Ocean City Councilwoman Karen Bergman will face a challenger in the May 10 municipal election, but the rest of the incumbents who are seeking new terms will run unopposed.
H. Lloyd Hayes III, a former Board of Education member and retired Ocean City High School teacher, filed nominating petitions Monday to run against Bergman for her at-large seat.
There will also be a battle in Council’s Fourth Ward. Fourth Ward Councilman Peter Guinosso has decided not to seek re-election, prompting three candidates to jump into the race for the seat.
They include Brenda Moiso, Bart Russell and Robert Barr.
Moiso is a local businesswoman and former member of the Board of Education. Her time on the board included two years as the president.
Russell is another former member of the Board of Education. He is also a local businessman and a Vietnam veteran.
Barr is a member of the New Jersey Pinelands Commission. He also serves as the president of the Ocean City Community Association and is a member of the board of directors for both the Ocean City Housing Authority and Ocean City Exchange Club, according to his bio on the Pinelands Commission website.
Edward Price and Sharon Gawel took out nominating petitions for the Fourth Ward, but did not return them by Monday’s 4 p.m. deadline, so they will not be in the election, according to City Clerk Melissa Bovera.
Although there will be competition in the Fourth Ward, the other ward races are uncontested, ensuring the incumbents of re-election.
Incumbents include First Ward Councilman Michael DeVlieger, Second Ward Councilman Antwan McClellan and Third Ward Councilman Tony Wilson.
Georgina Shanley took out nominating petitions for the Third Ward, but did not return them to the Clerk’s Office, allowing Wilson to run unopposed.
On March 11, there will be a drawing to determine each candidate’s position on the ballot.
The Bergman-Hayes matchup will pit two well-known figures who have experience in elected office.
Both Bergman and Hayes said they plan to make the city’s need for capital improvements a top priority of their campaigns. They emphasized the importance of a series of proposed drainage projects that are designed to alleviate tidal flooding during coastal storms.
Bergman said she is “looking forward” to Hayes’ challenge and has no plans to change her campaign strategy just because she has an opponent.
“I intend to run a very positive campaign,” she said. “I intend to stress my experience and how I believe I can be the best candidate.”
Hayes said his campaign will focus on the accomplishments and the experience he gained when he formerly served on the Board of Education for six years.
“My time on the school board was invaluable in teaching me about how government works, about how to get things done and how to do it in a financially sound manner,” he said.
Hayes, 67, was a long-time Industrial Arts teacher and an Ocean City High School swimming coach. He retired in 2006.
In 2006, Hayes was appointed to a six-month stint on City Council to fill a vacated seat. In the following election, he lost his bid for a full term on Council.
Bergman, 54, who is the director of catering at the Flanders Hotel, first served on Council from 2008 to 2012. She chose not to run for re-election in 2012.
She rejoined the governing body last fall when Council unanimously appointed her to the at-large seat formerly held by Michael Allegretto, who resigned to become the city’s Director of Community Services.
Bergman’s appointment to Council is a temporary seat that expires in May. The winner in the Bergman-Hayes race on May 10 will fill the remainder of Allegretto’s unexpired term through June 2018.
By Donald Wittkowski
