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Jargowsky, Ciseck Win Council Seats in Rare Contested Election

Ian Ciseck

Mike Jargowsky

One eagerly launches his entry to public service.

Another starts a potential encore era.

By different vantage points, newly elected Sea Isle City Council representatives Ian Ciseck and Mike Jargowsky will parlay their May 13 victories into four-year terms beginning July 1. They won two of the three seats available among five candidates in Sea Isle City’s first contested Council election since 2011.

Jargowsky, a lifelong Sea Isle City resident, obtained the most votes and produced what had been considered a likely triumph.

After incumbent Mary Tighe delivered the second-highest tally, Ciseck nabbed the third position. Newcomer Steve Cossaboon and incumbent J.B. Feeley were a reasonably close fourth and fifth.

The elections of Jargowsky and Ciseck – each running for the first time – indicates voters sought some type of change.

Here’s a deeper look at the spark Ciseck and Jargowsky bring to their legislative debuts.

IAN CISECK

Ciseck and Cossaboon played ironic roles in the election. They ran simultaneously as teammates in the “Fresh Faces, Fresh Ideas” platform and as opponents for the seats.

“It was great teamwork,” Ciseck says. “Steve and I agreed that if one of us got in and the other did not, we were both fine with that.”

The tandem operated what Ciseck termed a “war room” in his 38th Street home on election day.

“Every two hours, we would get an update,” he says. “At 9am, Steve came in and said we were getting slaughtered. But we kept gaining ground. Both my family and Steve’s family worked together, reaching out to people, reminding them to vote, etc. Finally, late in the evening, we got a call from Mayor Len Desiderio congratulating us. That was a terrific feeling.”

Ciseck’s campaign taught him voter concerns about parking and accessibility to City Council meetings. He believes the council might be able to push one of its two monthly meetings from 10am to something later, like 6pm, giving more people a chance to participate in the government process. But implementing that also depends on the viewpoint of other Council members, which he will discover after taking office.

Ciseck has added potential winter use of the Community Center, set to open in the fall, as an important local issue.

“We have one shot to hit a home run with the Community Center,” he indicates. “We know that for five months of the year we will have no trouble filling the place. I would love to see us be able to stage events there in the wintertime and bring business to Sea Isle City. People can come here to go shopping, go to our fine restaurants, etc. Maybe business owners will be convinced to reschedule when they will be open.”

He looks forward to working with Desiderio, Sea Isle City’s popular mayor. Ciseck, the youngest member of the Council at 48, also believes this election may propel other young residents into service.

“At this point, I do not see myself serving more than two terms,” he indicates. “I have a career [real estate] and I am not looking for another one. Perhaps other people will get involved now that they have seen an outsider get in.”

Ciseck and his wife Lauren have been married 24 years and have three children.

MIKE JARGOWSKY

Jargowsky, who initially said “hard no” to the idea of running for Council, reversed course after reflecting upon the opportunity.

“A lot of people had asked me about it over the years and I felt it was never the right time,” he recalls. “I had never gotten political and always voted for who I thought was the right candidate, etc.

“But I went home, started thinking about it and talked it over with Lori,” he says, referring to his wife of 40 years. The couple have three children.

“I could see this was a new challenge, and even though I never pictured myself as a politician, this is something I can do for this town,” he adds. “It has given a lot to me and I think I’ve given a lot back.

“I can communicate with people, get them to the services they need and relate to them on the level they are at.“

Jargowsky had kind words for all the candidates in the race. He thanks running mates Tighe and Feeley for providing a political tutorial, especially regarding paperwork filings and meeting the public.

He also credits Ciseck and Cossaboon, his opponents, for running a clean campaign.

“Everything was fair-minded about this,” he asserts. “We may have different ideas about how to get there, but we all want what is best for Sea Isle City. I know we will all be able to work together.”

Jargowsky said he was encouraged by what he discovered during the campaign.

“People had questions, but we didn’t run into anybody who had a problem with the budget or their taxes,” he notes. “That goes to the fact that tax money is being spent wisely here. We spoke to hundreds of people and there were no complaints about this issue.

“In the end, people want to feel safe, they want their garbage picked up, and if it snows they want that addressed. They want to feel safe when they are swimming and they want an ambulance to show up quickly if they have to call 911.

“City services are the backbone of a community, and while we are always looking to do better, Sea Isle City is strong in this area.”

Jargowsky relishes the town where he has spent his entire 63 years. A few years back, he purchased the 47th Street home in which he had grown up. Jargowsky has a high local profile, engaging with the public as a 28-year police officer and captain, the rank from which he retired in 2011.

Jargowsky then served as the deputy coordinator for Sea Isle City’s Office of Emergency Management until last fall.

Further community involvement includes being a member of Boy Scout Troop 76 starting in 1974 and later a Scoutmaster for 18 years.

Membership in the Knights of Columbus, the Italian American Club, and being the chairperson of the Sea Isle City Recreation Committee help fill out a rich, lifelong resume.

At St. Joseph Church, Jargowsky is in charge of the ushers and assists with 8am daily mass most days.

He didn’t need divine intervention in this election, but …

“You would not believe how many people recognized me from church,” he laughs. “Even Mary and J.B. said, ‘We have to go more often.’”

Like Ciseck, Jargowsky looks forward to this next chapter in his life.