SEA BRIGHT – A hearing on the validity of the Sea Bright mayoral election results that was originally scheduled for Jan. 30 has been pushed to Feb. 21.
The hearing will take place at 9 a.m. before state Superior Court Judge Robert A. Coogan in Freehold.
Former Sea Bright Mayor JoAnn Kalaka-Adams, a Republican, is continuing to challenge the election night results that gave longtime Democratic councilwoman Maria D. Fernandes the mayor’s seat over the incumbent.
Kalaka-Adams contested the results with a Dec. 13 filing in state Superior Court after a Dec. 4 recount upheld Democrat Fernandes’ election night win over the former mayor by three votes.
Kalaka-Adams is being represented by election law attorney Timothy Howes of Raritan, and Fernandes is being represented by Paul Josephson of Hill Wallack in Princeton.
Fernandes was sworn in as Sea Bright mayor Jan. 1 and has since assumed mayoral responsibilities, including presiding over the Jan. 5 reorganization Borough Council meeting and the Jan. 15 regular council meeting.
Kalaka-Adams attended the Jan. 5 reorganization meeting where she stepped down as mayor, although officially
her term had ended Dec. 31, according to Assistant Borough
Clerk Suzanne Branagan.
According to Sea Bright Republican Party
Chairwoman Marianne
McKenzie, Kalaka-
Adams challenged the
results because two people
tried to vote on Election Day but were not permitted to and six votes were allowed that should not have been or were allowed improperly.
Josephson said he and Fernandes would continue to defend the voters who have been challenged by Kalaka-Adams and said they are reluctantly prepared to challenge voters who were supporters of Kalaka-Adams, also on residency grounds.
Another avenue Josephson said he is prepared to explore is the residency status of Kalaka-Adams herself.
He said she has two residences in Sea Bright and may not be registered at her primary residence.
Before the Feb. 21 election contest hearing there will be two Borough Council meetings, one on Feb. 5 and the other Feb. 19, and the first Sea Bright Smart Growth Committee meeting will also take place Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m.