Linden council appoints and swears in Eloy Delgado as Sixth Ward councilman

The Linden City Council on Jan. 14 appointed Eloy Delgado to fill the vacant Sixth Ward seat and Mayor Derek Armstead administered the oath of office.

Delgado pledged to represent residents and to begin knocking on doors to learn concerns from constituents. After the oath he thanked council members, Mayor Armstead and his supporters, and acknowledged former Sixth Ward Councilman John Francis Roman for his service.

The council president opened nominations and a motion to appoint Delgado was made and seconded; the motion passed by roll call. Following the vote, Delgado was sworn in before family and council members. Mayor Armstead and council members welcomed Delgado to the dais and invited him to make brief remarks.

Delgado told the council and the public he is “honored and humbled” and promised to “do everything in my power to live up to that faith of confidence.” He described his decade‑long ties to Linden as an educator, his leadership in the Linden Education Association and his plans to door‑knock the ward in coming months to solicit resident concerns.

The appointment fills the seat vacated by Councilman John Francis Roman. The council president said the Linden City Democratic Committee had recommended three candidates to fill the vacancy under state statute; the three names were announced before the vote.

The council did not take other action tied to the Sixth Ward appointment at the meeting. Delgado took his seat on the council chamber dais immediately after the oath and joined the roll call for subsequent votes.

Delgado’s remarks and the formal oath were delivered in the council meeting’s public session; the mayor conducted the swearing in on the record.

Votes at a glance: the nomination to appoint Eloy Delgado passed on a roll call vote; roll call responses recorded an affirmative vote from a majority of council members present.