Republican June Byrnes of Linwood and Democrat Kim O’Brien of Somers Point are among the four candidates vying for the two at-large seats on the Atlantic County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 7.
They are running with incumbent John Risley and Habib Rehman, respectively, both of Egg Harbor Township.
Atlantic County is comprised of 23 municipalities. The Board of Commissioners is charged with adopting the county’s administrative code, passing ordinances and resolutions, and reviewing, modifying and adopting all operating and capital budgets.
They evaluate and study the county’s annual budget prior to approval, according to atlantic-county.org.
The county is divided into five districts, with each district representing about an equal number of residents. Each district has one representative on the commission and there are four at-large members who represent all Atlantic County municipalities and their residents.
June Byrnes
A life-long Atlantic County resident, Byrnes, 58, is running in her first county-wide election. She is serving her second term on Linwood City Council, on which she is chairwoman of the Neighborhood Services Committee and sits on the Public Works and Revenue and Finance committees. (Neighborhood Services include Linwood Seniors and Veterans Committee, Environmental Commission, and Municipal Alliance.)
She is an active member of the city’s Library Board of Trustees and liaison to the Linwood Historical Society and Linwood School District. Byrnes is active with the Mainland Regional High School Support Our Troops Club. She was a member of the Linwood Zoning Board prior to being elected to the City Council.
A former board member of Court Appointed Special Advocates, Byrnes, along with her husband Jim and their children Jessica, Julia and Jackson, was honored with the CASA Changemakers Award in 2019. She has also been active in local school and civic organizations. Byrnes attended Atlantic Cape Community College and transferred those credits toward a four-year degree. She is a graduate of Glassboro State College (now Rowan University), where she earned a degree in communication. She worked in advertising and public relations in the casino industry and later with The Press of Atlantic City.
Byrnes said she is proud of the work she has done in Linwood and was encouraged to take that success and share it on a county-wide scale.
“I look at the work I have done in my hometown, with senior citizens, with our veterans and our police department. I listen to what people in our community have to say and try to work with them to make a difference. I want to take those initiatives and my energy to help in other municipalities,” Byrnes said. “Atlantic County is such a great place to live, raise a family, work and visit. I would like to help maintain and improve our county.”
Over the course of the past six months, Byrnes has been meeting residents across Atlantic County, learning what is important in every municipality.
“Public safety is a huge concern in Atlantic County, and we have to work together to make sure it is a safe and family-friendly place,” she said. “Residents across the board are also concerned about their taxes and the cost of living here in the county.”
As a member of the Linwood Environmental Commission, she has assisted in negotiating the contract with the Atlantic County Utilities Authority.
“With concerns about the landfill reaching capacity in several years, we wanted to examine the costs and services and get the best service and cost for residents. We secured a six-month extension while we conducted our research,” Byrnes said.
She supports having school resource officers on campuses and is a strong advocate for education, especially the role Atlantic Cape Community College can play in Atlantic County’s future, providing courses for jobs in the tech and aviation field, something Byrnes said is key to Atlantic County’s future success.
Kim O’Brien
O’Brien is seeking her first public office but said she has assisted on a number of other local campaigns. The 50-year-old is president of the Somers Point Democratic Club, and she is active in the Somers Point School District Green Team. She was a Girl Scout leader, has been involved in green initiatives in the schools and grant writing, securing $14,000 annually through the New Jersey Education Association for student reading kits and the science fair. She and her husband, Michael, have lived in Somers Point for 21 years. They have two daughters.
O’Brien teaches Spanish and English Language Learners in the Somers Point School District. She is also a language specialist with the State Department, teaching a class via Zoom to teachers in Brazil on language learning strategies.
Prior to teaching in Somers Point, O’Brien taught in the Absecon School District.
She was a Peace Corps volunteer and taught English in Kiovsky, Russia, for two years and taught for two years in New York City schools upon her return.
She is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University with a degree in English and Spanish and earned a master’s degree in teaching from Columbia University.
O’Brien said she was encouraged by her teachers union to run for office.
“I have worked with many people supporting bi-lingual families as well as my work with the Green Team, and I would like to bring those efforts to a wider group of people,” she said.
On the campaign trail, O’Brien said she has met many residents of Atlantic County who voiced their concerns.
“Because of the economy, the cost of rent is up and housing is a big issue, and it is causing people to struggle,” O’Brien said. “Transportation is another important issue to our residents. Due to a lack of public transportation, it can be difficult for families to get the resources they need, like getting to the doctor or supermarket. I would like to see those needs addressed on the county level.”
Green initiatives are important to O’Brien. She voiced concern about the landfill reaching its capacity in several years.
“Sustainability is so important. We need to be looking for solutions as well as look for ways to reduce our energy use,” she said. “In New Jersey, we are able to get free energy audits and take advantage of ways to cut our energy use as well as costs.”
She also believes it is important to have economic growth that is in line with green initiatives and job creation that makes housing affordable.
“This is a great place to live and work; we need to make sure that we continue to have clean air and clean beaches in Atlantic County,” O’Brien said.
By SUZANNE MARINO/For the Sentinel