Ramsey Council elects Judy Cusk as council president, adopts 2026 bylaws and confirms volunteer and emergency appointments

Councilwoman Judy Cusk was elected council president for 2026 and the Borough of Ramsey adopted its bylaws for the year during a largely procedural reorganization meeting that also confirmed scores of volunteer and emergency-services officers and renewed key personnel and insurance actions.

The council voted to adopt the borough’s bylaws, described in the resolution as the bylaws dated 1984 and amended in 2020. The resolution passed on a roll-call vote of council members recorded at the meeting. Councilman Gerson moved to nominate Cusk for council president; the nomination carried with Cusk recorded as abstaining and other council members voting yes. "I am deeply honored to accept the role of Ramsey Borough Council President," Councilwoman Judy Cusk said after her selection, thanking colleagues and family and pledging to "maintain a safe community, to operate our borough in a fiscally responsible manner, and to embrace forward-thinking approaches."

The meeting also approved the council’s 2026 meeting schedule (second and fourth Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in council chambers) and adopted the borough policy and procedures manual for 2026. Routine and grouped resolutions — including a block motion to move resolutions 15 through 25 and a subsequent block for resolutions 27 through 33 — were approved by roll call as laid out on the meeting agenda.

A number of volunteer and emergency-services rosters were confirmed. The council approved the Ramsey Volunteer Fire Department officers for 2026 (including Chief Christopher Warett; Assistant Chief Jim Doerty; Deputy Chief Mike Scaloney; and other line and administrative officers), the Rescue Squad officers and the Volunteer Ambulance Corps officers. The council also confirmed appointments to the Office of Emergency Management and the Emergency Planning Committee and accepted the mayor’s long list of liaison and commission appointments for the year.

Administrative updates announced at the meeting included confirmations of police promotions and hiring. According to the borough update, two officers — named in the meeting record as Mike Kanako and Anthony Fiori — were promoted from sergeant to lieutenant earlier; the council confirmed the appointment of two sergeant promotions and also confirmed two probationary patrol officers who were sworn in at the meeting and will begin training at the Bergen County academy later this month (the names of the probationary officers were not specified in the meeting record). Borough staff also announced a two-year renewal of the Delta Dental policy at a flat 3.64% rate and reported cancellation of several unexpended appropriation balances for completed public works projects. The council also endorsed a grant application by West Bergen Mental Health for paving work at a facility on Cherry Lane; the endorsement carried no borough funding commitment.

Mayor Dylan used her remarks to thank volunteers and borough staff and to flag the fiscal pressure of “unfunded mandates” coming from Trenton and Washington, D.C., as a major budgeting challenge for the year ahead. Council members offered brief remarks congratulating newly elected and re-elected members and thanking volunteers.

Public comment was opened and, with no one wishing to speak, closed. The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn carried on voice vote.

Votes at a glance - Resolution 1 — Adopt 2026 bylaws: approved (roll call: Councilwoman Judy Cusk — yes; Councilman Gerson — yes; Councilman Gutwer — yes; Councilman Kilman — yes; Councilman Glen Pablo — yes; Councilwoman Poppy — yes). - Nomination/Election — Council President (Judy Cusk): approved (moved by Councilman Gerson; roll call: Cusk — abstain; other council members — yes). - Resolution 2 — 2026 meeting schedule: approved by roll call. - Resolution 3 — Policy and procedures manual for 2026: approved by roll call. - Resolution 4 — Volunteer Fire Department officers: approved by roll call (named line and administrative officers listed in the meeting record). - Resolution 5 — Rescue Squad officers: approved by roll call. - Resolution 6 — Volunteer Ambulance Corps officers: approved by roll call. - Resolutions 15–25 and 27–33: adopted as grouped motions by roll call. - Resolution 34 — Endorse Revolution NJ: approved by roll call.

What’s next The council’s committee assignments for 2026 were set at the meeting; council members and borough staff indicated follow-up work will move forward through those committees. Several newly confirmed emergency-services appointees were sworn in or photographed immediately; two probationary police officers will begin academy training later this month. The borough will implement its 2026 bylaws and meeting schedule as adopted.