Mayoral Musings: 152 Years in the Making

Mayor Garry Herbert•

From left to right: Rafia Razzak, Rachel Bollens, Mary Fuller, Carrie Oglesby, and Meg Currie Teoh.

On Tuesday night, our borough had one of the most momentous — and long overdue — reasons to celebrate in our community’s history.

For the first time ever, Borough Council was sworn in with a majority of women: Mary Fuller, Meg Currie Teoh, Rachael Bollens, Carrie Oglesby, and Rafia Razzak. We swore in our first person of color, Rafia Razzak, and council selected their first ever women President of Council in Mary Fuller.

For some, this may feel like something obvious; an inevitability that was bound to happen at some point. However, it took 152 years of existence for our borough to reach this moment despite women making up nearly half our local population for the better part of the modern era, and 30% of our community being non-white. The reality is that improvements in representation in government are never an inevitability. It takes commitment, passion, and persistence for the five listed above to stand together last night.

As mayor, I am extremely proud to say I have worked alongside all five of them. Undoubtedly, our community has been the benefactor of their wisdom and their experiences in ways that have made Lansdale a significantly better place to call home.

Mary Fuller, our new President of Council, is a singularly gifted person in this regard. Mary has served on council for 14 years, where she has served as chair of our Parks and Recreation committee, our Public Safety Committee, and as Vice President of Council. In all these roles, I have witnessed Mary approach her position with passion and compassion. She is forthright in her opinions, true to her convictions, and displayed a willingness to learn and grow as information changes and our community evolves. There is no one more adept to lead the council in 2024, and our community will be better off as she helps guide us going forward.

Alongside Mary, Meg Currie Teoh will be taking the reigns as Vice President. Over the last four years, Meg has worked as chair of the Public Safety Committee and has played an instrumental role in the continued development and expansion of our Lansdale Police Department. She has been a strong advocate for the continued development of our mental health response programs and has, alongside the whole committee, stood steadfast with Chief Trail and I as we expand and improve our policing services for our community. Meg and I have worked closely on several issues over the years, and her analytical and methodical approach to challenges will continue to be valued by all of us.

Additionally, Rafia Razzak has joined the council as our first ever person of color. As a proud mother, Muslim, immigrant, and professional, Rafia brings a unique perspective to our community that has been missing from our council for far too long. While this is her first venture into elected office, I am more certain than ever of her ability to help lead our community. I have watched her thoughtfully and directly engage with residents on the campaign trail, articulate nuanced opinions on complex matters, and easily build rapport with those around her. Her addition to our council will only help improve upon the positive developments in our community and I look forward to her partnership.

Finally, it was noted by Councilman Mark Ladley last night that the year in which this took place could not have been more perfect. 152 years after incorporation as a community we have:

One person of color who will add new depth to our discourse

Five skilled, thoughtful, and brilliant women making a majority, and

Two proven and passionate women in leadership

This year’s outlook looks to be one of our best years yet, and I know that we will truly be moving forward together.

(Mayoral Musings is a weekly op-ed column submitted to North Penn Now, courtesy of Lansdale Borough Mayor Garry Herbert. The views expressed are his own and are not representative of North Penn Now or Lansdale Borough.)