Tadrick appointed to Vernon council

The Vernon Township Council on Nov. 10 appointed Joe Tadrick to fill the vacancy created by last month’s resignation of Councilman Harry Shortway.

Shortway resigned his seat on Oct. 15 after announcing he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer for the second time. Tadrick will fill the remaining term, which is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2023.

The seat will be up for election during the November 2023 general election.

Tadrick was one of six applicants – Mark Heftler, Jack Stewart, Edward DeYoung, former Councilman Edward Dunn, former Councilman John Auberger, and Peg DiStasi – for the open seat, and he was appointed by a 3-0 vote.

“I do appreciate all the applications we received,” Council Vice President Natalie Buccieri said. “I did have the opportunity to connect with those applicants. It wasn’t an easy decision to make. I enjoyed speaking with each person and appreciate that there are people who are willing to volunteer for the betterment of our community. That’s really important and should be commended.”

Tadrick has lived in Vernon since 1983 and has been involved with the Zoning and Land Use boards for about 30 years. He was immediately sworn in and took his place on the dais.

“Thank you for the support and the faith you have,” Tadrick said. “I will, to the best of my ability, make sure I do the best I can.”

It’s not the only change coming to the council. Councilman’s Mike Furrey’s term ended on Nov. 8, after he was defeated by former Board of Education member Brad Sparta in the general election. Furrey was appointed to the council on Oct. 14, 2021, after the resignation of former Councilwoman Kelly Weller, who moved out of the township.