With 3 Council Meetings Remaining, Interim Mayor Candidates Vow to do Their Best

After , the Chatham Borough Democrats selected three candidates — Marcy Wecker, Douglas Herbert and Nicholas Eck — to take his place.

The three all said they were surprised at Vaughan's resignation. "I was upset. I wished he hadn't done it, but he had his reasons and he did what he did," Herbert said.

"I think it's a sad day for Chatham. I think Mayor Vaughan did a wonderful job," said Wecker. "He did a lot of good for the town."

Wecker, Herbert and Eck were chosen as candidates to serve as interim mayors by the Chatham Borough Democratic Committee at a regularly-scheduled meeting on Nov. 9, the same day Vaughan resigned. "Ideally Nelson would have served out the remaining amount of his term," Eck said. "I know anyone of us would be able to perform the responsibilities of interim mayor."

Herbert said either of the two candidates (one of whom, Wecker, is his wife) would be willing and able to aptly fill the role of interim mayor. "I'm biased here, but [Wecker] is a very smart, intelligent woman who would do a very good job, if she was given the opportunity to do it. I think that Nick would do a good job as well," he said.

"I was very honored that they would think highly of me," Wecker said, "and I think all three who are nominated would do a good job and are very competent."

Wecker also said, speaking of the public reaction to Vaughan's resignation, "it's not so easy to volunteer to put yourself out there as a public official or candidate. ... It's much easier for people to criticize."

The has until Dec. 10 to choose one of the candidates. All three are current volunteers on various boards and committees within the borough. Wecker and Eck have formerly stood for election to the council. Herbert has run for the state Assembly and for the US House of Representatives.

The council meets Monday night, and then has only two remaining meetings scheduled for the rest of the year, one on Nov. 28 (the Monday after Thanksgiving) and one on Dec. 12.

Each of the candidates expressed their desire to serve the borough, if called upon to do so. However, with only two remaining council meetings after Monday, Eck said he is "just trying to figure out what the interim mayor is going to have to do."