Ocean City Council candidate Mike Allegretto
Five candidates are running for three open seats on Ocean City Council in the May 13 municipal election.
The winners will serve four-year terms in at-large positions. City Council includes seven members — four elected from the city’s individual wards and three elected at-large by the entire Ocean City electorate.
Candidates are (in reverse alphabetical order):
Eric Sauder,
Pete Madden,
Mike Hyson, incumbent
Keith Hartzell and incumbent
Michael Allegretto.
The following includes biographical and platform information provided by the candidate and a brief profile — along with a favorite Ocean City memory (just for the fun of it). Candidate profiles will appear each day this week.
BIO:
Age: 42
Education: Ocean City High School, 1989; The College of New Jersey, 1993, Bachelor of Science in business administration
No. of years lived in Ocean City: Lifelong resident
Family: Wife, Lisa; children Gavin and Alexis
Occupation: Office manager at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, 5501 West Ave.
Public service: Two terms on City Council (Council President 2010-13); Ocean City Board of Education member 1999-2006 (Board President 2004-05), Tourist Development Commission member, Business and Neighborhood Development (BAND) member
PLATFORM:
- Budget Savings: To annually construct and approve a reasonable and fair budget for the taxpayers.
- Capital Investments: To ensure current and future capital projects such as the Merion Park drainage and streets project, the north-end pump station, the south-end beach replenishment project, and boardwalk replacement project are finished at the lowest expense to the taxpayer.
- Recreation Opportunities: To continue working on recreation projects such as the new turf field at Sixth Street, the skateboard park and the updated 15th Street playground to benefit our families and youth, and to attract new families to Ocean City.
- Tourism Marketing: To work on with the Tourism Development Commission to develop an annual marketing campaign to attract new and repeat visitors. To assist the three SID district in band to develop budgets to promote each district to consumers.
- Zoning Changes: To continue working on improving zoning throughout town which is consistent with current neighborhoods.
- Town Character: To ensure Ocean City remains America's Greatest Family Resort.
REPORTER’S PROFILE:
At age 42, Allegretto has experience as both president of the Ocean City Board of Education and as president of City Council.
The lifelong resident is proud that the current council and city administration have delivered responsible budgets with none of the mass layoffs that other municipalities have experienced. And he points to the start of an aggressive capital plan to fix roads, bulkheads, beaches and the boardwalk.
"Things are getting done," Allegretto says.
If were elected for a third term, Allegretto says he'd like to see continued capital spending on projects such as pumping stations to alleviate street flooding.
He supports projects such as the rebuilding of a skateboard park in Ocean City and the installation of a turf field at Carey Field — not only as amenities for current residents but as a draw to visitors and as something that might attract new families to Ocean City.
Allegretto sees his job in the real estate industry as an asset.
"Realtors are the largest promoters of the town," he says. "I'm on the phone all the time with people who live in the town. I get constant feedback."
With contracts for public employees expiring after 2014, Allegretto thinks the administration can do "even better" in negotiating terms on salaries and benefits to save taxpayers' money.
DEFINING OCEAN CITY MEMORY:
Allegretto's defining Ocean City memory actually occurred at The College of New Jersey, then known as Trenton State College. It was there that the young man realized that Ewing Township was not Ocean City — and he says he began to realize how truly special his hometown is.
