Somers Point swears in council members, elects Haberkorn council president and McGuigan president pro tem

Somers Point — At the city’s reorganization meeting in February 2025, council members took oaths of office and the City Council elected its 2025 leadership, selecting Charles Haberkorn as council president and Sean McGuigan as president pro tempore.

Newly elected council member Kirk Garrity, re-elected council members Janice Johnson and Howard Dill, and other returning members were sworn in before the council moved to leadership nominations and votes. The oath and swearing-in were performed during the public meeting that opened under the Open Public Meetings Act. Council member Charles Haberkorn was nominated and, after hearing no other nominations, elected president by roll call. The council then elected Sean McGuigan as president pro tempore by roll call.

The leadership votes were recorded by roll call and accepted unanimously by the members present. The council also took the ceremonial oath and offered brief remarks of appreciation for volunteers, city employees and first responders. Council member Janice Johnson said, "I take it very seriously," referring to her re-election and duties. Council member Howard Dill thanked professional staff and volunteers, saying, "The people are very professional, and you do a very nice job to make this city run smoothly." Mayor Tapp told the audience, "This year, we are moving forward with development for new retail spaces and housing that will not only enhance the beauty of our city, but also provide more jobs, services, and affordable living options for our residents."

The meeting proceeded from the swearing-in and leadership votes to a slate of appointments and routine resolutions adopted later in the session. No contested leadership votes or recorded no-votes were announced during the roll calls.