12 Years Went By Fast: Teri Branella Honored, Happy to Have Had Active Role in Forming Brooklawn’s Future

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December 19, 2022 marked Teri Branella’s final meeting as the Mayor of Brooklawn. She remarked “how fast” the time went by.

During the public portion, I told Mayor Branella that she has always been kind and gracious to me and my family, especially my daughter.

Mayor Branella announced in June that she would not seek a fourth term.

In a Facebook post, she wrote that she moved to Brooklawn 37 years ago into a home that needed a lot of work. “I thought it would be a perfect project for my dad who had just retired. So, I moved in, and we got started renovating. I figured I’d stay 5-7 years and move on. Well, that just didn’t happen. Simply put, I fell in love with Brooklawn.”

She wrote that she loved the way she felt part of a community and part of a neighborhood where neighbors look out for one another.

In 2001, Mayor Branella was asked to fill a vacant position on Borough Council. “I felt honored and happy to have an active role in forming the future of this great Borough.”

In 2011, she was “further honored to be elected as mayor. As mayor, I was able to grow a strong governing body of six members with the same vision of making Brooklawn the best little community it could be.”

This past June, Mayor Branella decided not to seek re-election.

“After a lot of reflection, I have made the decision to not seek a fourth term as mayor,” she wrote. “These past 12 years as your mayor have been amazing. The faith and trust instilled in me by my constituents has allowed me and Borough Council to grow this community in so many ways. There are so many things that I am grateful for – everyone’s faith and trust in me is tops. The relationships made and the friendships created will always be treasured. It has been a true honor to serve you, the residents of Brooklawn, my neighbors.”

Although her term concludes at the end of the year, Mayor Branella wrote: “I’ll still be your neighbor! Be sure to say hello at an upcoming event!”

Council President Julie McCleary ran unopposed and will be sworn in as Brooklawn’s next Mayor in early 2023.

“By all accounts, she is ready for the challenge,” Mayor Branella said. “Julie has been my right hand for the last 12 years. Her years of leadership, both in Brooklawn and her business life, have prepared her well to continue the progress we’ve made.”

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