WEST WILDWOOD — Mayor Herbert C. Frederick will not resign his post and will challenge the recall petition filed by the committee that is seeking to remove him from office.
In a notice issued Nov. 20, Borough Clerk Dorothy Tomlin said that she found the recall petition contained the valid signatures it needed to trigger a recall election. If the petition is upheld, the recall election will take place Jan. 26.
Tomlin noted that Frederick had five business days, until Dec. 1, to decide whether he would resign his post.
In a Dec. 2 letter to Tomlin, Frederick challenged her decision to approve the recall petition and alleges “deficiencies, improprieties and irregularities in the petition” including:
• Frederick said his initial objection to the recall was filed on July 31, but Tomlin failed to respond.
• According to Frederick, Borough Solicitor Paul Baldini said that Tomlin “failed your statutory duties as the recall official.””
• Acting Deputy Clerk Richard Deaney, upon his review of the recall petition determined irregularities and formally contacted the recall committee so they could correct the flaws. Frederick said that the committee failed to correct the flaws.
• The cost factor on the recall petition was not adequate.
• The signature of William Null on the intent to recall was not a registered voter according to the Board of Election records. Jacquelyn Ferentz, a second signer on the intent, is also questionable.
•Frederick also said that Tomlin failed to comply with the recall act by not having a copy of the intent to recall printed in a newspaper.
A recall petition also has been submitted for Commissioner Scott Golden’s recall, but Tomlin has not made a decision on whether that petition is valid.
Frederick was sworn into office June 4, 2008, along with Golden and Commissioner Gerard McNamara after a contested May 20 election. Since that time, the small municipality, with 467 registered voters, has seen its share of political drama.
According to Tomlin, Frederck’s recall would cost the borough an estimated $14,000.
