Elected to town council; Berenato, Lyons, Byrnes lead school board race
HAMMONTON—On November 8, voters re-elected two incumbent Hammonton First council members—Sam Rodio (2,150 total votes) and Steven Furgione (2,090 total votes)—and a Republican newcomer, Renee Rodio (2,022 total votes), to the Hammonton Town Council.
The remaining votes went to Hammonton First incumbent Councilman William Olivo (1,961 total votes) and Republican challengers Joshua Trepiccione (1,908 total votes) and Adam Re (1,780 total votes). Vote tallies are unofficial and had not been certified as of press time.
Three incumbent board members appeared to be returning to the Hammonton Board of Education, with Barbara Berenato (2,062 total votes), John Lyons (1,893 total votes) and Linda Byrnes (1,777 total votes) leading in total votes as of press time. Shawn McCloud (1,741 total votes), Mary Ann Templeton (1,651 total votes) and Rita Black (1,424 total votes) received the remaining votes. Vote tallies are unofficial and had not been certified as of press time.
Furgione said he was looking forward to serving on council again when he was contacted by The Gazette about the election results.
“Any time you get reelected or elected it’s a vote of confidence from the residents. I appreciate their confidence and I appreciate them returning me to council so I can represent them. I am working heavily on infrastructure, water and sewer projects and we are going to have several large projects coming in the next two years,” Furgione said.
Berenato, a former Democratic Mayor of Hammonton, told The Gazette that she thanked the voters for their support.
“I’d like to thank the voters of Hammonton. I have always had great respect for the hardworking people of this town. The people of Hammonton always come through for anyone who needs it. I look forward to serving them on the board. It’s my job to listen, agree or disagree and my values dictate that I do not think it is valuable to have an opinion and not express it. I am not intimidated by louder or more insistent voices,” Berenato said.
Berenato outlined some of the projects she would be working with the rest of the board on during her next term.
“We are looking forward to having a smooth transition by the addition of eight classrooms at the ECEC. We certainly have to resolve the issue of the solar usage. I can use my experience as a former community leader, a mother and a grandmother to support and unify the faculty and students for a great education in our town,” Berenato said.
A breakdown of the vote totals, including the voting machines on November 8, the early voting and vote by mail (VBM) were as follows:
Council
• November 8 machine voting: Renee Rodio, 1,622; Trepiccione, 1,561; Re, 1,468; Sam Rodio, 1,448; Furgione, 1,410; Olivo, 1,319.
• Early voting: Furgione, 275; Sam Rodio, 267; Olivo, 260; Renee Rodio, 169; Trepiccione, 153; Re, 140.
• Vote By Mail (VBM): Furgione, 405; Sam Rodio, 395; Olivo, 382; Renee Rodio, 231; Trepiccione, 194; Re, 172.
Vote tallies are unofficial and had not been certified as of press time.
School board
• November 8 machine voting: Berenato, 1,475; Lyons, 1,369; Templeton, 1,277; McCloud, 1,232; Byrnes, 1,214; Black, 1,113.
• Early voting: McCloud, 231; Lyons, 219; Byrnes, 219; Berenato, 217; Templeton 137; Black, 128.
• Vote By Mail (VBM): Berenato, 370; Byrnes, 344; Lyons, 305; McCloud, 278; Templeton, 237; Black, 183.
Vote tallies are unofficial and had not been certified as of press time.