By Maddy Vitale
There were no surprises for Somers Point City Councilmen Ron Meischker and Howard Dill when the polls closed Tuesday night.
They ran unopposed and are in for another three years.
Both incumbents spoke about their interest in continuing the track the city is on, cleaning up the environment, improving roadways and maintaining services and programs offered to the residents in the bayfront community.
Meischker, a First Ward councilman, was appointed back in 2017 to replace Tom Smith, who took a job with the city.
“I’ve been on Council for a little more than a year, but I have always been very active in the city,” he said. “I’ve worn many hats.”
He has served as the chairman of the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment, on the Recreation Commission and as a member of the Economic Development Advisory Commission.
Meischker, the founder of the Patcong Creek Foundation, and city’s Harbormaster since 2014, has focused on environmental issues throughout the years and has made it a priority on City Council.
He helps oversee the community environmental cleanups and is vocal about the importance of keeping the waterways free from litter. He was a proponent of a plastic bag ordinance that has since been tabled. If adopted, the ordinance would attach a fee to each plastic bag taken upon purchase at local businesses.
“I’m very passionate about the environment. I put a lot of time and effort into our local waterways and it really means a lot to me personally,” Meischker said.
His priorities remain the environment and working with the governing body on all the important issues in the community, he stressed, including the construction of a new marina and a dredging project.
“I will continue to work hard for every resident of Somers Point over the next three years,” he added.
Second Ward Councilman Howard Dill is entering his fourth three-year term on City Council.
He spoke from the GOP Election Night headquarters at the Linwood Country Club on Tuesday, alongside fellow Somers Point Second Ward Councilman James Toto.
“This will be my fourth term, and I would like to continue to achieve the things that are best for the taxpayers,” Dill said. “We are looking to do more enhancements to the city. In the future, I would like to see improvements to Kennedy Park.”
Dill, who is a former Somers Point Superintendent of Public Works, is Council’s liaison to the Public Works Department.
“We are in our fifth year of a repaving program,” Dill said. “We want to continue to look out for the future needs of our town. One of the ways is making sure our roads are in good shape.”
