Wildwood’s city council convened for a special session on May 7 to determine whether to retain special legal counsel for investigating potential ethics or regulatory violations involving candidates from the April 7 election.
Council members Ed Marshall, Robert Mabry, Cliff Albers, and Joe Farmer initiated the meeting by referencing Section 3.6 of the municipal code, which grants the City Council authority to evaluate member qualifications and grounds for office forfeiture. The code permits the council to subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, and demand evidence presentation.
According to the statute, individuals facing potential office forfeiture are entitled to a public hearing upon request and may only lose their position through a two-thirds affirmative vote by the council. The courts retain authority to review decisions made under this provision.
Though no specific candidate was named, the April 7 election brought three new officials to office: Phil Owen (Ward 1), Chris Means (Ward 5), and Tim Kummer (Ward 8).
Owen secured his Ward 1 position with 92 write-in votes after no candidate formally filed. Means won Ward 5 without opposition, while Kummer defeated Michael Gillani in Ward 8 with 52.5% of the vote.
Farmer, serving as mayor pro-tem, explained that council must certify and seat newly elected members. A special meeting was convened to deliberate whether to hire special counsel for additional review of the candidate(s) in question.
The council selected special prosecutor Timothy Engelmeyer, a currently employed city attorney, to conduct the review.
Marshall indicated that the special prosecutor would examine all aspects of the candidacy, from filing procedures to procedural questions, to identify any potential ethics violations or state law issues.
Council member Rob Rambaud (Ward 6) expressed his desire for an investigation that would be “completely independent with thorough examination of all evidence.”
City Administrator Thomas Lee projected the investigation expenses would range from $5,000 to $15,000, depending on investigation scope and duration.
The council voted to authorize Engelmeyer to proceed with the investigation; however, findings may not be completed before the May 11 council meeting.
“The Board of Elections certified the winners of the election and we plan to move forward with the swearing in as planned for our May 11 meeting,” Mayor Joe Garritano said in a statement.
