Lansdale Elects Fuller as Council President, Teoh Vice President in Historic Vote

Dan Sokil | The Reporter•

Lansdale councilwomen Rafia Razzak, Rachael Bollens, council President Mary Fuller, councilwoman Carrie Oglesby, and council Vice President Meg Currie

The start of 2024 has brought three major milestones to Lansdale Borough.

"These three milestones, while overdue, are important to acknowledge,” said new council President Mary Fuller.

"For the first time in Lansdale history, we have a female majority serving on council,” she said, to cheers and applause from dozens of friends and several former council colleagues.

Last November, voters elected Ward 3 Democrat Rafia Razzak, a member of the town’s Economic Development Committee and civil service commission and a district office director for state representative Melissa Cerrato, to a four-year term in the council seat that had been held through 2023 by longtime council president Denton Burnell.

Her election, and swearing-in by Mayor Garry Herbert on Tuesday night, brings the number of women on council to five, as she joins Fuller who was first elected in 2009; councilwoman Carrie Oglesby (nee Hawkins) who was first elected in 2015; councilwoman Meg Currie Teoh, who was first elected in 2019 and reelected last fall; and councilwoman Rachael Bollens, who was elected in 2021.

During her campaign, Razzak said she’s a member of the North Penn Mosque, speaks Hindi and Bengali fluently and has worked to build bridges between those communities and council; Fuller said Razzak’s joining council is a critical step in that process.

"For the first time in Lansdale borough history, we have our first person who is a woman of color, who represents a growing population in our community, who was way overdue to have a voice at this table,” Fuller said.

After the meeting, Razzak thanked her family, friends and those who turned out to show their support, and said she thought it "an honor and privilege to represent Lansdale Ward 3.”

And in the center seat? "You have your first sitting woman president of council. I am proud of all of these milestones, and my place among them,” Fuller said.

After her first election, Fuller recalled, she was asked if she planned to bring "a woman’s perspective” to the group.

"I’ll be honest, I’m still not quite sure what that question meant, but I can tell you how I answered: I answered that I would be bringing the perspective of a Lansdale resident, a resident who wants to make our town the best that it can be,” she said.

"All of us up here have one common goal, and that is to do our very best to make Lansdale the best place we can to live, work and play. I believe, and sincerely hope, we can all do this together, despite today’s political climate of us versus them,” Fuller said, before adding thanks to her parents and family for their support.

As a symbol of bipartisanship, she added, she sported the color purple, meant to symbolize a mix of red and blue and the political parties they represent.

"We need to be united and unified, and be the best of all of us,” she said.

After calling herself a "fourth-generation Lansdale-ian,” Fuller noted that classmates from a certain year may recall seeing a presidency, of sorts, in her future decades ago — or at least, seeing a prediction of that future in her high school newspaper during senior year.

"Back in — OK, I hate to admit it, but in 1981, the prediction for me was that I would become the first woman president. I think they may have been referring to the United States, but I’m more than satisfied that it’s Lansdale,” Fuller said.

Two familiar faces added their own congratulations, including Burnell, who said he was glad to see council in good hands.

"I’m incredibly glad to have stepped down, to allow this to happen. I’m so excited to have five women on council. I’m incredibly proud of Rafia … and the fact that she’s sitting up there with all of you. That means a lot for this town, and how we’ve evolved,” Burnell said.

And for Fuller? "It’s taken far too long to find our first woman president, but I couldn’t be prouder of the person sitting in that chair. She deserved to be here a long time ago.”

To start the reorganization meeting, Mayor Garry Herbert administered oaths of office to Razzak, Teoh, and reelected councilmen BJ Breish and Rich DiGregorio, each of whom shook hands with the mayor and posed with their families for photos after being sworn back in. Once Razzak was seated, Herbert asked for nominations for the role of council president, and Oglesby nominated Fuller, who was approved with no other nominations.

"With that, we have a new council president, and for the first time a ‘Madame President,” Herbert said.

Lansdale’s borough council next meets at 7 p.m. on Jan. 17 at the borough municipal building, 1 Vine Street. For more information visit www.Lansdale.org.

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