SOMERS POINT — One race was close but incumbents won with ease in the other two to keep all three seats on Somers Point City Council during the election Nov. 5.
Facing his first challenge since winning a spot on the board in 2009, Councilman Howard Dill defeated Morgan Slaughter 1,211 to 1,098, or 52.4 percent to 47.5 percent, to represent Ward II. Slaughter also ran unsuccessfully in last year’s mayoral race.
City Council President Janice Johnston also was victorious in her contest against Patricia Scamoffa in Ward I, winning 1,478 to 1,046, or 58.5 percent to 41.4 percent.
Likewise, Councilman Kirk Gerety defeated opponent Ann Marie Gibbs for the at-large seat with 2,846 votes to 2,005, or 58.6 percent to 41.3 percent.
Dill said the race was a new experience for him.
“Any time you have a challenger you have to hit your base and the unaffiliated voters; that’s the only way you’re going to win,” he said.
The longtime public works director said part of his focus moving forward would be developing a long-range plan to replace City Hall, noting he is part of the committee looking at buildings and grounds to determine what issues need to be addressed. He said he would push for a decision in 2025.
Other areas of focus will include the council’s push for redevelopment throughout the city.
“The tax base is something we have to continuously work on,” Dill said.
The grandfather won elections uncontested in 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2021.
A retired director of the Ocean City Public Works Department who worked for Somers Point for 22 years, Dill and his wife of 52 years have three children and six grandchildren. His two sons are city police officers.
Johnston, 68, is a commercial real estate agent and small-business owner with extensive community service experience.
She was appointed to the seat in July 2019 after former councilman Ron Meischker resigned, then elected in November to serve the remainder of the three-year term.
Johnston was chosen as council president during the re-organization meeting in January 2021. That November, she faced a challenge from Democrat Lisa Bender, winning 940 to 597, or 61.5 percent to 38.5 percent. She just won her second full term.
“I feel honored; I appreciate everybody’s confidence in me to keep going. It means a lot,” Johnston said.
Her main focus moving ahead is economic development to help ease the tax burden.
“There’s a lot of interest in Somers Point for development and we need to clean up some properties that need cleaned up, help the owners get those moving forward,” Johnston said. “I feel like a lot of them have been sitting for a long time for a variety of reasons.”
She said City Hall is badly in need of replacement, noting the city has been spending a lot of time and money fixing old and outdated facets of the building.
“Things are wearing out, and we’re just putting band-aids on them,” Johnston said. “We just have to figure out how to get the money.”
Johnston, who is married and has two step-children, two step-grandchildren and two cats, grew up in Delaware County, Pa., with four brothers.
“I spent my summers here in Somers Point and moved here permanently in 1975,” she said.
Johnston attended Upper Darby High School, Delaware County Community College and Vineland Beauty Academy, later working as a hair stylist for more than 20 years. She owned a salon in Linwood.
She also is a licensed commercial real estate agent since 1996, currently with Keller Williams. She previously owned the Peanut Store in Ocean City and Pretzel Factory in Egg Harbor Township.
Johnston has served on many boards and commissions over the years and currently is a member of the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce board of directors.
Prior to serving on City Council, she was a member of the Economic Development Advisory Commission and Zoning Board.
In addition, Johnston is president of Lawson’s Pride, an organization serving the U.S. Coast Guard community.
Gerety was appointed to the at-large seat on Sept. 12 following the resignation 31 days earlier of Joe McCarrie. With the win, he will extend his streak of serving on the board for 18 of the past 30 years.
“I was overwhelmed last night when I saw the amount of people who voted for me,” Gerety said last week. “I was really honored to get that many votes.”
He is president of the Somers Point Historical Society, was a trustee for the Atlantic County Historical Society and has done a lot of other volunteering.
Gerety began serving on City Council when he was appointed in 1995 to the at-large seat. He then ran successfully to serve the one-year remainder of the term. He won re-election in 1996, 2000 and 2004 before resigning his seat at the end of 2005. He then won a ward seat in 2014 to return to council.
He said when he is sworn in in January, it will be almost 30 years to the day since he was first sworn in to City Council. He joined the board in 1995, 2015 and 2024. Gerety said this was his seventh general election. Added to his two primary elections, he has run nine times
Gerety has been on council for 18 of the past 30 years, serving as president and president pro tempe, on the budget committee and personnel committee. He also served as chairman of the Save the Old City Hall Committee and oversaw the design of the Route 52 project, working as the city contact point for the residents affected by the construction.
Meanwhile, two other Somers Point residents — Republican Maureen Kern and Democrat Kim O’Brien — split their races for the Atlantic County Board of County Commissioners.
Kern, the board’s chair, retained her seat over challenger Joanne Famularo 12,458 to 11,607, or 51.69 percent to 48.16 percent.
O’Brien lost in the at-large race to Michael Ruffu, garnering 55,565 votes to his 61,511, or 47.7 percent to 52.47 percent.
Northfield
Both incumbents won their races for seats on Northfield City Council. Councilman Brian Smith topped Joan Brennan 1,213 to 934, or 56.39 percent to 43.42 percent. Councilwoman Carolyn Bucci defeated former councilwoman Barbara Madden 1,421 to 1,009, or 58.36 percent to 41.44 percent.
Linwood
Incumbents Councilwoman Blair Albright and Councilman Kenneth Kelly won seats on Linwood City Council unopposed.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
