Special Council Meeting Set In Manchester

MANCHESTER, NJ — The Manchester Township Council has scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday to hold interviews to fill a vacancy on the council.

This meeting is in addition to the regularly scheduled council meeting set for Monday at 6 p.m. at town hall.

The special meeting on Tuesday is set for 6 p.m. in the courtroom at town hall, 1 Colonial Drive. The council will hold an executive session for the interviews.

The council is looking to fill the seat of Joseph Hankins, who was appointed mayor to replace Robert Arace after Arace stepped down because he was elected to the Ocean County Board of Commissioners in November.

There are two years left on Hankins' term. The person appointed will serve until Dec. 31, 2025 and will have to win election in November to service in 2026, under the law.

The council request for applicants said the person who is appointed will be required to run for the remaining year of the term.

The meeting notice said formal action may be taken at the meeting, which means it is probable that the council will appoint their choice Tuesday night.

In addition to the special council meeting, there is a special meeting set for 1 p.m. Tuesday at town hall of the Manchester Township Plan Endorsement Citizens Advisory Committee. The meeting is a Community Visioning Workshop and will be held in the civic center, the notice said. There will be no formal action at the workshop.