Cavagnaro is New Point Beach Council Member

Dave Cavagnaro, a resident of Parkway, is now a member of the Point Beach Council.

Cavagnaro was selected by a unanimous council vote at the Tuesday night meeting. He replaces Michael Corbally who resigned on June 20.

The vote for Cavagnaro was prompted by a motion by Councilman Andy Cortes and seconded by Councilman Stephen Reid. Cavagnaro was one of the residents nominated by the local Democratic club since Corbally is a Democrat.

When asked how he feels about the appointment to the unexpired term, Cavagnaro replied, "Honored, excited and scared," and laughed.

At the June 25 council meeting, Cortes, Reid and William Mayer, the three Republican council members, all voted against Cavagnaro, as well as the other Democratic nominees who were Tom Davis and Monica Walsh.

Davis is running as a Democrat for a seat in the November general election. Walsh is a former council member.

Corbally's term expires at the end of the year and he had originally filed to run for reelection. He has until Sept. 10 to notify the Ocean County clerk in writing if he does not intend to run for reelection, said Municipal Clerk Maryann Ellsworth. 

Corbally said earlier this week that he will decide whether to run for a council seat after he finds out if a recent Superior Court decision will be reversed on appeal. The decision by Superior Court Judge Vincent Grasso, sitting in Toms River, was that Corbally allegedly had a conflict of interest in voting for the town's parking plan during overnight, summer hours in District 4 and a small section of District 3, because he is a Realtor in District 4.

The council will consider at tonight's meeting three separate parking plans as they also appeal Grasso's decision.

The local Democratic party has until Sept. 12 to have another Democratic candidate file to run in the November general election, Ellsworth said.

The other council seat expiring is held by Council member Kristine Tooker who decided not to run for reelection. All council members were in attendance at the Tuesday night meeting, including Tooker, who was attending via teleconference because she is away on vacation.

The Republican candidates for the two seats in the November election are former mayor Tom Vogel and newcomer Tom Toohey.