Herald Poll: Readers Pick Desiderio as County’s Best Mayor

RIO GRANDE — About a month ago, the Herald launched an unscientific online poll asking readers who they thought was the best mayor in Cape May County.
There are 16 municipalities in this county and 16 people who were elected to represent them as mayor. In many forms of government, the mayor is the chief executive officer and ceremonial official of the municipality.
Over the past several weeks, it was a competitive race between the mayors of two neighboring municipalities that are connected by the Townsend’s Inlet Bridge, who alone received nearly 70 percent of the 375 total votes. But in the end, Sea Isle City’s Mayor Leonard Desiderio was the winner. He received 158 votes, 42 percent of the vote.
“I’m honored to receive this recognition,” Desiderio told the Herald. “It’s great to see that the people realize how seriously I take my job as mayor of Sea Isle City.”
“It’s also rewarding to see that the improvements I work hard to bring to the city are appreciated by residents and visitors alike,” he said. “Sea Isle City is special place and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
The popular Desiderio, who also serves as a county freeholder, was named Freeholder of the Year by the state League of Municipalities in 2002. He was first elected mayor of Sea Isle City in 1993.
The runner up in the Herald’s online poll was Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi who nabbed 103 votes or 27 percent.
Beyond those two, it was Mayor Gary DeMarzo, of Wildwood, who secured a distant third place with 24 votes or 6 percent.
The remaining mayors finished as follows:
• John Murphy, Dennis Township, 15 votes
• Susan DeLanzo, Middle Township, 14 votes
• William Pikolycky, Woodbine, 14 votes
• Michael Beck, Lower Township, 12 votes
• Carl Groon, Wildwood Crest, 10 votes
• William Henfey, North Wildwood, 7 votes
• Suzanne M. Walters, Stone Harbor, 5 votes
• Herbert Fredericks, West Wildwood, 4 votes
• Edward Mahaney, Jr., Cape May, 3 votes
• Pamela Kaithern, West Cape May, 3 votes
• Carl Schupp, Cape May Point, 3 votes
• Richard Palombo, Upper Township, 0 votes
• Salvatore Perillo, Ocean City, 0 votes
It is worth noting that on July 1, Jay Gillian succeeded Perillo as Ocean City mayor, but the poll wasn’t updated to reflect that change.
Look periodically for new reader polls located in the right column on the Herald’s homepage. This week’s online poll will deal with Wildwood’s proposal to allow bars and nightclubs to stay open 24 hours a day during the season.