Vincent Ferrara, who ran Republican campaigns for both Mayor James Barberio and former Council President Ann Grossi, was unanimously voted in by council members Tuesday night to fill Grossi's unexpired term.

Ferrara was one of three names submitted by the township Republican committee to fill the remaining two years on Grossi's unexpired three-year term. The others were Joseph Roman and James Vigilante, a councilman from 1997 to 2007.

Ferrara, 50, is a salesmen for Fedway Inc., a wine and liquer company. He served on the planning board for a year but will step down from that seat to join the council. He ran Barberio's 2008 campaign for mayor and Grossi's campaign for Morris County Freeholder, which will begin on Wednesday when she's sworn in.

A native Italian from Teora, a town south of Naples, Ferrara immigrated to Newark in 1972 and moved to Parsippany 15 years ago. He lives on Vail Road with his wife, Annmarie and two children.

Ferrara described himself as a "behind-the-scenes person'' who was bracing himself for a "tough budget year.'' He said he's a proponent of open space, but was cautious about weighing in on more controversial issues, like cuts to the police department. "I'm not ready to comment on that,'' he said.

Replacing Grossi as council president will be Councilman John Fox, who was unanimously approved by the all-Republican council. Councilman Michael diPierro was voted vice president.