Bristol Borough appoints Council President's son, Ralph DiGuiseppe III, as new mayor

Ralph DiGuiseppe III, the son of Bristol Borough Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe, is the borough's new mayor, winning appointment from council during its meeting Monday night.

DiGuiseppe will replace the late former mayor Joe Saxton, who died in July. The council president, in his role as acting mayor, abstained from the vote Monday.

For the DiGuiseppe family, real estate, land development and Bristol Borough politics seem to be in the blood.

RelatedBristol Borough mourns Mayor Joseph Saxton, 'a giant in his work'

The younger DiGuiseppe will serve as mayor until after the 2023 municipal elections. He would need to seek and win election to hold on to the post. He was not immediately available when contacted Tuesday afternoon.

Council member Lorraine Cullen read a motion, which was passed by all members, with the exception of his dad's abstention, and without public comment, "to appoint Ralph DiGuiseppe as mayor to fill the existing vacancy until the first Monday of January 2024."

The elder DiGuiseppe said council discussed two applicants, and while not outright identifying that individual, DiGuiseppe said the other candidate was Hispanic. DiGuiseppe offered that no women or African American residents applied.

Moments after being sworn in alongside members of his family, Bristol Borough's newest mayor thanked council for "their confidence in me to serve in this duty as mayor of Bristol Borough," and spoke about his years of coming to Bristol council meetings to support his father and Saxton and said "it was no secret that I supported each and very member on this council floor and our former mayor" when they were up for election.

"So now, I couldn't be more thankful and humbled," DiGuiseppe III said, "that they are now giving me their support and showing me how much they appreciated me during those times during the last 20 years."

DiGuiseppe III also touched on the life and public service of Saxton, intimating that he has big shoes to fill.

A lifelong Bristol resident, Saxton graduated from Bristol High School and worked for 30 years for Rohm and Haas and then 12 years for Arkema Inc. as a training manager at the Bristol plant, according to his obituary on the Wade Funeral Home website. He was also a Certified Performance Technologist, certified by the International Society for Performance Improvement.

"No one was more proud to hold a position in this borough than Joe. He represented this town and its residents with the utmost dignity, and I can only hope that my time spent in this position can mirror his commitment to service," DiGuiseppe said. "As a lifelong Bristolian and real estate broker for the past 21 years, I have witnessed a major transformation in this community. Professionally I have spent the past five years or so in real estate trying to convince people to move into the borough and this was the place they wanted to be."

Real estate firm Long & Foster in May appointed DiGuiseppe III as its senior vice president and regional manager for the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware markets. DiGuiseppe joined the firm in 2014.

While his mayor son is a realtor, the elder DiGuiseppe is a known developer with a number of projects throughout Bristol Borough and Bristol Township.

DiGuiseppe develops in Bristol Township:Six new homes OK'd for neighborhood off Bath Road in Bristol Township

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DiGuiseppe III said he is also looking forward to working closely with the Bristol Borough Police Department.

"I mention our police force because sometimes it's easy to take off granted what this department does every day to keep our streets safe, and give us peace of mind so we can walk out of our front door," DiGuiseppe III said. "Now some people will say that's just their job, and I say that's just nonsense. It's more than a job; it's a commitment, and it's responsibility and pride that each officer takes every day they go to work.

"I am a huge supporter of of the men and women in blue, and I really look forward to working with (Borough Police) Chief Joseph Moors in keeping the streets of Bristol Borough safe," DiGuiseppe III added. "I want him and the rest of his police force to know that I will 100% always have your backs, and together, we will always work for the residents of Bristol."

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bristol Borough appoints Council President's son, Ralph DiGuiseppe III, as new mayor