CAPE MAY – The wintry weather played havoc with municipal reorganization meetings in the county, causing several to be moved from their originally scheduled dates. Such meetings are often largely ceremonial events when family, friends and interested residents turn out to see newly elected officials take the oath of office and make speeches about the coming year.

In Cape May, the reorganization traditionally is the meeting at which the mayor delivers a state of the city address, setting the stage for the new year.

But the weather led Cape May officials to postpone the city’s reorganization meeting to Jan. 22, which itself would not normally have been a Cape May City Council meeting date since it is a Wednesday rather than the usual first or third Tuesday of the month. The exact time for the meeting has not yet been set.

Mayor Zach Mullock, who won a second term in November, said the snow accumulation was the major factor in the shift of the reorganization meeting. “We really didn’t want people coming out in this weather,” Mullock said.

Still, there was a need to get some basic measures approved as a way of starting the new year.

In Cape May the mayor is selected by the voters, but the deputy mayor is chosen by the members of council. For two years running Lorraine Baldwin has served the city and the council as the deputy to Mullock. This year the council thanked Baldwin for her time and commitment and shifted the office to Councilwoman Maureen McDade.

The governing body also welcomed Steve Bodnar as its newest member. Bodnar won the seat vacated by Michael Yeager, who decided not to seek another term.

Both Mullock and Bodnar were sworn in prior to the start of the meeting so that they could legally take action on the items needing to be voted on. A ceremonial swearing-in will be held at the postponed reorganization meeting.

Mullock, McDade, Baldwin and Bodnar are joined by long-serving council member Shaine Meier, who was first elected to council in November 2014. Meier has also served two terms as the city’s deputy mayor.

Among the actions that were taken in advance of the postponed reorganization meeting were the establishment of a temporary budget for city operations, as well as short-term budgets for each of the city’s utilities, approving appointments to various commissions and committees for the coming year, paying of bills and authorizing the renewal of the shared services arrangement with West Cape May for a municipal court administrator.