Update: Bellinger, Lagana Give Democrats Council Foothold

After a year of Republican dominance on the borough council, Democrats will at least have a pair of votes on the governing body after Maria Elena Bellinger and Joseph Lagana unseated Cathy Bentz and Maureen O'Brien in the election Tuesday.

Bellinger grew up in Paramus, and has been coach of the volleyball team since 1998.

"I've always been about Paramus," Bellinger said Tuesday night. "My whole life has been about representing Paramus."

Lagana is a relative newcomer to the borough, having moved here just two years ago. He works as an attorney with Chasan, Leyner and Lamparello, a Secaucus firm.

According to the borough's unofficial tally, Bellinger received 2,757 votes, while Lagana received 2,718. Bentz garnered 2,521 votes and 2,626 voters picked O'Brien. The final results will come from the county.

Lagana suspected that ending the 6-0 Republican majority was likely a priority for voters. Voters said as much when interviewed at the polls.

"I think people like to see some kind of balance," Lagana said.

Both Bellinger and Lagana pledged to work with the remaining Republican council members, who still hold a 4-2 majority. Bellinger said the governing body should represent Paramus and not any particular party.

"Really, we're all on the same side, and the side that we're on is Paramus," she said.

The council already has several issues on the horizon in 2012, including a budget with a $1.9 million pension deferral due, an with a promotional process still not in place, and a fire department . 

"I think we're all working toward the same goal and there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to work together," Lagana said.

Republicans Bentz and O'Brien cited this year's budget, with , as among their chief accomplishments during the campaign. They also took credit for eliminating waste in , cutting the position of borough spokesman Keith Furlong soon after they took office in 2008.

But their decision to hire borough administrator Joseph D'Arco, who Bentz and O'Brien credit with helping streamline the municipal government, drew criticism from their opponents.

Bellinger and Lagana called the hiring a mistake. They say the council didn't go far enough in punishing D'Arco after a former employee discovered he was for personal use on his lunch break.

The Democrats said the current council put too much emphasis on budget cuts over services and borough employees, citing the five full-time and two part-time positions the borough . Bellinger and Lagana said they would have done more to preserve jobs.

Now, they'll get the chance to try, along with the four Republican members of the council.

"I'm going to work with them," Lagana said. "We're going to try to solve the town's problems."