By PETE WALTON
A state Superior Court judge has ordered a recount in the recent Bradley Beach Borough Council election.
The recount will take place on Tues. Dec. 6 at 9 a.m. in the offices of the Monmouth County Board of Elections, 300 Halls Mills Road, Freehold.
Judge David Bauman, sitting in Freehold, signed an order directing a “hand recount and recheck” of the election results.
First-time candidate Deborah Bruynell asked for the recount after coming up seven votes short, according to official returns released by Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon.
Bruynell hired Bruce W. Padula of Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs LLC, Matawan, to represent her.
The county election board and Monmouth County Superintendent of Elections Chris Siciliano of Ocean were represented by George N. Cohen, deputy attorney general of the state of New Jersey.
Bruynell finished in fifth place in the race for four council seats, seven votes behind incumbent Al Gubitosi.
She was required to post $108 with the clerk’s office as security.
The judge ordered that “before or after the conclusion of the hand recount and recheck, in cooperation with the appropriate election officials in order to schedule a mutually agreeable time, the parties or their representatives, shall be allowed to examine and copy hereafter the registry books, voter authorizations, vote by mail ballot applications, rejected and late arriving vote by mail ballots, envelope flaps, outer envelopes, messenger book, office orders, order lists, orders to vote, challenge lists, challenge sheets, peremptory order lists, challenge affidavits, incident reports, returned sample ballots, District Board returns and canvases, repair records, complaint or inquiry records, irregular ballots, provisional ballots and emergency ballots and any and all other papers, documents and records pertaining to the conduct and outcome of the November 2022 General Election for the office of Councilperson of the Borough of Bradley Beach.”
Newcomer Meredith DeMarco finished first in the Nov. 8 general election with 829 votes, followed by incumbent John Weber with 813 votes and first-time candidate Jane DeNoble with 806. DeNoble ran on a ticket with Gubitosi, who received 794 votes.
Bruynell tallied 787 votes, followed by her running mate Thomas Gavin, who received 735. Incumbents Tim Sexsmith and Randy Bonnell finished in seventh and eighth place, respectively.
