By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
City Council said goodbye Thursday night to former Fourth Ward Councilman Bob Barr and appointed a new member to fill the vacancy on Ocean City’s governing body until the November election.
Voting 6-0, Council selected former Board of Education member and longtime Ocean City resident Dave Winslow to temporarily succeed Barr. Winslow was endorsed by Barr for the Fourth Ward seat and was the only candidate considered by Council.
After the meeting, Winslow said he intends to run in the November election to seek the remainder of Barr’s unexpired term through June 30, 2024.
Candidates planning to run in the Nov. 7 election for the Fourth Ward seat have until Aug. 24 to submit their petitions to the City Clerk’s Office to be placed on the ballot.
Barr, who was first elected to Council in 2016, resigned this month to fill an opening on the Cape May County Board of Commissioners, the elected body that oversees county government.
Cape May County Republicans selected Barr to fill the vacancy on the board created when former Commissioner E. Marie Hayes resigned to become the new county surrogate in July.
As a next step, Barr will run in the November election while seeking to fill the remaining two years of Hayes’ unexpired term.
Barr, 41, thanked the city’s residents and his Council colleagues for their support while he represented the Fourth Ward. He said he will miss serving on Council, but is eager to join the Board of Commissioners to begin the next chapter of his political career.
As part of his farewell remarks Thursday night, Barr individually addressed Mayor Jay Gillian and all of the Council members, emphasizing the friendships he was able to build with them while serving on the governing body, including his two years as its president.
“You’ve all treated me so wonderful and so great over the last seven years. It’s certainly difficult to say goodbye to something that you love so dearly. I’ve loved every bit and every second of serving the Fourth Ward. It was an honor of a lifetime and no matter what else I do, it will be the greatest honor of my life, I think. So, I want to thank the voters of the Fourth Ward,” he said.
Gillian read a city proclamation honoring Barr for his “outstanding” public service. Gillian also presented Barr with a ceremonial key to the city and a piece of the Boardwalk as a memento.
“Bobby, thank you for everything,” Gillian said as the Council chambers erupted in applause from the audience.
One by one, the Council members spoke of their respect and fondness for Barr and praised his hard work on behalf of the Fourth Ward. They also said he will become a “great asset” to the county as the newest member of the Board of Commissioners.
“He is a class act. He is so good for this town,” Councilman Jody Levchuk said in remarks echoed by the other Council members.
Before leaving the Council meeting, Barr urged the members to appoint Winslow as his temporary successor.
“Dave is a great guy and has an exemplary record of public service,” he said.
Winslow, with his wife, Kathleen, standing at his side, took the oath of office after he was appointed by Council.
“I have very big shoes to fill,” Winslow said of following Barr as the Fourth Ward councilman.
Winslow, 69, a retired human resources executive, has lived in Ocean City since 1977. He and his wife have resided at their current home on Bayland Drive for 41 years.
He formerly served in elected office as a member of Ocean City’s Board of Education. Before his appointment to Council, Winslow returned to the public spotlight this summer as the chairman of the committee that oversees Ocean City’s iconic Night in Venice boat parade.
Winslow originally served as Night in Venice chairman beginning in 1985 and continuing through 2000. After a short hiatus, he became event chairman again for several more years starting in 2006. He returned to that role to oversee this year’s Night in Venice celebration on July 29.
