Ocean City Council Names New President, Swears in Council Members

Ocean City, NJ -- Two years after being elected, Peter Madden has been named Ocean City Council President, the Ocean City Gazette reports.

Madden was named president during council’s 2016 reorganization meeting on Friday, July 1, at the Music Pier.

Former council president Anthony Wilson was named vice president, according to the report.

Bob Barr, a 1999 Ocean City High School graduate who was the first disabled student to take part in mainstream classes in the school district, was sworn in as the newest member of council, according to the report. Now 34, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at a young age and has been wheelchair-bound throughout his life.

He will represent the Fourth Ward after winning the May 10 election to fill the seat of former councilman Peter Guinosso, who chose not to seek re-election after serving a four-year term.

Wilson (Third Ward), Karen Bergman (at-large), Michael DeVlieger (First Ward) and Antwan McClellan (Second Ward) were also sworn in following victories in May’s elections.

Madden was first elected in 2014, and was named council vice president in 2015.

He succeeds Keith Hartzell, who chose not to seek another nomination to the position after serving as president for the last year.