Quinn’s Tenure as Mayor Comes to an End

Gary Quinn sat in on his last township committee meeting as mayor before current Deputy Mayor Mark Dykoff takes over in the new year.

“It has been a long two years,” Quinn said. “But it certainly has been an honor to sit here in this seat and represent not only the people but the individuals sitting up here.”

If you asked Quinn 15 years ago, if he would serve as mayor, he would have laughed, he said. He has now been a member of the governing body for eight years and has served four separate terms as mayor, including the past two years.

“When I originally started as Mayor, it was a much different position,” Quinn said. “The economic times were different.”

The township was able to make purchases and “do the things you should do yearly,” he said.

“Now we’ve had to make many difficult decisions,” Quinn said. “I believe we’ve seen the worst of it.”

The year of 2010 was the worst Quinn has seen in politics, he said. But each year has improved since.

“The community support has been outstanding,” he said. “That’s the only reason to do it.”

Serving as mayor is “worthwhile” when residents on the street approach to express their support, Quinn said.

“I’ll miss the honor of sitting up here,” he said.

Each member of the committee has equal power, he said, but as mayor, you get recognized as the “voice of the community.”

“I’ll still be as involved,” Quinn said.

Quinn thanked various groups in the community, including the committee.

“Everybody up here puts their heart and souls into what’s going on,” he said. “We don’t always agree on everything but we try to come together and at the end of the line do what is best for the taxpayers.”

He also thanked volunteer organizations, emergency squads, the food bank, township staff, Channel 21 and his wife.

“It’s an effort where everybody comes together to make this town the great, great community that it is,” he said.

Quinn said he’s looking forward to fewer meetings and more of a life.

“I can’t say enough about Gary Quinn, about his dedication, his ownership and passion towards this town,” Committeeman David Most said. “We’re truly fortunate to have him.”

Most said he was proud to serve on the committee with Quinn.

“I want to thank you for all your hard work,” he told Quinn. “It’s hard to find individuals like you that truly put in the amount of time that you put into this town. You should be very proud of all your accomplishments.”

Working through the economic times was his biggest accomplishment, Quinn said.

"The biggest accomplishment was being able to guide the township, along with the help of the committtee members through the difficult economic times that we had," he said. "Going into 2010, I would have never imagined running into the amount of obstaces and shorfalls that we ran into."

Quinn is looking forward to a better year in 2012, he said.

Quinn will continue to serve on the township committee as his term expires Dec. 31, 2012.

Dykoff will be sworn in as mayor at the township’s reorganization meeting on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2012. Dykoff’s committee member term is also up Dec. 31, 2012.