By PETE WALTON
John B. Magrini, the top vote getter in the November election, is the new mayor of Avon
At the Board of Commissioners meeting this week Magrini was sworn into office along with incumbents Robert Mahon and Frank Gorman.
Magrini’s wife Norah and children Emily and Brendan held the Bible as Borough Administrator Timothy M. Gallagher administered the oath of office.
Later during the board’s reorganization meeting, Mahon, who had been serving as mayor, nominated Magrini to the post. By tradition, the highest vote getter in an election is chosen by the new board to serve as mayor. State law permits any of the three commissioners to be selected as mayor.
In his first public announcement as mayor, Magrini said that special public meetings would take place on Wed., Jan. 13 and 27 to gather input from residents and taxpayers on the challenges posed by the increased popularity of the borough’s beachfront.
The meetings will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Avon Marina.
The new mayor said he shares many of the concerns expressed by the public about the problems at the beach but noted that “it is a public entity and we need to welcome visitors to our community.”
Magrini, a lifelong borough resident, was a member of the Board of Education for 13 years and served for five years as its president. He works for Educators Insurance Services, Tinton Falls, an insurance firm tailored to the needs of school personnel.
Before being elected as a commissioner, Mahon was a member of the Planning Board for 24 years and served on the boardwalk restoration committee. He retired from the Ocean Township school system, where he served as superintendent of schools from 1974 to 1995.
Gorman is manager of fare collection and point of sale systems for NJ Transit in Newark. He served on the borough Planning Board and is a life member of the borough fire department. A member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, he spent 50 months on active duty since 2001 in support of the war on terrorism.
Mahon nominated Magrini as commissioner of public works and property. Gorman proposed Mahon as commissioner of revenue and finance. Magrini nominated Gorman to continue to serve as public affairs and public safety commissioner. All of the nominations, including Mahon’s nomination of Magrini as mayor, were approved unanimously.
The terms of the three commissioners expire on Dec. 31, 2019.
