Three seats on EHC council to be decided Tuesday
Oct, 28-2009 3:19 pm
EGG HARBOR CITY – Seven candidates are running for three open seats on City Council in this year’s general election.
Democrat incumbents Lisa Jiampetti, Edward Dennis and Dennis Munoz will be challenged by Republicans Brian Beals, Mel Reid, Janet Reinhard and Independent Cliff Mays.
The open seats are for three-year terms on the nine-member panel.
There is currently an 8 to 1 Democrat majority on City Council with members Jiampetti, Dennis, Munoz, Doug Dickinson, Hazel Mueller, Ina Duran, John “Jack” Peterson, and Elizabeth “Betty” Schoenstein representing the majority.
Councilman Albert “Pat” Moran is the lone Republican on the governing body.
Jiampetti, 46, has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in Jewish studies from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. She is also a graduate of the Garden State Bible School and Absegami High School.
When not serving as a member of the city’s governing body, Jiampetti is the vice president of the Atlantic County Association of Township Officials, regular member of the Friends of Peace Pilgrim Committee, and a member of Delta Mu Delta, an International Honor Society for business administration.
She has been married for 17 years to Michael III. They have three children, Ryan, Michael IV and Matthew.
Jiampetti is also a substitute teacher in the Egg Harbor City Public School District.
Dennis, 60, is the longest tenured member of City Council, serving since 1976. If re-elected, this would be his 11th consecutive term on the governing body.
He is employed as a plant operations manager for World-Class Flowers. Prior to that, he owned his own masonry business for nearly 25 years.
Dennis possesses a bachelor's degree in history and a minor in political science from Glassboro State College, now called Rowan University.
He has been married for 36 years to his wife Linda. They have two grown children.
Mays, 76, served 30 years on the governing body from 1968 to 2002 before he lost a re-election bid in the 2002.
A life-long resident of Egg Harbor City, he is a graduate of Egg Harbor City High School and attended the New Jersey College of Commerce and Stockton State College.
Mays has been married for 54 years to his wife Doris. The couple has five grown children.
He is a retired commercial parking manager for the South Jersey Transportation Authority.
He served as a transition team member for former Gov. Tom Kean, an election coordinator for former Gov. James McGreevey, coordinator for the state Energy Office, director of special projects for the Vineland Development Center, coordinator for the state Department of Community Affairs Local Government Services, board of trustees member for the Church of Living God, special projects coordinator for the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, and deputy director for the state Department of Human Services.
Munoz, 59, has been a resident of the Egg Harbor since 1976.
This is his first experience in holding public office for the recently appointed councilman. He also ran in last year's Democratic Party primary against then Atlantic County Sheriff Jim McGettigan.
Munoz served a total of 32 years with the Galloway Township and Atlantic City police departments. He was also a paratrooper and demolition specialist for the United States Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets.
He is married to wife Carmen, and they have two grown children and three grandchildren.
Reid along with Brian Beals and Joe Manzoni, ran for office last year as an independent write-in candidate, but was unsuccessful.
Reid, 40, is a high school mathematics teacher and adjunct professor. He possesses a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University.
Reid is divorced and has two children.
In last fall’s pre-election profile, she was described as a lifelong resident of Egg Harbor employed as a chief registered environmental health specialist for the Atlantic City Health Department, working 30 years for the agency.
Reinhard possesses a bachelor’s degree in public health from the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and completed some graduate work at Drexel University.
She is past president of the South Jersey Sanitarians Association and Shore Cycle Club, and had membership in the New Jersey Environmental Health Association.
She also volunteered at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission and helped in organizing one of its fund-raising events called “Tour De Shore.”
Reinhard is not married and has no children.
Beals has been a resident of Egg Harbor for seven years and was involved with the public safety, highway, and parks and playground committees when he served as a city councilman 2005 to 2008.
He is a graduate of Middletown North High School, Monmouth County.
Beals and his family play a large role in organizing the city’s annual Christmas parade and he also served on committees that organize the city’s Hometown Celebration and the Egg Harbor City Education Foundation’s Octoberfest.
He is employed by New Jersey Transit. He and his wife, Sharon, have two children.
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Ward 1, District 1, Kickapoo Tribe Building 237, 38 London Ave.
Ward 1, District 2, Zion Lutheran Church, 312 Philadelphia Ave.
Ward 1, District 3, Ambulance Building, 700 Philadelphia Ave.
Ward 2, District 3, Ambulance Building, 700 Philadelphia Ave.
Ward 2, District 1, Moravian Church, 245 Boston Ave.
Ward 2, District 2, Moravian Church, 245 Boston Ave.
