SEA ISLE CITY – On May 13, city voters will have something they seldom have in a municipal election – a choice. There are five candidates for three seats on the five-member City Council.

Incumbents Mary Tighe and J.B. Feeley, who are seeking new terms, are teaming with Michael Jargowsky, who is running for the seat being vacated by Jack Gibson, who is not seeking reelection. The trio has the backing of longtime Mayor Leonard Desiderio.

Their opposition is real estate professional Ian Ciseck and retired teacher and coach Steven Cossaboon.

The Herald invited the candidates to outline their goals if elected, their view of the challenges facing Sea Isle and why their background would be an aid to service on the city’s governing body. They were also invited to submit comments each might consider especially relevant to their candidacy.

Contact information in the form of candidate email addresses for each of the five candidates was supplied by the Sea Isle City Clerk’s Office. Four of the five candidates responded to the emails; Tighe did not respond to the initial email or to a follow-up. Feeley replied that he was on a trip to Canada and would try to send something by the Herald’s deadline for a response; he apparently was not able to do so.

Below are the responses from the three newcomers. All three chose a narrative form of response; their comments are presented in their entirety.

Steven Cossaboon

After living and working in Sea Isle City since 1989, my wife and I bought our home here 12 years ago and became full-time residents three years ago. Over the last 35 years I have enjoyed watching our community grow and change, and I have decided that I want to be part of the future of this great island.

Our current representatives have been in office for a long time, unchallenged, and we appreciate all that they have given to this wonderful town, but it is time for change. One of my major concerns and one of my main reasons for running is to give people a choice. A chance to hear a new voice, new angles, new ways of looking at situations and a new perspective is important. Possible challenge the status quo.

Transparency, giving our constituents a voice, is very important to me, but with council meetings at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday and not being livestreamed makes this almost impossible for people to participate.

My children have been involved in the many recreation opportunities available to them, but over the years we have watched some of these events dwindle. With the new community center being built, I would use my experiences of being a teacher, coach and a member of a board that created multiple recreation programs in my previous town to use this available space to grow programs for our entire Sea Isle community.

I believe I can bring a new vibrancy and enthusiasm to our council, meeting the new challenges we will face in the future.

Michael Jargowsky

With my candidacy, my goal is to continue to support programs and institutions that bring a strong sense of community, safety and efficient reliable services to all our homeowners and visitors.

I joined Boy Scout Troop 76 when I was 12, which started in a life of volunteering my time for a variety of causes and needs.

After high school, I graduated from Stockton State College with a degree in criminal justice and started to work with the Sea Isle City Police Department. I attained many certifications and qualifications over the years as a police officer, including my teaching certification. I instructed at the Atlantic County and the Cape May County police academies and within the Sea Isle City Police Department for many years, teaching multiple disciplines such as domestic violence, handling disturbance calls, firearms, to name a few.

Later in my career, I received a master’s degree in administrative science from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Outside of law enforcement, I coached baseball from T-Ball to Coach Pitch, Little League and Babe Ruth. I am currently the chairperson of Sea Isle’s Recreation Committee. I have been a lifetime member of St. Joseph’s Parish, a member of the Knights of Columbus, as well as a member of the Italian American Club.

I continued with the Boy Scouts into my adult life and became the scoutmaster of Troop 76 for 18 years.

A strength of mine is dealing with people and having good communication skills, which is vitally important for the position I seek.

As council person, I would be a strong advocate for our recreation program, which I believe is second to none in the county. I would continue to support its programs and help look for new avenues to reach all the people of every level in this city.

Looking at the community center, I believe it is one of many achievements in Sea Isle that was a result of having a shared vision of its leaders and its people who came and worked together to build a state-of-the-art building that will be heavily utilized by everyone, young to old.

I will always be available to those who are in need. I do not care what side of the aisle you come from, my goal is a well-functioning, open government.

Finally, the challenges facing our city are large and ever-changing, but we must work together to make decisions that are in the best interests of all our citizens now and in the future.

Ian Ciseck

For nearly 30 years, Sea Isle has been the center of my universe. I have been privileged to call this vibrant city my home, raising my family on 38th Street, where my children represent the fifth generation to grow up here. My wife actively contributes to our community by volunteering for the Sea Isle school board, a vital link to Ocean City schools where our children are educated. For years, I have searched for a meaningful way to give back to this city, and when the opportunity to run for City Council presented itself, it felt like the perfect way to serve.

Sea Isle has lacked a choice in City Council elections for over a decade, and it is time to change that. Together with Steve Cossaboon, we are committed to fostering transparency and accessibility in our government. By opening up City Council meetings through evening or weekend sessions and introducing livestreaming with interactive Q&A sessions, we aim to make governance more inclusive and responsive. In December 2024, the Cape May County Herald reported on Sea Isle City’s struggle with government transparency and ranked our town last in Cape May County. I am determined to reverse this trend.

Furthermore, I envision a more inclusive Recreation Department that prioritizes local events and invites participation from both Sea Isle’s youth and those in neighboring areas. It’s crucial to integrate all homeowners into our community discussions and events, recognizing everyone’s significant role in our town’s fabric. Sea Isle should be a community that welcomes everyone.

I am deeply grateful for the residents’ openness to change and the enthusiastic feedback we’ve received. Your support in offering a choice for City Council is invaluable, and I thank you for this opportunity to serve and shape a brighter future for Sea Isle City.

Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.