Midland Park November 16, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Midland Park Councilman Patrick “Bud” O’Hagan edged out former board of education member Russ Kamp to capture the mayor’s seat in last week’s closely contested election. With 39.5 percent of registered voters casting ballots, O’Hagan received 887 votes, while Kamp garnered 866. The deciding votes came from absentee ballots. When the polls closed, O’Hagan trailed by two votes. Of the 45 absentee ballots cast, O’Hagan received 34 and Kamp 11. Asked if he would appeal the results within the 15 days allowed by law, Kamp said he was “weighing his options at this time.” In the three-way council race, Mayor Joseph Monahan, who had decided to seek a council seat instead of seeking reelection, trailed the Republican candidates by 144 votes, garnering a total of 850 votes. Councilmen Nicholas Papapietro and Michael Junta received 1029 and 944 votes, respectively, in their bid for reelection to a second three-year term. The public question to allow sports betting at the Atlantic City casinos and the state racetracks O’Hagan wins mayor’s seat in closely contested race was defeated locally, with 632 yes votes to 690 no votes. The measure was approved statewide. O’Hagan said that during his tenure, he would want “to continue the council’s past performance of maintaining a streamlined budget that provides high quality services to our residents.” Noting that contracts for sanitation collections and other services are coming up for renewal in the near future, he said he would be “working closely with our administrator and the council to see where and how additional savings can be reached.” The mayor-elect said he did not interpret the election results as a call for widespread changes. “I sense that the voters like the way our community has been operating and that they don’t want us to rely on our past accomplishments. We will be expected to enhance and improve our financial efficiencies without incurring bonding debt,” O’Hagan said.. Kamp said that he would remain active in town. “It is premature to announce my future plans, but I can assure you and everyone else in Midland Park that, God willing, I am not going anywhere. I intend to remain an active community leader, and I will find a role or roles that will provide me with an opportunity to work with Midland Park and its citizens. Laurie and I love this community, and we will continue to try to improve it on the margin. Midland Park is a terrific place, but like anywhere else, there are potential areas that could be enhanced. I’ve always been taught that if you aren’t moving forward, you are actually moving backward. The status quo is not acceptable to me and many of Midland Park’s citizens,” he concluded. Once O’Hagan is sworn in at the annual reorganization meeting in January, the council will have to select a replacement to fill his council seat. The Republican Municipal Committee will have 15 days to nominate three candidates from which the council must choose; the council will then have 15 days to make the appointment. The appointee will serve until voters select an official replacement at the next general election. O’Hagan’s council term runs through 2013.