HOWELL – The Township Council hosted a public meeting on August 12, after previously scheduling the meeting for August 19. One of the main reasons for holding this meeting earlier was to appoint a temporary deputy mayor after Fred Gasior announced his decision to step down.
Councilwoman Susan Fischer was nominated for the role, approved, and took the oath to be Howell’s temporary deputy mayor.
To fill her spot on the council, Howell Township nominated Michael Wrubel, who took his oath during the meeting as well.
According to the Howell Township Clerk’s Office, Fischer will have to run in the general election in November to be in office for the rest of the term, which ends on December 31, 2026. All submissions to run for the remainder of the term must be submitted by August 26.
Fischer is a member of Howell Township’s Republican party. Before she was named to the temporary deputy mayor role, Fischer had served on Howell’s Town Council since 2022. Her role as councilwoman was her first holding public office. Before that, she was a public school teacher for 32 years in Monmouth County. She was nominated by Councilwoman Evelyn O’Donnell for the position.
Wrubel has served on the Howell Master Plan Subcommittee and the Zoning Board, with his most recent position in town government being on the planning board. He first started on the zoning board in July of 2022. He served in that role until January 2024, when he left to join the planning board. He became the chairman of the Master Plan Committee around that time as well.
The Master Plan committee was a government action committee that was set up to create, provide, and revise a framework for Howell’s physical development, influencing decisions made by the Planning Commission, Township Council, and investments in infrastructure and zoning. The purpose of the Master Plan Committee during Wrubel’s time was to update and revise the current guide for the physical development of the township while aiming to enhance the well-being of residents and promote a sustainable future.
Wrubel was one of the three names submitted by the Republican committee members to fill the vacant council member seat. Wrubel was nominated by Councilman Ian Nadel.
“I was pleasantly surprised with the list of the three candidates we got,” Nadel said about the nomination process. “I think all three gentlemen on that list are qualified to fill the seat, and it was extremely difficult to try to narrow it down to who we think is best to fill in. If this vote goes through for Mr. Wrubel, I think we are going to be in good hands moving forward.”
It is currently unknown why the previous deputy mayor, Gasior, decided to step down from his role. After his resignation, he posted on social media about his decision.
“I will confirm that I have resigned my post from the Howell Council effective today. There are current internal and external matters going on that, because of a potential role I may play in them, I am legally required to make no statements about them. The external is a legal matter, and I do believe that because the required legal documents have been filed, it is public information that will indicate all of the people who are involved. Those documents are available to the public in the appropriate places. They would also be available to be OPRA’d.”
Howell’s next town council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 16.
