By DON STINE
The One Ocean Team, headed by Ocean Township Mayor Christopher Siciliano, swept Tuesday’s election for all five seats up for grabs on the Township Council.
Siciliano’s team easily defeated the rival Ocean Together Team by more than a two-to-one margin. The Ocean One Team also includes Deputy Mayor William J. Garofalo and current council members Donna L. Schepiga and Richard H. Long. The ticket also includes newcomer Robert Acerra, who is currently on the school board.
“I am overwhelmed by the margin of victory- I thought it would be close. And I thought (Ocean Together) ran a good, clean campaign,” Siciliano said Tuesday night.
He said he thinks residents knew his team was sincere and recognized that.
“There were really no pressing issues and people believe that we are working hard and I think that came through and resonated with people,” he said.
Siciliano said he also he owes it all to his family and his roots in Ocean Township.
The Ocean Together Team includes former school board president Sylvia Sylvia; current school board member Robert Angelini; High School Booster Club president Gail Matarazzo; former Little League manager Larry Mishkin; and former Little League President John Stuppi.
Siciliano was the high vote-getter with 3,001, or 15.36 percent of the total 19,534 votes cast. Garofalo was second with 2,793, or 14.3 percent; followed by Acerra, who got 2,775, or 14.21 percent.
Long came in fourth with 2,614 votes, or 13.38 percent; followed by Schepiga, who garnered 2,490 votes, or 12.75 percent.
Sylvia was the top vote-getter for the Ocean Together Team with 1,368 votes, or 7 percent. Angelini was second with 1,246 votes, or 6.38 percent; followed by Stuppi with 1,151 votes, or 5.89 percent.
Matarazzo came in fourth with 1,090 votes, or 5.58 percent; followed by Mishkin with 1,151 votes, or 4.98 percent.
There were also 34 write-in ballots, or .17 percent.
Voter turnout was 20.61 percent, with 3,834 out of the township’s total 18,606 registered voters casting ballots. The new council will be seated at the annual reorganization meeting held on Wed., July 1.
