Published on October 30, 2026
October 30, 2026
Dear Friends,
I want to wish everyone a happy Halloween, and I want to thank Jen and Jeff Shirk and the entire Exchange Club of Ocean City for organizing the 78th annual Halloween Parade. It was great to see so many families out enjoying another spectacular event.
Our Community Services team put together another great Halloween House Decorating Contest this year, and there’s still time to check out the winning entries: ocnj.us/halloweenevents. I want to thank all the participating homeowners for taking the time to put together such festive displays.
Trick-or-treating will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Halloween night tomorrow. Have fun, but please be safe on the streets, wear reflective clothing or carry a flashlight, and follow pedestrian safety laws.
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Yesterday marked 14 years from the day that Superstorm Sandy caused some of the greatest flooding levels Ocean City has ever seen. I’m always reminded of how our community came together in the aftermath of the storm to take care of each other, to clean up, and to rebuild.
I’m also proud that Ocean City has taken a leading role in investing in flood resiliency solutions. The elevation of homes and infrastructure, installation of pumping stations, replacement of bulkheads and barriers, creation of living shorelines, purchase of open space and various other ideas are all important in the city’s ongoing efforts.
Mobilization for our next neighborhood pumping station project along the Haven Avenue corridor from 19th Street to 26th Street is scheduled to begin next week. We are already working to complete a design concept for another major flood mitigation project in the Ocean City Homes neighborhood at the south end of the island.
One of our other post-Sandy priorities was getting displaced Pecks Beach Village residents back into their homes. It’s great to see that the brand-new elevated homes at Pecks Beach Village are under construction.
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The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and polls in Ocean City will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. for in-person voting. Our Clerk’s Office has announced new polling places for voters in two districts within the city’s Second Ward.
Voters in Second Ward District 1 and District 5 will now vote at the Ocean City Civic Center between Fifth Street and Sixth Street, just off the Boardwalk. Adjacent parking is accessible from Fifth Street.
Voters in all five Second Ward districts will now go to the polls at the Civic Center for Tuesday’s election and for all other elections going forward. More information is available here:
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The Honorable Richard Russell will retire today after serving as Ocean City’s municipal court judge for 46 years.
Judge Russell grew up in Ocean City in the house where he currently lives in. After earning his law degree, he was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1973 and later to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1978.
He worked in a local law office before building a successful law firm in town. He was Corbin City's solicitor for a long tenure and also sat as judge in the Woodbine Municipal Court. He served as the Chair of the Family Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association from 1990 to 1991 and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He was repeatedly selected to the Super Lawyers list between 2005 and 2019.
I hope he now gets to spend more time with his wife, Effie, and his entire family. I hope you’ll all join me in paying tribute to him and thanking him for his service to our community.
I also want to congratulate Douglas Walker, who will be our new municipal court judge effective Nov. 1.
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I’m sad to report on the recent loss of two members of our community.
Aden Steindl was a friend and fellow Ocean City High School graduate, who went on to build many homes in town, including one of my own. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Steindl and Notos families.
Martha Gallagher spent summers in Ocean City before retiring here, where she was a regular at morning Mass at St. Frances Cabrini. Please join Michele and me in extending deepest condolences to the family and friends of Marge.
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Check out this week's edition of "Inside City Hall" below.
Warm regards,
Jay A. Gillian
Mayor
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