WILDWOOD – At the first meeting since the Nov. 7 general election, Wildwood Commissioner Steve Mikulski made a motion to invite Commissioner-elect Ernie Troiano Jr. to join the board of commissioners.
“I would like to make a motion to have Ernie Troiano fill the unexpired term of Pete Byron,” Mikulski said Wednesday, Nov. 8.
Mikulski and Troiano, who ran as a team, were the second and third top vote-getters, Nov. 7, beating out Deputy Mayor Krista Fitzsimons’ running mates, Phil Swetsky and R. Todd Kieninger.
Fitzsimons did not second the motion, which meant the motion died without a vote. She expressed surprise at the motion without having been informed prior to the meeting that the issue would come up.
“This is the first time I’ve heard of it,” she said.
Speaking after the meeting, Mikulski said his reasons were simple: There is an absence on the board and Troiano has been elected to one of the seats as of the reorganization meeting in January.
“It will not affect any business now, and he will be on the board in January, so we would have someone on the board to do the city’s business,” Mikulski said.
Mikulski said Troiano, who has previously served 19 years on the board, is already experienced as a commissioner, so there would be no learning curve.
Fitzsimons did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the unofficial results published by the county, Fitzsimons was reelected with 474 votes, Troiano received 417 and Mikulski 379. The next closest vote-getter was Phil Swetsky with 312 votes. Byron, who resigned his commission seat and post as mayor, Sept. 21, received 45 votes. Fitzsimons was also the top vote-getter in the 2019 election.
Fitzsimons has presided over Wildwood Board of Commissioners meetings since Byron resigned prior to possibly being removed from office. The state Attorney General’s Office filed a motion for an order of forfeiture in Superior Court, asking the court to order Byron to vacate his seat. Byron resigned the day before the motion was to be heard, Sept. 22, but the judge did not act on the attorney general’s motion and rescheduled the hearing for Wednesday, Dec. 6.
Meanwhile, Troiano is scheduled to be in Superior Court Friday, Nov. 17, for the court to hear his motion to dismiss charges of official misconduct related to alleged unauthorized use of the State Health Benefits Program. Byron and Mikulski are scheduled to be in court Friday, Jan. 19, on the same charges.
Contact the author, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
