Mayors of Teaneck, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mayor of Teaneck, New Jersey |
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| Inaugural holder | William W. Bennett |
| Formation | 1895 |
Teaneck, New Jersey, is a town where important decisions are made by its leaders. One of the most important leaders is the Mayor. The Mayor helps guide the town, working with a council to make sure things run smoothly for everyone living there. This article tells you about the history of Teaneck's mayors and the people who have held this important job.
Teaneck's Government History
Teaneck officially became a town on February 19, 1895. When it first started, there wasn't a "mayor" like we have today. Instead, the town was run by a three-person "township committee." This committee handled the town's business between yearly town meetings.
First Leaders of Teaneck
The township committee chose a chairman to lead them. William Weaver Bennett was the very first chairman of Teaneck's township committee. He was like a mayor and manager all rolled into one!
Over time, Teaneck's government changed. In 1910, the township committee grew to five members. Then, on November 11, 1930, Teaneck switched to a new system called the Council-Manager form of Government. This is when the town first elected a Mayor. Karl D. Van Wagner was chosen as Teaneck's first Mayor under this new system. By 1946, Teaneck also had a Deputy Mayor, who helps the Mayor. Henry Diessler was the first Deputy Mayor.
Meet Teaneck's Mayors
Since 1930, many people have served as Mayor of Teaneck, New Jersey. Here is a list of the Mayors and some interesting facts about them.
| Mayor | In Office | Left Office | Notes |
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| Mark J. Schwartz | January 2, 2025 | Mark Schwartz is serving his first term as Mayor. He had been on the Township council since July 2012 before becoming Mayor. | |
| Michael Pagan | January 3, 2023 | January 2, 2025 | This was his first term as mayor. He had served on the council for two years before becoming Mayor. |
| Jim Dunleavy | July 1, 2020 | January 3, 2023 | This was his first and only term as mayor. He was in office when Teaneck changed its council election dates from May to November. |
| Mohammed Hameeduddin | July 1, 2016 | July 1, 2020 | This was his second time serving as mayor. He was chosen by the Teaneck Township Council. He had previously been Mayor from 2010 to 2014. |
| Elie Katz | April 24, 2016 | July 1, 2016 | This was his second time serving as mayor. He became acting mayor after Lizette Parker passed away while in office. He was the Deputy Mayor at the time. |
| Lizette Parker | July 1, 2014 | April 24, 2016 | Lizette Parker was the first African-American woman to be a mayor in any town in Bergen County, New Jersey. She passed away while in office. |
| Mohammed Hameeduddin | July 1, 2010 | July 1, 2014 | This was his first time as mayor. He was the first Muslim mayor in Bergen County, New Jersey. |
| Kevie Feit | 2008 | July 1, 2010 | |
| Elie Katz | 2006 | 2008 | This was his first time as mayor. He was born in Teaneck in 1974. He was the youngest person to be Mayor of Teaneck and the first Orthodox Jew to hold the position. |
| Jacqueline Kates | 2002 | 2006 | |
| Paul Steven Ostrow | 1996 | 2002 | |
| Peter Bower | 1994 | 1995 | |
| John Abraham | 1992 | 1993 | He was an Indian American who came to the United States in 1972. |
| Eleanor Kieliszek | July 1990 | 1992 | This was her second time as mayor. |
| Francis "Frank" Hall | 1988 | July 1990 | This was his second time serving as mayor. |
| Bernard E. Brooks | July 1, 1982 | 1988 | Bernard Brooks was elected mayor in July 1982. He was the first black mayor in Teaneck's history. He served until 1990. |
| Francis "Frank" Hall | June 1978 | 1982 | This was his first time serving as mayor. |
| Eleanor Kieliszek | 1974 | June 1978 | This was her first time as mayor. She was the first female Mayor of Teaneck, New Jersey. She was also the first woman elected to the township council. |
| Frank White Burr | 1970 | 1974 | Frank White Burr was Mayor of Teaneck from 1970 to 1974. He supported the Glenpointe development, a large building project. He was also involved when Teaneck became the first town in the nation where a white majority voted for school integration. |
| Thomas Costa | May 24, 1966 | 1969 | Thomas J. Costa was a politician who served as mayor of Teaneck. |
| Matthew Feldman | 1962 | January 1966 | Matthew Feldman stopped being mayor when he was elected to the New Jersey Senate. |
| August Hanniball, Jr. | June 1958 | 1962 | |
| Thomas J. E. Brown | 1956 | June 1958 | |
| Henry Deissler | May 23, 1950 | 1955 | |
| Clarence William Brett | May 28, 1946 | 1950 | |
| Milton Gideon Votee | 1934 | 1946 | He served as mayor for 12 years. He helped organize the change to a township manager form of government. In 1958, a park in Teaneck was renamed Milton Votee Park in his honor. |
| Karl D. Van Wagner | 1930 | 1933 | He was elected as the first mayor under the new council-manager government system on November 11, 1930. |
| Lacey Walker | 1930 | 1930 | He was the last chairman under the old township committee government. He served until Teaneck changed its government system in November 1930. |
| Christian Gloeckler | 1927 | 1929 | |
| William Harold Bodine, Sr. | 1925 | 1926 | This was his third time serving as chairman. |
| Frederic Andreas | 1924 | 1924 | |
| Frederick J. Griffith | 1921 | 1924 | |
| Maurice Veuve | 1918 | 1920 | |
| William Harold Bodine, Sr. | 1917 | 1917 | This was his second time serving as chairman. |
| Frederick McGuire | 1916 | 1916 | |
| William Harold Bodine, Sr. | 1915 | 1915 | This was his first time serving as chairman. |
| Robert A. Shaw | 1912 | 1914 | |
| James E. Pearce | 1910 | 1911 | |
| William Weaver Bennett | February 19, 1895 | 1909 | William Weaver Bennett was the first Chairman of Teaneck, New Jersey. He served as chairman for 13 years. |
