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Absecon council reorganizes leadership, swears in members and approves consent agenda
Summary
At its Jan. 6 reorganization meeting the council elected leadership, swore in new councilmembers, introduced an ordinance to streamline committees and approved a 32-item consent agenda including professional services contracts and board appointments; the ordinance public hearing is set for Jan. 26, 2026.
The Absecon City Council completed its Jan. 6 reorganization, administering oaths to newly seated members, electing council leadership and approving a broad consent agenda of routine contracts and appointments.
Nominations for council president were called, moved and seconded; nominations were closed and a roll call followed. The newly chosen council president took the oath of office administered by the mayor. Council also nominated and confirmed a council president pro tem (Alex Clark), who was sworn in.
The council introduced an ordinance to amend chapter 3, section 11 of the city code to streamline and consolidate council committees and create a new committee. The ordinance was moved, seconded and laid over; a public hearing and final reading were scheduled for Jan. 26, 2026.
The consent agenda included 32 routine items: adopting the 2026 regular meeting schedule, awarding professional-service contracts (city attorney John Amenhauser of Deweese Law Firm; labor counsel; public defender; municipal prosecutor; city planner Palestina and Associates; bond counsel Archer & Greiner; auditor Ford Scott & Associates), appointing representatives to municipal joint insurance and benefits funds, authorizing tax-assessor roles and tax-sale procedures, establishing a temporary 2025 budget, and numerous board appointments (planning, zoning, financial advisory and others). A councilmember noted a statutory citation question on item 28, saying, "Title 7, not Title 6," but the consent agenda passed by roll call.
The council also accepted a bill list recorded as $587,719.61. Following votes, the mayor gave the 2026 State of the City and the meeting proceeded to short remarks and public comment.
The ordinance affecting council committees will be posted and returned for public hearing and final reading on Jan. 26, 2026. Other appointments and contract awards will be implemented through the responsible city departments per standard procedure.
