Team Avalon 2023: Meet the Candidates
Team Avalon 2023 submits petitions to the Avalon Borough Clerk.
The Avalon municipal election is scheduled for Tuesday, May 9, and Mayor Martin Pagliughi recently announced Team Avalon 2023. It includes councilman John McCorristin running for mayor, and incumbent councilmembers Barbara Juzaitis and Sam Wierman seeking re-election.
The ticket signals the end of a legendary run of public service for Pagliughi, who is ending a 32-year run as mayor and served in city council before that.
“It has been a blessing to serve our community for over three decades, and it’s time for new leadership who shares with me a high standard of public policy principles,” says Pagliughi, who was first elected mayor in 1991. “This ticket includes three highly skilled, dedicated public servants who are directly involved with and responsible for much of the progress in our community. John and this ticket have my full endorsement and support.”
Read on for more information about the three candidates who comprise Team Avalon 2023.
JOHN McCORRISTIN
The mayoral candidate has a distinguished record of public service in Avalon. Since joining the Borough Council in 2013, McCorristin has served as council president and led major initiatives and projects involving capital improvements, recreation, construction, and the environment. Alongside Mayor Pagliughi, he led the effort to create the Avalon Free Public Library, which is perennially rated as a five-star facility. McCorristin also is a past president of the Avalon Board of Education, implementing shared-services agreements between the school and Borough to improve services while saving money. As a member of the council finance committee, McCorristin worked with the mayor and Juzaitis to eliminate all long-term general obligation debt in the Borough while maintaining an AAA bond rating from Standard and Poor’s. A graduate of Richard Stockton University, McCorristin has a long history in Avalon. He and his wife, Lisa, have owned a home in Avalon for more than 50 years and raised their family here.
As mayor, McCorriston plans to continue advocating for Avalon and working toward an even brighter future. “I’ve been serving the borough for years now and I always look out for Avalon and do the best I can do for the homeowners and visitors to make sure we continue on a good path,” he says. “I work hard so that Avalon stays a great community, and I am committed to managing our growth in a way that it does not hurt our taxpayers.
“Looking ahead, I’m really excited about the upcoming Bayside Park and Marina project. It’s going to be quite a stunning achievement when it’s complete. I do all of this because I love Avalon, always have.”
BARBARA JUZAITIS
Juzaitis, who first joined Borough Council in 2018, is running for re-election. Holding both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing, Juzaitis was instrumental in guiding the Borough through the COVID-19 pandemic. As a health-care director, nurse educator, and infection prevention consultant, her expertise and strong leadership proved essential. Juzaitis is also a past member of the Avalon Planning and Zoning Board and the Avalon Recreation Advisory Commission, as well as a past president of the Avalon Historical Society. In addition to her role as a councilwoman, she serves as the president of the Cape May County League of Municipalities.
As for her goals for the next term of borough council, Juzaitis says: “A major term goal is to continue our efforts to advance legislative efforts to resolve and repair the state’s juvenile justice reforms that have produced unintended disruptive consequences for Avalon and other seashore communities. We also intend to advance our resiliency initiatives involving hard and soft structures and innovative thinking to protect lives and property while maintaining our Class 3 rating from FEMA that provides Avalon property owners with a 35 percent discount on flood insurance premiums.”
SAM WIERMAN
Wierman was first elected to Borough Council in 2019 and currently serves as its president. He also is a member of the Avalon Planning and Zoning Board. Wierman’s background and expertise in the insurance business has proved to be critical in Avalon’s maintenance of a Class 3 rating in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Community Rating System program that encourages floodplain management practices. Wierman is an active community member who has volunteered on the Avalon Recreation Advisory Committee, the Avalon Chamber of Commerce, and the charitable Friend In Need organization. Wierman lives in Avalon with his wife, Elissa, and their two young children Penny and Sammy.
“I have really enjoyed being a part of the day-to-day inner workings of the Borough over the last four years,” Wierman says. “I have learned a lot and want to continue to do what’s best for Avalon and the people in town. Over the next four years, I want to continue to make Avalon a desirable place to live and visit. I take pride in telling people I live here and am involved in town, and the goal is to never lose the pride that I have for Avalon.”
