancient eyesores like the old DPW building, we are investing in infrastructure and turning "long-discussed" projects into reality.

"We have improved communications to ensure more residents receive information in the languages they understand and we have built processes to support better services, tracking and accountability when residents reach out for assistance.

"We appointed more than 100 residents to boards and committees, ensuring that many people in Bloomfield have a voice throughout our decision making as we shape the community we want to live in every day. And tonight, after this ceremony, we will be making over 100 more appointments for this year.

"We answered the call when our senior citizens told us they needed community and we have changed lives in doing so. And there is so much more to come.

"But none of these wins happen in a vacuum nor do they happen by the actions of individuals alone. To our Township staff under the direction of Administrator Anthony Dezenzo: thank you. Even during challenging times, you all show up with heart. You are the engine of this community and your work to address everything from day to day projects like salting and plowing roads to fighting and preventing fires to improving traffic and pedestrian safety to embarking on tackling complex problems like the revitalization of our downtown, your unwavering dedication to making this town better every day is seen and felt. Thank you.

"And to be successful for our residents, we must also recognize that Bloomfield does not stand alone. True progress requires us to build relationships that engender collaborative work across all levels of government. In the last year, our partnerships at the County, State, and Federal levels have yielded historic results, including securing millions in aid and grants that allow us to improve our town while being mindful of our taxpayers. We are stronger when we collaborate with our partners from Essex County to Trenton and Washington D.C. and we look forward to continuing to work alongside you to keep Bloomfield and our surrounding communities moving forward.

"And of course to the families of my fellow Council members and to my own: thank you. Public service is a family sacrifice. You handle the late dinners and the missed bedtimes and the carpools to soccer games and piano lessons and the late shifts sitting by hospital beds so that we can serve. We are here tonight because you stand behind us and beside us and you lift us up. Thank you.

"Finally, if you’ll allow me just another moment to address my colleagues on the Council: as we take this oath, let us remember the weight of the seats we occupy. These seats do not belong to us; they belong to the people of Bloomfield. They belong to our next door neighbors and the family on Essex Avenue and renters at Six Points and the widow on Curtis Street and the grandfather on Ampere Parkway. And though WE have moments we are called to campaign and sometimes fight for the privilege of sitting on that dais, remember, the true role of an elected official is to be a servant-leader.

"This means we must always keep the community at the heart of everything we do. In this chamber, personal ambitions must never drive our actions. We are not here to build a name for ourselves; we are here to build a better future for our neighbors. When we walk through the doors of Town Hall, we check our egos right there. Our focus must remain squarely on the senior citizen who needs services in their home, the mother who needs a paved road while driving her kid to school, the father who wants a safe and clean playground for his children, and the small business owner looking to thrive.

"Though we will not always agree, the measure of our leadership is found in the respect we show to one another in the face of those disagreements. When we prioritize the community over personal interests, there is no doubt in my mind that we will find common ground.

"So as we begin this new term, let our North Star remain simple: Community first.

"As such, every vote we cast must be filtered through a single question: How does this serve the people of Bloomfield?

"I am honored to serve alongside you all and I am honored to serve as your Mayor.

"Let’s get to work for another year of progress, together, for the love of Bloomfield.

"Thank you."

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