New mayor plans 'fresh start' after predecessor pleads guilty to extortion

"It is a sad day for Orange and my prayers go out to Former Mayor Hackett's family," Hawkins said in a statement. "I am confident that on July 1st, Orange will get the fresh start the voters asked for when they elected me as mayor. It is time for us to look to the future for positive change as we usher Orange to its great potential," he said.

The former mayor pleaded guilty to accepting a $5,000 bribe last year from an undercover FBI agent posing as an insurance broker who wanted to pay the mayor to help an insurance company obtain more work. Hackett faces a possible 18 to 24 months in prison when he is sentenced on September 15, according to the New York Times.