VILLAS – Lower Township Council will have the chance to accept a new mayor at its Jan. 22 meeting, due to Mayor Erik Simonsen vacating his position after winning a seat on the state Assembly in November 2019.
Since Simonsen is a Republican, the Lower Township Regular Republican Organization is tasked with filling the empty seat. According to Chairman Jeffrey Lindsay, the organization accepted applications from any registered Republican residing in Lower Township.
“From those applicants, the selection committee heard presentations from three chosen candidates to send to Lower Township Council. From those three, we then make a recommendation for the mayor seat,” Lindsey explained, adding that the process is done by state statute.
The three candidates initially chosen were Frank Sippel, deputy mayor, Lower Township Council, Robert Basco and Joseph Wareham. Sippel was the unanimous choice for mayor, Lindsay said.
If the council accepts the recommendation, Sippel would be appointed mayor for a term to last until the next general election. Since his deputy mayor position would then be vacant, the process begins again.
“We would send a deputy mayor recommendation to the council on their Feb. 3 meeting after repeating the process of taking applications, hearing presentations and choosing the best candidate,” Lindsay said.
Lindsay pointed out that the council can pick any of the three names they send over. Council has rejected the organization’s pick in the past. It involved Simonsen.
“They don’t have to choose Frank (Sippel). That has happened in the past. In 2013, when Glenn Douglass retired from his state job, he was required to vacate his council seat. The Republican Organization chose Erik Simonsen as mayor; however, council chose one of the other three candidates, Jackie Henderson, who served until the general election,” said Lindsay. Henderson did not run in the general election, and endorsed Simonsen, who was elected mayor.
If the council doesn’t act on the candidates for mayor within 20 days, the appointment reverts to the Lower Township Regular Republican Organization.
Lower Township elects an at-large mayor and deputy mayor to serve four-year terms. That election will be in November 2020.
There is no election the following year, and then the three ward seats are up for election. The 1st Ward includes Villas; 2nd Ward, North Cape May and Town Bank; 3rd Ward, Cold Spring, Erma, Shawcrest and Diamond Beach.
To contact Carl Price, email cprice@cmcherald.com.
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